The Virginia Cavaliers' 3-Headed Backfield Monster

At halftime of the Virginia Cavaliers' season-opening contest against the Tribe of William and Mary, the Cavalier Marching Band performed an "Earth, Wind and Fire" marching show.

The music selection could not have been more appropriate.

At times during the game, the Cavaliers' new three-headed backfield monster looked just as outstanding as the former New York Giants' "Earth, Wind, and Fire" trio of Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, and Ahmad Bradshaw.

Virginia's game plan involved a heavy dose of running, followed by some more running, capped off by some running.

A series of dive plays and counters were implemented in a successful effort to wear down the Tribe's interior defense.

Some toss sweeps and off tackle plays got the Cavaliers' playmakers in the backfield the ball in open space and allowed them to put on quite the concert.

Overall, the Cavaliers racked up 240 yards on the ground and averaged over five yards an attempt.

Junior starting tailback Perry Jones averaged 4.7 yards a carry last year and maintained that clip with 56 yards on 12 carries. He also tallied two receptions for 17 yards.

Many of his 73 total yards came when he got the ball on outside running plays and used his stellar quickness to find openings in the William and Mary defense.

Jones also has extraordinary receiving skills out of the backfield and, with his smart blocking, is a complete offensive back.

Redshirt freshman Kevin Parks, high school's third all-time most prolific rusher nationally, put on a display which already has many people touting him as the next great Virginia back.

The 5'8" running back, who weighs almost 200 pounds, showed how a short guy can still be a power back.

He was rarely brought down by the first would-be tackler to hit him and he drove through people with a lethal uphill running style that got plenty of momentum on his side.

He compiled 114 yards on 16 carries and scored touchdowns on a 1-yard run, a 19-yard run that he bounced to the outside, and a 26-yard run in which he gashed the heart of the William and Mary defense.

His combination of raw strength, his short bowling-ball form, his explosive speed and, most of all, his tenacity really remind me of the Jacksonville Jaguars' Maurice Jones-Drew.

While the media reports are mostly hyping Parks, true freshman Clifton Richardson might have had just as impressive a performance.

The man who graduated high school about three months ago managed to rack up 57 rushing yards on just seven carries for the Cavaliers.

That is an average of 8.1 yards a rush.

He also scored a five-yard touchdown run, one of just five true freshmen in the ACC who have tallied a touchdown in their first collegiate game so far this year.

Richardson, at over 6' tall, has the size that Jones and Parks lack and seems to have speed, quickness and power.

Going into last year, Virginia was worried about finding a reliable option to carry the football.

Now, the biggest concern might be finding enough footballs to go around.