Blue and Gold Illustrated

GAME PREVIEW: VIRGINIA Still, some Virginia fans are buying stock that this is finally the year it all starts coming together for the program. "Fans are starting to get the itch," said Brad Franklin, publisher of CavsCorner. com on the Rivals network. "I think they understand that overall, Virginia has recruited pretty well the last few classes — maybe not necessarily just this last cycle — but by and large they have a few five‑star guys in Charlottesville and they have depth at a variety of positions. So I think most fans are excited. "Of course, there are still some that are stuck in the apathy category who think looking at the schedule that this could be a tough season for the Cava‑ liers. But for the most part, it's not just camp excitement. There are not as many people in the apathy camp now as some would lead you to believe." The growing enthusiasm around the program starts with two changes on the offensive side of the ball. Franklin said Virginia finally has a steady presence at quarterback in junior Matt Johns, who completed 89 of 162 passes for 1,109 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions in 12 appearances last year. Johns wrestled the starting job away from incumbent Grayson Lambert in the spring, prompting Lambert to transfer to Georgia. Virginia is also excited about a re‑en‑ ergized offensive line behind first‑year assistant Dave Borbely, an experienced coach whose name Irish fans may recog‑ nize. Borbely coached the offensive line at Notre Dame from 1999‑2001, a period in which the Irish regularly ranked in the top 30 nationally in rushing. The pri‑ mary ball carrier behind the line could be junior Taquan Mizzell, a former five‑ star running back in the class of 2013. "Virginia has no questions or drama at quarterback, which is the first time in a few years," Franklin said. "For a while, Virginia had become the place for quar‑ terbacks to, well, compete against each other. But the locker room has rallied around Johns, so that could be big going forward. He looked really good in the practices we've been able to see. "Then also last year, Virginia's run‑ ning game was very poor. The offensive line was fine at protecting the quarter‑ back and avoiding sacks, but they just could not create on the ground. That's a group that returns 10 guys with some experience." Facts & Figures NOTRE DAME VS. VIRGINIA Date: Sept. 12, 2015. Site: Scott Stadium (61,500). Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. ET. Television: ABC. Radio: This broadcast can be heard live on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (channel 129). Series Facts: This is the second meeting be- tween Notre Dame and Virginia. The Irish lead the all-time series 1-0. Coaches: Notre Dame — Brian Kelly (46-20, sixth season); Virginia — Mike London (23-39, sixth season). Noting Virginia: UVa is 18-18 (.500) at home under London, but just 5-20 (.200) on the road … Last year, the Cavaliers lost five games by eight points or less … London's schedule has done him no favors; in 2013, Virginia played 11 oppo- nents that eventually played in bowl games, the second-most in college football history … Virginia defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta coached at Notre Dame from 2008-09.

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