Change is once again the theme for Virginia football this season. It is a new season with a new head coach, an almost entirely new staff, and a new defense that will be installed as well.
Head coach Mike London will be switching the defense from a 3-4 to a 4-3 this season. The defense certainly had its good moments last season, holding opponents to under 10 points in the team's three wins. But there were some ugly moments on defense as well, for example the 52 points allowed in a loss to Miami and the 42 points allowed in the season-ending loss to Virginia Tech.
While London has something to build on, there is definitely a lot of work to be done. The challenge now is to completely overhaul the defense from last year and plug in a couple new players to replace the graduating seniors. This year, the defense will be anchored by preseason All-American cornerback Ras-I Dowling.