Virginia's offense hasn't had a lot of success through two games, but it does now have a leader.
Senior Jameel Sewell, a Hermitage graduate, will step up and lead the team as the 'Hoos prepare for a game Saturday at Southern Miss.
"The reality is, right now it looks like he's going to be the quarterback," coach Al Groh said last night.
He added that the decision was based both on Sewell's performance Saturday and the estimated severity to an injury suffered by Vic Hall in the team's first game.
Hall played just one snap Saturday in a loss to TCU, failing to catch the snap on a field goal attempt. He will undergo further testing this week. His injury was listed as a hip problem, though Hall also took a blow to the shoulder during the William and Mary game.
As for the new spread offense, which has sputtered through two games, Groh said that he remains optimistic about the potential of the system.
"We have a number of players on our offensive side that have a history of being successful, and we have an offensive system that has a history of being successful," he said. "The challenge is to match some of these productive players with what has been a productive system."
With Hall out for what could be an extended time frame, wide receiver Rico Smalls has been moved to the No. 3 quarterback position behind Marc Verica.
The offense shone at the end of Saturday's game, including two long passes for touchdowns, and that gave the players reason to keep their heads up.
"Toward the end of the game we were making plays," receiver Kris Burd said. "I feel like we have something to build on."
Groh elaborated last night at length about several phases of the game, but he didn't spend much time on Gregg Brandon's offensive playcalling, saying only that it was "fine." When asked how much authority Groh exerted on the playcalls, he responded "as much as I want to have."
As for the defense, the coach commended defensive end Matt Conrath as the player of the week on that unit. His eight tackles and a sack disrupted the Horned Frogs passing game.
On special teams, Groh cited a lack of plays that "impact the flow of the game," a goal the unit set early in the season.
But the offense remained the focal point, and the players will look to put what they've learned to work as they prepare to hit the road for challenging games against Southern Miss and North Carolina.
One thing Groh will look for are playmakers -- guys who can emerge as threats to make big downfield gains or touchdowns.
Sewell hopes to provide that spark, and if he can combine his running ability with the pocket presence he demonstrated toward the end of Saturday's game, he has a chance to provide it.
The U.Va. quarterback situation appears to have worked itself out. Now it's the offense's turn to do likewise.
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