UVA football ready to start anew with ACC opener

CHARLOTTESVILLE - For Jameel Sewell, the glass is half full.

The scheduling gods made it that way for Virginia.

While Miami has played three league games and others have jumped into play with a pair of ACC contests, the Cavaliers (0-3) remain safe in at least one respect: the Coastal Division standings.

That changes tomorrow as Virginia opens league play at North Carolina (0-1, 3-1).

“This is the most important time of year,“ said Sewell, Virginia’s starting quarterback the past two games. “We have a chance to compete for the division title and we all know what comes with that.

“Sure, we’d like to take back the results from the first three games, but all that matters now is how we play against ACC teams.“

With a magical run last October, Virginia was in position to control its own destiny in a race for a spot in the title game.

That disappeared with a woeful November that included a four-game slide.

Virginia coach Al Groh has preached to his team how a new start could be beneficial.

“Every year, I think, when you’re in a conference, the reason that you’re in a conference is to win the conference championship and so that dominates over every other circumstance and so now we get into conference play,“ he said.

“We have seen progress in most phases of the team on a week-to-week basis, and with the installation of some of these new operations, we hope that, as I say, that it’s a trend there in taking some time in getting these things installed and going the way we want them to.“

The Cavaliers will have their work cut out for them they must travel to UNC, Miami and Clemson.

Groh believes that a road game at Southern Miss and a challenging home tilt with Texas Christian provided as tough as of a challenge as his team may face.

While the intensity was obvious against Southern Miss, Sewell said nothing compares to facing teams that you play on an annual basis.

“That game was physical. Both teams were hitting really hard and playing with a swagger,“ he said. “But this is another animal. We have to be ready to play from the opening kickoff and Carolina and the other teams in the league.

“It will be fun to see how we respond to the challenge that lies ahead.“

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NOTES: Groh said yesterday that it remains to be seen if quarterback Vic Hall (hip) or cornerback Chris Cook (groin) will be able to play against the Tar Heels. Both players have worked in practice. Sewell is ahead of Hall on the depth chart and sophomore cornerback Chase Minifield is listed ahead of Cook . . . Junior wideout Dontrelle Inman (hand) has returned to practice and should make his season debut tomorrow, Groh said.