Cavalier Corner

PERRY JONES DOES IT ALL FOR THE CAVALIERS' OFFENSE the Cavaliers turned it around and wound up surprising many with an 8-5 record and a trip to the Chick-fil-A Bowl. And while it would be hard to pinpoint one player who sparked the turnaround, clearly running back Perry Jones played a huge role in making the Cavs a balanced offensive team capable of beating some of the ACC's best. Jones started all 13 games last year as a third-year and led Virginia in rushing with 915 yards. He also was second on the team in receiving with 48 catches for 506 yards, and he even threw a touchdown pass. "Being able to run the ball is a strength of ours, having a guy like Perry who can run the ball and also catch the ball has provided a weapon for us." A few games into the 2011 season, it looked like it would be yet another rebuilding year for Virginia. However, " UVa head coach Mike London told reporters in the spring. "But Jones, a Chesapeake native who at just 5-8, 185 pounds has earned the nickname Superman with his do-it-all abilities, knows that even after helping the Cavs return to a bowl game for the first time since 2007, there's still plenty to do and room to improve in his final year at Virginia, particularly after 2011 ended with back-to-back losses. "We definitely have a sense of pride of what we have accomplished, to get as many wins as we did. Unfortunately, we didn't end on the note that we wanted." " Jones said. "Coming in, nobody expected us The former Virginia Beach (Va.) Oscar Smith High School star has certainly built a legacy on The Grounds, and his success has helped London and Co. improve their recruiting efforts in Jones' native Hampton Roads area. Quarterback Phillip Sims, also a former Oscar Smith standout, joined the team this summer after transfer- ring from Alabama, and Jones' younger brother Zack, a current Oscar Smith receiver, is committed to play for the Cavaliers, keeping the Jones tradition going at UVa even after Perry graduates. Jones has some help in the backfield this season with second-years Kevin Parks, Clifton Richardson and Khalek Shepherd teaming up to make the Cavaliers running game a four-headed monster. Still, Virginia struggled to run the ball at the end of Jones is UVa's leading returning rusher (915 yards and five touchdowns) and receiver (48 catches for 506 yards and three scores), and he even threw a TD pass last year. PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA last season, giving Jones extra motivation going for- ward. With a deep stable of backs and a mostly veteran offensive line, Jones and many others look at the run- ning game as a potential strength going into the 2012 campaign. "No matter what the defense does, it's up to us to move them off the ball and get positive yardage," he said. "We are going to go back to practice and find mistakes." — Shane Mettlen CAVALIER CORNER ◆ AUGUST 2012 ◆ 27

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