Groh mum about who will start at QB for the Cavs

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Virginia’s starting quarterback for the USC game will be Scott Deke.

Or Marc Verica.

Or Peter Lalich.

That pretty well sums up Tuesday’s non-update for who the Cavaliers will have under center when they host the No. 3-ranked Trojans at Scott Stadium on Saturday in the season opener.

“We’re moving forward with (the competition) and I’m sure some time before 3:31 on Saturday we’ll have it figured out,” said UVa coach Al Groh, playing things close to the vest as usual.

Tuesday was the latest effort by Virginia to create what Groh has termed a “cocoon” surrounding the three candidates vying to replace Jameel Sewell as the starting quarterback.

Deke, Verica and Lalich, who have shared reps with the first team throughout the duration of training camp, have been sparsely available for interviews in the preseason. They declined to speak with reporters at the team’s media day on Aug. 10, and none of the three were at Tuesday’s media session.

“What we wanted to do is create the circumstance of sanity,” Groh said. “As soon as it was mentioned, it seemed to make a lot of sense. And it’s worked out great. They’ve had a nice, quiet, sane period of time to do what they were supposed to do — work on their game — and not become a team spokesman, wittingly or unwittingly.”

The players are listed on the depth chart in order of age (Deke, Verica, then Lalich) with the word “or” between them.

USC coach Pete Carroll said his team is preparing for the game under the assumption that the starter will be Lalich, who has the most actual game experience of the three, having played eight games last year and throwing for 321 yards and two touchdowns.

Groh doesn’t necessarily equate Lalich’s playing time last year with true experience, though. Of the eight games he played in as a true freshman, four of his appearances, including the bowl game, were on short notice after Sewell suffered an injury that forced him to the sideline.

“(They) were all kind of like a fireman going down the pole,” Groh said. “‘Peter, grab your helmet. Hurry up. Get in there. Jameel can’t go.’

“Certainly a quarterback has to be ready to do that, but that’s a lot different than when a quarterback has an extended time frame to get his mind ready for those circumstances.”

Lalich’s final predetermined appearance in a game was Sept. 22 against Georgia Tech. He went 4-for-10 for 56 yards, but threw an interception on the goal line that killed a promising drive in the third quarter.

It was the last pass he threw for four games.

The Cavaliers scrapped their rotating quarterback situation afterward and Sewell proceeded to win six of the next seven games.

Groh did offer two bits of information about the quarterback situation Tuesday. One, he doesn’t plan to use a rotating system. And two, he has a pretty good idea of who will take the first snap come Saturday.

As for who that will be, nobody’s talking.

“We’ll probably keep it the way it is until we play the game,” Groh said.