University of Virginia Football vs. Indiana: Defining Win or Lucky Break?

When Mike London's Cavaliers gave up a 20-point lead to Indiana and found themselves down 31-23, you could almost hear the collective groan from Cavalier nation.

It sounded a lot like "here we go again, another brutal road loss." But then something changed.

Sophomore quarterback Michael Rocco led the Wahoos down the field for a touchdown and a two point conversion, tying the game. Then, defensive end Cam Johnson blasted in to sack IU quarterback Edward Wright-Baker and strip the ball, setting up a game winning chip shot from kicker Robert Randolph.

The win was the first on the road for second year coach Mike London, but it may be bigger than just a "W." I spoke to guys on the sideline, and they said when the game was tied, the talk was "who is going to make the play?"

It seems like the new attitude on the Cavalier sideline. Players and coaches won't simply sit back and take it when things don't go the right way. When this team has its back against the wall, guys stepped up.  

I'm not simply talking about the game against Indiana, I'm talking about an overall attitude. Take recruiting for example. When Mike London took over the program, the Wahoos' presence in the football hotbed of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Hampton Roads(the 757), was minimal at best.  

London took the issue head on, and is now signing top recruits from the home state, including wide out Mario Nixon, a top 20 recruit who had been committed to rival Virginia Tech.

It's this attitude that could spell a bright future for the Cavaliers. It's a no excuses, no putting your head down, when things don't go your way you go even harder to make it right mentality. It's this mentality that had Cavalier players talking about bowl games during Monday's press conference, not bouncing back from a loss.

It's this mentality that makes the Cavaliers a team to watch. It's this mentality that changes the culture of a team.