UVa Football Notebook: Linebackers hit with injuries

Outside linebackers are an endangered species in the Virginia football program.

Since the end of training camp in August, three players at that position have suffered significant injuries — Aaron Clark (knee), Cameron Johnson (ankle) and Jared Detrick (wrist) — and none of them will be available for the Cavaliers’ final two regular-season games.

On the depth chart UVa distributed Tuesday, senior Clint Sintim and junior Denzel Burrell are listed as the starting outside linebackers, as usual. Backing up each of them is 6-2, 222-pound redshirt freshman Aaron Taliaferro, a Glouchester High graduate who never has played in a college game.

Asked what Taliaferro does well, Sintim smiled and said, “Apparently everything. He’s the backup on both sides.”

Sintim then turned serious.

“What really impresses me about him is he’s getting better without getting the reps ... He improved a lot before we even had an opportunity to see him out there. He’s just doing all the right things, he’s asking all the right questions, and he’s getting better as a player.

“His locker room is right next to mine, and he asks me questions all the time. You can just tell he wants to be prepared when the opportunity comes.”

Last home game

Virginia (3-3, 5-5) plays its home finale Saturday against ACC rival Clemson (3-4, 5-5). UVa coach Al Groh is worried about the Tigers’ junior tailback C.J. Spiller, who also returns punts and kickoffs.

Spiller, one of the nation’s fastest players, also is an accomplished receiver who has three touchdown catches this season.

“There has been no more dangerous kick-returner that we’ve played,” Groh said. “There certainly is no more dangerous runner that we’ve played, and ... (Spiller is) doing all the things that the most dangerous wide receivers do and things that hardly any backs can do.”

It’s been a while

Thanks to ACC expansion, Clemson and Virginia haven’t met in football since 2004. Since then, UVa has played Wyoming, Western Michigan, Pittsburgh and Connecticut twice apiece.

“Coach Groh talks about it all the time,” senior tight end John Phillips said. “The ACC’s so big, you play some of these teams on a four-year rotation, or whatever it is, and it’s almost like they’re a non-conference game.”

Neither Phillips nor any other player on UVa’s roster has played against the Tigers.

Old friends

UVa wide receiver Kevin Ogletree preceded Sylven Landesberg at Holy Cross High in Queens, N.Y. That Landesberg had 28 points, along with eight rebounds and eight assists, in Virginia’s season-opening win over Virginia Military Institute in men’s basketball Sunday didn’t surprise Ogletree.

“He’s got my vote: preseason freshman of the year (in the) ACC,” said Ogletree, who also played hoops at Holy Cross.

Virginia’s starting quarterback, Marc Verica, preceded Jeff Jones at Monsignor Bonner High outside Philadelphia. Jones, a sophomore shooting guard for the Cavaliers, made two clutch 3-pointers late against VMI.

Jones “was starting (at Bonner) when he was a freshman,” Verica said, “and from the time he stepped on the court as a freshman, he was just the best player out there.”

Staying in touch

In the Gator Bowl on New Year’s Day, Jameel Sewell made his 22nd consecutive start at quarterback for the Cavaliers. About two weeks later, however, the former Hermitage High star was suspended from UVa for academic reasons, and he won’t be re-admitted until January.

Sewell still lives in Charlottesville and has stayed in touch with his former teammates, Verica included.

“Me and Jameel will text each other pretty frequently, usually on the weekends, maybe before a game or something like that,” Verica said. “He’ll usually shoot me a text just saying, ‘Good luck,’ and giving me a few tips of advice.

“He’s encouraged me throughout this whole process. He’s been very supportive. I’m glad to hear that he’s doing well, and we’ll be glad to have him back next year, because he’s such a good leader and he’s a very good athlete.”

Verica will be a redshirt junior in 2009; Sewell, a fifth-year senior.