UVa offense rides herd on Cabbell drive

Since B.J. Cabbell became a regular starter on the Cavaliers offensive line last season, he has seen his share of highs and lows. Though the Cavaliers struggled last season, they did post wins over then-No. 18 North Carolina and in Atlanta at then-No. 21 Georgia Tech. With Cabbell starting at right guard, UVa allowed an ACC-low 16 sacks in 2008.

This year, though, the Cavs stumbled out of the gate, losing to William and Mary and Southern Miss along with TCU. However, the Cavs would rebound, winning three straight to even their record before losing their next four to fall to 3-7 overall and 2-4 in the ACC.

In addition to the up-and-down, Cabbell was hit by the injury bug this season and has started seven of 10 games. Through it all, the 6-foot-6, 305-pound Nelson County graduate has been a rock on the offensive line.

“Our motto is, we are Virginia, we’re tough and we don’t crack,” Cabbell said.

The Cavaliers are out of contention for a bowl bid. But the remaining team on the schedule is not –– Virginia Tech.

He will have a chance to help further spoil what was once a very promising season for the Hokies in the season finale. The Roseland native grew up as a UVa fan and relishes the opportunity to be a part of Virginia’s football version of a civil war.

“You just feel it’s your rival and you just grew up with people liking Tech and people liking Virginia and it’s just a big family rivalry,” Cabbell said.

The lessons learned from last year, Cabbell’s first as a starter, have also proved invaluable. The former All-District player said he is better equipped this year to handle the speed of the game and as a result has been able to focus more on his own technique. Cabbell also said he spends less time watching his own weaknesses on tape and more looking for tendencies in his defensive counterparts.

If their record is any indicator, the Cavaliers may be primed to finish the season strong. To put an appropriate end on their up-and-down season, it would only be natural for UVa to win. Though Cabbell did not make any bold predictions, he does believe that the Cavs may be just hitting their stride because of injuries and the early setbacks.

“We’re coming together as one and grinding away … we’re on the gridiron, we take every practice as our last practice,” Cabbell said. “We had some injuries, here and there, but I would say overall our chemistry has been coming together each Saturday … (We) lost some games we should have won early on and that’s what set us back.”

Regardless of the final game, Cabbell hopes to be the anchor on next year’s line. Cabbell has extra incentive as well, with some scouting services ranking him as high as the 14th best NFL prospect at his position for the 2011 draft. With those lofty possibilities on the horizon, Cabbell is planning to get back to basics in the offseason.

“(I’m going to work on) the fundamentals of the game, getting faster, getting a lot stronger, being able to anchor the line next year, and just try to be a powerhouse,” Cabbell said.