CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Andrew Brown arrived at Virginia three years ago as a highly touted recruit and the junior defensive tackle is finally living up to expectations.The Cavaliers have opened the season with three losses, but Brown has been a bright spot with seven tackles in the opener and 3 1/2 tackles for loss in Saturdays setback at Connecticut. He only had three career tackles for loss in 16 games before his effort against the Huskies.It felt great to be back in my groove again, you know just making plays, having fun, the 6-foot-4, 290-pound junior said with a broad smile Monday.Browns performance also included a sack, just the second of his career, six tackles, a fumble recovery and breaking up a pass attempt.Its the type of game Brown and the Cavaliers have waited a long time to see.The coaching staff at Virginia, which plays Central Michigan (3-0) this week, hopes Brown continues to make his presence felt and that his teammates also start making more of an impact as they search for the first win under new coach Bronco Mendenhall.Tabbed as a five-star recruit out of Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, Virginia, Brown enrolled at Virginia in the January before his freshman year but has been slowed by injuries.About halfway through spring practice after enrolling early he was sidelined by a turf toe injury. When the season began, a shoulder injury slowed him, and he didnt get much chance to play. Last season was more of the same as he was on the field for just 182 snaps, making six tackles.The process has been difficult but humbling, Brown said. Its just made me realize, its time to work, nothings going to be given to me ... Its a whole new level, a whole new scheme, and a whole new process. Once I got hurt and things like that, I just had to humble myself, get back to ground zero and build myself back up again.Mendenhall made it a point to conduct his own evaluations of players when he arrived last December, and in Brown he found a player with intriguing tools, but not a whole lot of playing experience.I think hes very, very capable, and much like the other seven or eight players out there defensively that are getting a lot of experience, hes growing consistently, Mendenhall said. One of the differences with Andrew, though, is he just has the size and speed and play-making ability to, when he does his job correctly and/or hes at the point of attack, he really stands out as a playmaker.Brown has acknowledged needing to improve his work ethic when he arrived at Virginia, and said his attitude suffered last year when the Cavaliers were stumbling top a 4-8 record and he was mostly watching from the sideline.Teammate Mark Hall, who moved from linebacker to defensive end this season, also hails from Virginias Tidewater region and has known Brown since they were young children. Seeing his buddy returning to his high school All-American form, Hall said, is helping the Cavaliers.We just had to build his confidence up and tell him hes a great player. His accolades speak for themselves, Hall said Hes probably one of the quickest defensive linemen in the nation ... and hes willing to work hard.Seeing it pay off, Brown said, makes it all the more sweet.I feel like now with this new coaching staff, Im able to be myself again, he said. Ive been blessed to have many opportunities on the field, and Ive played more than Ive ever played in like two years. I feel great.---Online: The APs college football page: http://collegefootball.ap.org---Follow Hank on Twitter: www.twitter.com/hankkurzjr Hydro Flask 32 OZ . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Hydro Flask Suomi . The team says the Spain international has a muscle pull in his right leg. Barcelona hosts third-division side Cartagena in the return leg of their round-of-32 tie after winning their first meeting 4-1. http://www.hydroflaskpullosuomi.com/hydro-flask-24-oz.html .ca look back at each of the Top 10 stories of 2013. Today, we look back at Boston Strong - a citys recovery from tragedy. Hydro Flask Coffee . "I dont know that were close," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "I just think, right now, the acquisition cost just doesnt work for us right now. I dont know if I can quantify how far off or things like that that they might be but I would say we continue to have dialogue. Hydro Flask 40 OZ . -- Anaheim Ducks defenceman Luca Sbisa will be out at least six weeks with a torn tendon in his right hand. IOWA CITY, Iowa -- A lot of programs refer to creating a culture that can lead teams through times of crisis.Iowas stunning 14-13 win over Michigan last week was proof that what the Hawkeyes have built in nearly two decades under coach Kirk Ferentz still works.Just one week after one of the more crushing defeats in Ferentzs 18 seasons, a 41-14 blowout at Penn State, the Hawkeyes rallied to topple the unbeaten Wolverines as a 24-point underdog.The remarkable response to the Penn State loss, guided by a veteran staff and players who have bought into what coaches were telling them even when the results werent coming, has put Iowa (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) in position to finish a disappointing season on a high note. The Hawkeyes visit Illinois (3-7, 2-5) on Saturday.One of the points we made last week was that we probably werent going to be Big Ten champions this year. But youre either building toward it or youre taking away from it, and theres responsibility with that, Ferentz said. Its got to be a 12 month a year thing, and youre either on board or youre not.If any team appeared set for a late-season collapse, it was Iowa. Unable to stop the run and unable to catch the ball, Iowa had dropped two straight and three of its last five games. Just last week, Iowas players had talked about the need to trust their teammates and get back to the fundamentals.Most teams that say such things in November end up staying home in December.As it turned out, the Hawkeyes were right.Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker, who has been an assistant under Ferentz for nearly two decades, took a unit that had put together one of its worst performances in a long time and shut down the Wolverines..dddddddddddd Iowa held Michigan to just 201 yards despite losing starting cornerback Greg Mabin to an injury. Freshman Manny Rugamba stepped in and grabbed a crucial fourth-quarter interception that helped set up the game-winning drive.The big thing that coach (Ferentz) pushes is to stay focused, determined, linebacker Josey Jewell said. If you put your full effort out there and do your job, anything can happen.Offensive coordinator Greg Davis, now in his fifth season despite inconsistent results, recognized the need for Iowa to get the ball in the hands of running back Akrum Wadley as much as possible. Wadley, the only true open-field threat the Hawkeyes have left after injuries to receiver Matt VandeBerg and tight end George Kittle, had 167 combined yards and a touchdown reception to help Iowa escape from a 10-0 hole.We have a great culture here within this program. It goes into the entire offseason. Guys who work their tails off all year long, said quarterback and team captain C.J. Beathard.Beating Michigan wont erase the fact that Iowa, once the favorite to win the Big Ten West, will fall short of its expectations. All the Hawkeyes can do is hope that what clicked over the past week leads to success in the weeks ahead.Ferentz has given us certain examples in the past of Iowa history, certain things that he believes show the resilience, the determination of other teams and how that worked out for them, Jewell said. He really forces it into your head. But its a good kind of forcing.---More college football at www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '