Wahoo Wire

The Cavaliers head to Hattiesburg with history stacked against them. Under head coach Al Groh, the team is 2-6 in road openers and has lost 5 of their last 6 games away from Scott Stadium.

Virginia does, however, retain the advantage of knowing (or at least hoping) that they cannot play any worse.

In its first ever trip to Southern Mississippi, Virginia (0-2) will try to end a six game losing streak that dates back to last season. They’ll play a team also riding a streak– consisting of seven straight wins.

As is becoming a common refrain this season, the Cavaliers come into Saturday’s matchup as double-digit underdogs (14.5 points to be exact). The Golden Eagles ended the 2008 season on a tear and have carried that momentum into 2009 with a 52-0 defeat of Alcorn State and strong win over conference rival UCF. If winning breeds confidence and confidence breeds winning, then advantage Southern Miss.

Led by All-Conference senior tailback Damion Fletcher, the Golden Eagle offense has averaged 39 points per game this season. Fletcher has overcome preseason legal trouble with two straight 100-yard games. He will present a tough test for a Cavalier defense that was scorched for 30 points and 203 rushing yards last week.

The Eagles will also launch an up-tempo aerial attack guided by sophomore quarterback Austin Davis. Davis walked on to the Southern Mississippi team last year and promptly threw for a school record 3,134 yards. He has only improved this season, and comes to the Virginia game boasting a 169.0 pass efficiency rating.

In contrast to the Golden Eagle’s solid passing game, Virginia’s quarterback situation remains in limbo. Senior QB Jameel Sewell still has temporary reigns as the starter, but the bullpen is active with Junior Marc Verica waiting for the call.

After faring poorly against what is arguably the nation’s best defense in TCU last week, Virginia will again face a stingy squad. The Eagles have surrendered a miniscule 11 points per game during their seven game win streak.

Resolving a quarterback controversy against such a staunch defense is undoubtedly difficult, but the time has come to do so. “Groh must Go” chants have plagued the Virginia coach all season, and his job security now rivals that of a Washington Nationals manager.

A win against Southern Mississippi will not completely silence critics, but Groh will need to start somewhere. A win will not rectify Virginia’s season, but they too need a starting point.

Hattiesburg would be a good place to start.