Will UVA football shine again in October?

October has five Saturdays this year, which is a good sign for Virginia's football team.

Cavaliers coach Al Groh is college football's answer to Mr. October, and over the past few years, he's been nearly untouchable during the month.

"I guess you could call it Octoberfest," he said last night with a chuckle, before adding that he hasn't put any thought into the team's pre-Halloween success. The month rescued the 2008 season and has the potential to do likewise this year.

Coming off an 0-3 September, the Wahoos launched their October campaign Saturday in Chapel Hill by defeating North Carolina 16-3, their 10th October victory in the past 11 tries, spanning three years.

Now they'll look to keep the momentum rolling with a homecoming game against Indiana, then a road test against Maryland.

Virginia's players got one more opportunity to relish the first victory of the season yesterday, but Groh told the team that the focus would shift forward as soon as the film review session ended. The coach will live that out too, saying at the end of a conversation last night that he would be done thinking about the game "as soon as I hang up the phone."

Before that happened, there were several positive points on which to elaborate for the coach, as well as a few areas for improvement.

Despite the offense taking a step back in terms of numbers, Groh believed the unit took a step forward in terms of poise against the Tar Heels' defense.

Drawing kudos in particular was quarterback Jameel Sewell, who responded to North Carolina's lone scoring drive with his best possession of the game.

His first two passes after the field goal were a 14-yard completion to fellow Richmonder Kris Burd, then an 18-yard strike to Javaris Brown. A short pass to Rashawn Jackson set up a U.Va. field goal in response.

"He took the momentum right back for us," Groh said. "I think those things show some progress. We've got more to make but that certainly showed progress."

Sewell said that the game's finish was especially useful for the team's younger players, and that their celebration would turn to an increased focus this week.

"It fuels their hunger," he said. "They understand what it takes to win at this level now."

The victory was further defined as it came at the end of a bye week, a time that Groh said was used to solidify the team's identity. Before the season, he said it would take three or four weeks before the team's ability became clear.

And while the ultimate verdict is rendered on the field, the team could get a reprieve there as it faces Indiana and Maryland after a strong September schedule.

The Hoosiers are coming off back-to-back games against Michigan and Ohio State, two losses after a 3-0 start during nonconference play. Maryland is 2-3, including an overtime victory against James Madison.

Saturday's game will be played at Scott Stadium, which hosted the U2 concert last Thursday. The Redskins had to resod their grass field after the show, and while Groh had not personally inspected the field, he said he was "aware of that possibility."

He's also hoping to sow some seeds of faith among a fan base that was disheartened out of the gate. The victory Saturday was a start, and if previous results are any indication, this is the month where the Cavaliers have the ability to take off.

Contact Michael Phillips at (804) 649-6546 or mphillips@timesdispatch.com