Cavaliers aim to create more turnovers

Being tied in a stat with Duke is typically an indicator of your struggles in football.

That is exactly where Virginia (2-2) sits in turnover margin after four football games, ranking tied for ninth in the ACC with the Blue Devils.

It explains to a great degree why the Cavaliers must win four of their final eight games just to be eligible for a bowl game.

“Defensively, we have to create more turnovers because I think it boils down to the possessions again,” Virginia coach Mike London said. “When you have turnovers or create those type of turnovers and you’re on the plus side, then a lot of times it reflects your record because you have more opportunities to score, so we need to create more turnovers.”

The Cavaliers have excelled in tackling opponents behind the line of scrimmage, but only eight of those came in the form of a sack. As was evident at Indiana, when defensive end Cam Johnson registered a sack, turnovers can follow when the quarterback is tackled from the blind side.

The pressure from the defensive line, London said, was better in Saturday’s 30-24 loss to Southern Miss.

“Right now, if you looked at the ACC statistically, I think Virginia is No. 1 in tackles for losses. Not only with the three sacks [against Southern Miss], at least maybe eight to 10 times we got a hit on the quarterback,” the second-year coach said. “Sometimes the ball comes out quickly, you don’t always get the sacks, but you can still affect the throws by getting to him.

“So I’m very pleased with the way that the guys up front are playing and applying pressure.”

Virginia stands sixth in the ACC in sacks with eight and leads the league with 33 tackles for a loss, but the desire for even more improvement is there.

“I thought the guys up front played well [against Southern Miss]. I thought they played well versus the run,” London said. “Again, if you take away the 31-yard [fake punt], that’s 30 yards of rushing then. That’s pretty good.

“I also thought the big issue the week before were the rush lanes and getting to the quarterback. I thought Coach [Jeff] Hanson did a great job of solidifying the rush lanes and allowing the players to make their counter moves that filled in those rush lanes and led to the three sacks.”

Defensive tackle Will Hill has been the most consistent performer for the defense, having registered 5.5 tackles for a loss. He is tied for second in the ACC and 32nd in the nation and is the top defensive lineman in the league with an average of 1.38 tackles for a loss per game.

Hill admitted Monday that the ultimate goal is to move up the rankings in sacks, something that in turn should help generate turnovers.

“I feel like Coach Hanson and Coach [Jim] Reid are working with us and we’re just using the techniques they’re teaching us and trying to get better each and every week,” Hill said. “I feel like, first and foremost, we have to be able to stop the run to win games and that’s a big emphasis. Sacks are great plays and we just continue to refine our pass rush and get to the quarterback.”