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18 CAVALIER CORNER The emphasis this spring will be to im- prove "the whole team," Kitchings said, "so our defense can become better at run stop- ping and we become better at running the football." Virginia also has a new defensive coordi- nator, John Rudzinski, who previously held that position at Air Force. He faces a seri- ous challenge in his first year. Among ACC teams, UVA ranked 11th in scoring defense and 13th in total defense last season. For the defense to improve, Rudzinski said, "I think that the biggest thing that we're going to have to do is be great tack- lers. Everyone talks about it, but for us it's making sure we continue to focus funda- mentally, and it comes down to block de- struction and the ability to pursue and finish on the football. "And when you talk about finishing on the football, it's being able to tackle." The immediate priority for the defense is to "be good against our offense," Rudzinski said. "I know that Des and Coach want to run the football, and if we have an offense that's committed to running the ball in spring and fall camp, we'll be able to play with our hands, play with great pad level, and, frankly, be able to be great tacklers." For the first five years of Mendenhall's tenure at Virginia, his base defense was a 3-4. The Cavaliers shifted to a 3-3-5 last season. Elliott said Rudzinski's defense will offer multiple looks, with a four-man front at times and a three-man front at others. Until spring practice starts, however, the coaching staff won't know which scheme it will em- ploy most often. The focus on defense, Elliott said, will be to "see what we've got and see what the guys can do, what can they comprehend, and then see how we can be multiple, how can we help them schematically. I know it'll be different than [the defense] that Bronco went to last year, but it'll be a combination of the three-down and four-down." In winter workouts, Elliott said, defensive linemen Aaron Faumui and Jahmeer Carter impressed him with the way they "move around and the leadership they're showing. That's encouraging, and hopefully we'll get some guys to step up coming off the edge." Candidates for that role include outside linebacker Mike Green, who had several good moments as a true first-year last season. "I'm excited to see where Green is going to be," Elliott said. "I think he's a guy that can give us some speed off the edge into the boundary, but then also the versatil- ity to drop when you bring field pressure. "I think we've got some pieces. We've just got to put it all together." The spring game is set for April 23 at Scott Stadium. Its format will depend on how many players are available that day, but Elliott's preference is for a traditional game in which it's not starters versus reserves, but rather "you split the team up and try to have a little bit of competition," he said. "I know this year with the quarterback situation, Brennan will probably have to play a little bit for both teams, but we'll keep him in an orange jersey and not let him get touched, and then let Lane and Rayman go and battle it out in the second half. "We'll see where the depth is. I'd like to make it more of a true interactive game and have a little bit of fun. It's also an opportu- nity for the coaches to grow. That was one thing that I'm grateful that Coach Swinney did for me. Early in my career, when I was not the coordinator, he said, 'You're calling plays for the offense,' and it helped me to prepare. So there are a lot of things that will go into it. "I think it'll be fun for the fans, too. This year it might not look like the end product down the road, just because of the depth situation, but hopefully in the future we can make it a good, festive event, and competi- tive as well." Elliott's first game with the Cavaliers — Sept. 3 against Richmond at Scott Stadium — is still five months away. Spring practice is giving him a clearer idea of what to expect from his team in the fall. "It's like the potter and the clay," Elliott said. "We've got the clay, and we're go- ing to have a chance to try and mold it a little bit. In football, the workouts are great, because we get a chance to see, from a mental-toughness standpoint, who can push through and who your leaders are, and you get to see them do some football move- ments. "But other than that, everything has been a walk-through, and there's been no pads. The intensity level will go up, and you get to see how they're going to respond. So we'll know a lot more once we get through the spring." 2022 VIRGINIA FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent Sept. 3 Richmond Sept. 10 at Illinois Sept. 17 Old Dominion Sept. 23 at Syracuse Oct. 1 at Duke Oct. 8 Louisville Oct. 20 at Georgia Tech Oct. 29 Miami Nov. 5 North Carolina Nov. 12 Pittsburgh Nov. 19 Coastal Carolina Nov. 26 at Virginia Tech Quarterback Brennan Armstrong is coming off a record-setting season in which he passed for 4,449 yards and 31 touchdowns in 11 games. (Photo courtesy UVA)