Five questions: Daily Progress’ Andrew Ramspacher on Virginia

UCLA is just two days away from its season opener, which means it’s time to check in with opposing beat writers again for some perspective on the Bruins’ opponents. First up is Andrew Ramspacher of the Daily Progress, who gives his take on a Virginia team that is coming off a 5-7 season.

(Also, here are the questions I answered for the Daily Progress about UCLA.)

1. It seems like Mike London’s job security is perennially under scrutiny. Is this finally the do-or-die season for the sixth-year head coach, or is the seat at about the same temperature it was last fall?

A buzzword around UVa and Mike London’s situation entering 2014 was “improvement.” What did London have to do to stick around for 2015? Show great improvement from the dismal 2-10 campaign. And, well, that’s kind of exactly what the Cavaliers did last season. Sure, they went 5-7, but five of those losses came by eight points or less. With a more appropriate schedule, they’re easily into a bowl game.

As for this season, I think it’s more than safe to say it’s finally do or die. London has two years left on his contract. A popular thought is he either does enough to stay and Virginia extends him or he falls short and is let go. (It would be REALLY hard to recruit with one year left on a contract). What’s a reasonable expectation to have him back in 2016? A bowl game appearance in the least. Something else to consider is attendance. Virginia had a 15 percent decrease in Scott Stadium seat fillers last year. Notre Dame and Virginia Tech coming to Charlottesville should give this year’s numbers a decent bump, but it’ll be interesting to see how administration factors everything in.

2. London said in spring that the quarterback competition wasn’t close, but Greyson Lambert is now the starter at Georgia. Is Matt Johns really that much better, or is there any thought that UVa picked the wrong guy?

Lambert, although he wasn’t always healthy, had a full season to prove he was the right guy for Virginia in 2014. His numbers — 10 touchdowns to 11 interceptions — proved Johns, who made occasional appearances last year, still had a chance in the competition.

Coaches were adamant they charted all of the QB throws in spring practice and, as London noted, Johns beat out Lambert by a significant margin. On the flip-side, Virginia offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild said the QB battle was a “fluid situation” and the post-spring depth chart simply reflected if the Cavaliers were playing a game that day. That head coach-offensive coordinator disconnect perhaps is symbolic of the way Virginia’s handled quarterbacks since London’s hire. It’s been a non-stop carousel that’s directly related to London’s 23-38 record.

So was it shocking when Lambert won the Georgia job? No. No. 1, he’s got tremendous size — 6-foot-5, 220 pounds — and a big arm. No. 2, he’s in a program that’s proven to handle QBs better. He’s likely more comfortable.

All that being said, there’s a ton of confidence in Johns. As he showed against UCLA last season, he’s a gamer who plays with serious energy. A pure talent like Lambert, no, but Johns might be better suited for this Virginia team.

3. Taquan Mizzell hasn’t exactly lived up to his five-star billing so far. Has he done anything different this offseason to signal a potential breakout?

The biggest change to Mizzell’s game came with the addition of new running backs coach Chris Beatty in January. Beatty, who was most recently around Melvin Gordon at Wisconsin, stresses a north-south running style that Mizzell had never really been taught. He danced too much, was too shifty, rarely stuck his foot in the ground and got upfield.

It’s been a gradual progression, but reports say Mizzell, after spring and training camp, has changed for the better. That being said, he’ll likely share the RB load with Maryland transfer Albert Reid and Daniel Hamm. Reid and Hamm are more natural north-south guys who caught on with Beatty right away.

4. How is the Virginia defense going to make up for the loss of its three starting linebackers, as well as defensive end Eli Harold?

Those three linebackers and Harold accounted for nearly 80 percent of Virginia’s sacks last season. Defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta’s scheme is extremely pressure-oriented and Daquan Romero, Henry Coley, Max Valles and Harold fit it perfectly. Finding players to fill those shoes is the biggest question mark surrounding this team.

At linebacker, it’s mostly been Micah Kiser and Zach Bradshaw. That duo has all of one career start between them. On the defensive line, it’s a heavy mixture of power rushers such as 6-4, 265-pound Mike Moore, 6-2, 280-pound Kwontie Moore, 6-1, 290-pound David Dean and 6-4, 280-pound Andrew Brown. None in that group has the kind of elite, off-the-edge speed that Harold or Valles possessed, but they might be able to plow their way to the QB a tad better.

A wild card is defensive end Trent Corney. The senior’s a weight room freak with Instagram videos showing him jumping out of a four-foot pool — backwards — but he’s yet to show anything on the field. If his knowledge of the game comes around, Corney could turn into a real weapon for UVa.

5. The Cavaliers are playing a pretty loaded schedule, particularly in September. What’s the mood of fans heading into the season opener, and what would an upset win over UCLA mean for the program?

The mood of the fan base is pretty pessimistic, to be perfectly honest. Combine three straight losing campaigns with this on-going QB drama and Virginia supporters are eagerly waiting the start of basketball season.

A win at No. 13 UCLA and things could easily change. UVa hasn’t won a road game since 2012. Taking victory in the Rose Bowl — behind a stellar performance from Johns — could ramp up the energy for next week’s home opener against Notre Dame. But even a close loss wouldn’t do much to improve spirits. These fans have seen that movie before.

RELATED:
— Josh Rosen has the potential to change the course of UCLA’s season.
— UCLA’s offensive line gets its first big test against Virginia, to whom it allowed five sacks last season.
— Vinny Bonsignore’s column on defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, who says he’s “ready for the curve balls.”
Ten UCLA players to keep an eye on in 2015.