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Verica
Deke
Lalich |
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
CHARLOTTESVILLE--
When the University of Virginia coaching staff learned Southern Cal quarterback Mark Sanchez might miss the Cavaliers' season opener against the Trojans on Aug. 30 with a dislocated knee cap, there wasn't much hope for a drop-off in production.Sophomore transfer Mitch Mustain could start for supremely talented USC, and, like Sanchez, he was a heralded high school recruit.
"It's the same thing that one of our coaches said about it," Cavaliers head coach Al Groh said. "They just replace one All-American with a potential All-American."
The Cavaliers wish they could boast such a claim.
Instead, they must choose between three inexperienced signal-callers in fifth-year senior Scott Deke, and sophomores Peter Lalich and Marc Verica.
Groh said neither of the quarterbacks has emerged as a front-runner to claim the position, and a season-long starter might not be determined before or after they face the Trojans at Scott Stadium.
"The most important thing is for the team to have the right quarterback in there," Groh said. "As I've said on a couple of different occasions, that's only proven with a quarterback when they play in the game. And we don't have any games to play. So it might take some games to find out who the one quarterback is or who the two are."
That doesn't sound prom-ising to Virginia fans. And if they're looking for reassurance from the quarterbacks, they won't find it there, either.
At yesterday's Meet The Team Day at Scott Stadium, Deke was the only quarterback to speak to the press. He made a statement saying that neither signal-caller has accomplished enough to speak to reporters and left immediately.
While media members were miffed, Cavaliers offensive coordinator Mike Groh said it showed that the players are united. He said it was probably Al Groh's idea to have Deke, Lalich and Verica avoid questions about their progress.
"I think it shows the maturity level of all three of them," Mike Groh said. "This could've been their opportunity to say, 'Hey, finally I got a microphone in my face, and I get a chance to answer questions.' But they're more focused on the team than they are themselves, and I think that says a lot about them."
Their play on the field doesn't say much. That's because Deke and Verica have never attempted a pass in a regular season game. Lalich appeared in eight games last season as the backup to former quarterback Jameel Sewell, who was suspended from school in January for academic reasons.
Still, the Cavaliers insist they're not worried the quarterback situation will take down their season. It may help that all three are pocket passers who can run the same type of plays.
"We know whoever is back there is going to be capable of making the throws and making the plays," senior tight end John Phillips said. "We've just got to make them feel comfortable."
Lalich is the only one with any experience. He completed 57 percent of his passes for 321 yards, two touchdowns and one interception last season.
However, he hasn't been able to take control of the job this offseason. He struggled in the Cavaliers' spring game in April, and last month he was charged with underage possession of alcohol, a misdemeanor.
Al and Mike Groh said Lalich didn't separate himself from the others in the spring or so far this summer.
"They're all [No.] 1. They're all 2. They're all 3," Al Groh said. "They're really all the same."
Al Groh said he doesn't want to make a knee-jerk decision on his next starting quarterback. He said he wants to get as much information as possible and judge the players' body of work instead of daily showings.
He said unless Deke, Lalich or Verica string together five or six days of practice performances that make coaches say, "Holy smoke. This is different," the situation will remained unsettled into the season.
"I think it would be foolish and arrogant to think that this should be a unilateral decision," Al Groh said. "They're a lot of people who see a lot of different things Probably the best thing for the team is to provide ourselves the opportunity to get as much input as we can, and not make an inappropriately quick decision."
Taft Coghill Jr.: 540/374-5526
Email: tcoghill@freelancestar.com
