Cavaliers hopeful about bowl bid

After a winless September, Virginia’s football team is pulling off a perfect October, and it’s time to ask a once-laughable question: Can these Cavs make a bowl game?

The magic number is 6, and Virginia sits at 3-3 right now with all ACC games remaining. The ’Hoos play host to Georgia Tech on Saturday at noon — the red-hot Yellow Jackets became the conference’s first bowl-eligible team by defeating Virginia Tech last Saturday.

Perhaps just as importantly, the winner will seize first place in the ACC Coastal division. Coach Al Groh said that he’s expecting the Yellow Jackets option offense to provide the toughest test yet.

“With the combination of how well they’re playing and the uniqueness of what they’re doing, it would be hard to argue with that,” he said.

Virginia’s road to six also includes road games at Miami and Clemson, and home games against Duke, Boston College and Virginia Tech. It’s a tough schedule, but the ACC has nine bowl slots to fill, and cur-rently only six teams with more wins than the Cavs. NCAA rules require a team have at least six victories to make postseason play.

One thing that has helped the ’Hoos get on a roll has been a lack of turnovers. When Jameel Sewell fum-bled the ball Saturday, it was the first time U.Va. had turned it over since the Southern Mississippi game. The fumble was the only giveaway on a day where the defense produced four takeaways.

The defense also delivered with a touchdown on a Nate Collins interception return. Groh said before the season he’d place an emphasis on defensive and special teams touchdowns. The special teams haven’t produced, but Collins broke through for the defense.

“We’ve been practicing on scoring a lot,” safety Brandon Woods said. “He was the one to make the play.”

Aside from the defense, other areas of the game will draw tight scrutiny this week. Among the topics Groh discussed Sunday night was a botched punt by Jimmy Howell.

The punter started off running, but changed his mind and tried a last-second punt that got minimal yard-age.

“Far be it from me to explain,” the coach said. “It was our intention that he was going to punt the ball.”

On offense, injuries will be the concern. Sewell re-aggravated a right-ankle injury, but maintained after the game that he was fine.

In one of the game’s more bizarre plays, defensive lineman Matt Conrath injured his right ankle on a kneel-down play. Zane Parr will take over at that position, with true freshman Brent Urban shifting into the role of dime-package lineman.

Running back Mikell Simpson’s status is also in question — he didn’t play Saturday.

“We’ll go strictly with what the medical people say, but if we have a decision, we’ll stay on the cautious side,” Groh said. “Clearly there are more important things in life than just football, especially with a young guy like that.”

Groh also addressed other lingering questions from the game, including his decision to switch hats at halftime.

He did that, he said, because his first one was “really wet.”