10 Things to Expect Against William & Mary

They say "making lists is lazy journalism." Well guess what, I am lazy, and I'm not a journalist. So here's a list of ten things we as UVA football fans should expect to see against William & Mary on Saturday.

#1 -- A stadium that looks [and sounds] half empty.

Look, everyone is happy football season is here, and everyone is trying to be cautiously optimistic about the Hoos. But let's be realistic. W&M is not a marquee opponent (hell, they aren't even a Division 1... er, sorry... FBS opponent), and we're coming off of a worse-than-it-looks-on-paper 5-7 season. For most fans, myself included, the season really gets started next weekend against TCU. To me, this William & Mary game just feels like a preseason exhibition game. I don't think I'm alone in that feeling, and I think the atmosphere in Scott Stadium will bear that out. Al Groh fatigue + last year's dismal finish + a crappy team for our home opener = a dead stadium.

#2 -- Al Groh WILL NOT reveal his starting QB for this season.

I'm certain Vic Hall will start the game behind center. I'm also certain that Jameel Sewell will see a lot of game action. And frankly, I won't be surprised if Marc Verica gets some snaps. By the end of it all, we'll just be even more confused about the identity of our starting QB. It's a preseason exhibition game, and I honestly think Groh will use it to give the three QBs one last shot at a live action audition.

#3 -- Torrey Mack will make you forget about Cedric Peerman.

Now I'm not saying Mack will be better than Peerman, I'm just saying that I expect us to be totally amped about this young man's potential at running back. For all of Peerman's gifts, Mack is a better receiver, he's faster, and he's better in the open field. He might even make us forget about Mikell Simpson.

#4 -- The no huddle shotgun spread offense will be unveiled, but not entirely.

Gregg Brandon will give us vanilla this week, so it'll surprise the Frogs when he serves up the Chunky Monkey next week. We should be able to roll over the Tribe with a grinding running game, so I fully anticipate that's what we'll do. We'll save the fancy passing display for when we need it.

#5 -- This game will be closer than we would like.

Any BCS program worth its salt should be able to crush a FBS team in a season opener on its home field. (And please, spare me the Appalachian State / Michigan memories. That was a perfect storm type of fluke.) Here's the rub: W&M is a good D2 team, and UVA is a shaky BCS team. Consider a new offense, rusty QBs, a ton of new starters at key positions, and a quiet home crowd and it adds up to a closer-than-comfortable situation. I predicted a 31-7 win back in June, and I stand by that. But I could easily see us only up 14-7 late in the 3rd quarter. (Taking it one step further... The fact that we even have to sweat a game against WILLIAM AND FREAKING MARY is further testament to the fact that Al Groh isn't, hasn't, and most likely won't get it done as UVA's head coach. This is his ninth year... shouldn't he have his program humming along, ready to massacre a team like the Tribe? End anti-Groh rant.)

#6 -- At least once during the game, you'll wonder why/how Chris Long is back at UVA, playing defensive end.

And then you'll realize that the player is wearing #94, not #91. And then you'll realize that you're watching Matt Conrath blow up the backfield and terrorize the edge. You'll be very excited, and then you'll remember that he's only a sophomore, and you'll be even more excited. But then you'll remember that we're playing against William & Mary, whose offensive tackles probably average 6-foot-1 and 250 pounds. You'll still be excited.

#7 -- You'll wonder why Al Groh didn't bother to recruit the William & Mary quarterback.

His name is R.J. Archer, he's from Earlysville, he went to high school at Albemarle, he was a life-long UVA fan, he wanted to come to Virginia to play football, and he's very, very good. Al Groh turned him away, and our loss was W&M's gain. (In the 2005 recruiting class, Virginia signed two quarterbacks -- Jameel Sewell and Vic Hall -- but left two open scholarships on the table.)

#8 -- Corey Mosley will knock at least one W&M receiver out of the game.

The Tribe likes to work the short passing game as its primary method of ball control, which means the hitting ability of our safeties will be put on display. Corey Mosley will be licking his chops for this game. You can also expect to see Anthony Poindexter jumping around on the sideline like a crazy person.

#9 -- You'll leave the stadium as one of Aaron Clark's biggest fans.

His story aside, the guy just plays HARD. It's easy to notice and impossible not to love the kind of effort he'll put forth. Find #41 and keep your eyes on him during the Tribe's first offensive possession. You'll see what I mean.

#10 -- A Virginia WIN.

Look, beggars can't be choosers. This is a cupcake game on which our Hoos might choke a little bit. But in the end, I think the talent differential will be too much for the Tribe to overcome. It probably won't be impressive, but it'll be a win. At this point, we'll take what we can get.