History Repeats Itself for Cavs' Quarterback Verica

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Sept. 23 -- Marc Verica has been in this situation before.

Entering his junior year of high school, he was the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart behind senior Andrew Case until Case tore three ligaments in his left ankle before the season. Verica took the reins on offense, never surrendered them and subsequently earned a scholarship to the University of Virginia.

Once in Charlottesville, Verica again was an afterthought on the depth chart until an untimely turn of events. Because of his ongoing legal problems, starter Peter Lalich did not travel with the team for its Sept. 13 game at Connecticut. Verica, a sophomore, started that game and, because Lalich has since been dismissed from the team, will start for the Cavaliers on Saturday against Duke.

It's another unexpected promotion for someone who arrived in Charlottesville with little hype and wasn't even noticed much when he played a few original tunes on the piano in the lobby of the team hotel at the Gator Bowl last season.

"It's almost surreal in a sense," said Verica, who still maintains a degree of anonymity on campus, even when he's at the piano serenading his classmates as a form of relaxation. "You never really want to wish any unfortunate things to happen to a person, or the starter. It's unfortunate for Pete with his situation, but I was thrusted into this role and now it's my job to embrace it."

Verica's sentiment was echoed by Coach Al Groh on Tuesday as he and the Cavaliers (1-2) prepare for their game against the Blue Devils, a team that has lost 25 consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference games but nevertheless will be favored on Saturday.

"That's what every season is about -- picking your team up and moving it forward on a week-to-week basis," Groh said. "There's always adversities, there's always challenges, and that's what it is. It's teams that are able to meet those adversities, meet those challenges, through performance, positive energy, whatever is necessary."

After weeks of focus on Lalich and his legal issues, the spotlight now shines on Verica, whom Groh labeled as "unflappable" and categorized as a player whose good and bad quality is the same -- nothing bothers him.

As a redshirt freshman last season, Verica never considered transferring or changing positions, even though he was languishing behind Jameel Sewell, then a sophomore, and Lalich, a freshman, on the depth chart. Competition is everywhere, Verica said, and his past experience taught him a valuable lesson.

"You never really know," he said. "Be it an injury or an off-the-field circumstance, you're only one hit away."

Little did he know how true those words would be. Sewell will not play this season because of academics and Lalich is off the team entirely. Four years after Case's injury at Monsignor Bonner in suburban Philadelphia, Verica again finds himself the benefactor of a teammate's misfortune.

"In a way, it is similar to this," Verica said. "Being thrusted into the starting job by an outside event, not winning the job outright."

Said Case, now a wide receiver at Temple: "I would say the tools were always there -- it was just a matter of performing on the field at the right time. I give a lot of credit to Marc. He's definitely a student of the game, a good-sized guy with a strong arm who's mobile when he needs to be and elusive when he needs to be."

The past two weeks happened so fast for Verica, who completed 22 of 30 passes with an interception against Connecticut just three days after Groh announced that Verica would make his first start for the Cavaliers.

Verica hopes to improve his downfield vision and to develop a rapport with his receivers, things that hopefully will come more easily with one game and more practices as the starter under his belt.

"His notice was quite a bit more detailed than has been portrayed," Groh said. "But certainly, to have multiple practices for a game than a normal one-week, basically three-day preparation is a positive."