Virginia may have a useful answer this time around for one of the problems that burned it a year ago: C.J. Bailey on the move.
When the Cavaliers met N.C. State last season, Bailey did damage both through the air and on the ground, piling up two rushing touchdowns and another score as a passer in the Wolfpack’s 35-31 win in Raleigh. Virginia never got to him for a sack, and Bailey finished with 200 passing yards and 44 rushing yards.
That matchup came without Kam Robinson, who was still working back from a fractured collarbone suffered in training camp. The injury kept Virginia’s dynamic linebacker out for the first three games of the season.
Robinson did get back on the field, but his year ended early after he tore his ACL in a November win over Duke. He spent the offseason rehabbing and is expected to be available for Saturday’s season-opening rematch, though his workload could be managed.
Even in a reduced role, Robinson could matter. His athleticism and instincts make him a natural candidate to serve as a spy on Bailey if defensive coordinator John Rudzinski wants to deploy him that way.
Robinson had nothing but praise for Bailey at last month’s ACC Kickoff.
"He's tall, he's got a great arm, he can move," Robinson said. "Being that tall and that fast, that's what makes him so dangerous."
A spy assignment usually means an athletic defender stays keyed on the quarterback instead of dropping into a normal coverage responsibility, with the goal of cutting off scrambles and limiting easy yardage on the ground. Robinson said he has handled that kind of job before against another mobile quarterback, Tommy Castellanos, when Rudzinski used him in that role at Boston College and Florida State.
Virginia had success against Castellanos in last year’s double-overtime win over the Seminoles, holding him to 18-for-32 passing and intercepting him twice. Even so, he still threw for 254 yards and ran for 78 yards and a touchdown.
Saturday could bring similar chances for Robinson to shadow Bailey, particularly on third downs or in run-pass option situations. If Virginia goes that route, it would speak to the trust the staff has in Robinson and in the veteran defense around him.
Still, the Cavaliers may not need to get fancy. If they can slow N.C.
State’s run game and get pressure from their veteran front four, the spy package might never be necessary. But if Bailey starts slipping free again, Virginia at least has a potential answer waiting.
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