For the first time in several games, the Hoos gave an effort worthy of at least a golf clap. Yes, in the midst of a nine-game losing streak, Virginia fans are in the business of looking for moral victories. Saturday's hard-fought 74-68 loss to ACC regular season co-champion Maryland qualifies. Keep in mind, Sylven Landesburg missed the game after being suspended for the remainder of the season. In addition, Mike Scott played only 15 minutes and tallied just two points. So, with that type of storyline, conventional wisdom suggests the game should have been a blow out. However, the short-handed Hoos competed, played hard, and even when facing a 14-point deficit, failed to fold. The Cavs posted a gutsy performance and a handful of unlikely heroes stepped up and played well
- Jerome Meyinsse posted a near-perfect senior night and capped off what has been a very nice season from the senior center. It could easily be argued Meyinnse is the only player on this year's squad who has exceeded expectations. Sammy Zeglinski has certainly shown progress but has faded as of late. On the other hand, Meyinsse has continued to improve throughout the season - hitting his stride down the stretch. He went out in style on Saturday and led UVa in scoring with 17 points. Even with the loss, if nothing else, you have to at least feel good for a guy who has worked hard both on the court and in the classroom.
- Speaking Zeglinski, he and Jeff Jones finally showed up. Zeglinski shot 50% from beyond the arc and tallied 14 points while Jones was a blistering 4-6 from downtown en route to a 16-point outing. Mutsapha Farrakhan chipped in 8 points and Will Sherrill added a solid contribution off the bench with 9 points. Interesting to see all of these guys step up with Mike Scott having an off night and Landesburg out for the year. Wonder how much their inconsistency is due to having Landesburg carrying so much of the focus offensively? Michael Jordan succeeded only when the Bulls surrounded him with guys who could contribute and knew their role within the system. It's clear these guys have yet to truly figure out how they fit in (night after night) to an offense that runs through Landesburg nor has the group been able to develop any sort of consistent chemistry.
- Coach Tony Bennett picked a fine time to garner his first career technical foul. With just over 38 seconds remaining and UVa down by one, Bennett slammed his jacket on the floor in protest of a tough blocking call. Replays showed Meyinsse did lean/slide slightly to the right as Maryland's Sean Mosley barreled into him. However, with time winding down on the shot clock, Mosley lowered his head and went to the hoop with little regard for anyone or anything in his way - a player control foul certainly was not out of the question. No doubt it was a tough call (especially after Gary Williams had just finished getting in the ear of the officials regarding a previous charge called on star Greivis Vasquez) though Bennett's technical proved a back-breaker.
- Speaking of Greivis Vasquez, did anyone else notice his first name appears to be a combination of his father's name Gregorio and his mother's name, Ivis? Hoo knew.
- So, an already bizarre season just got a little weirder Saturday morning with the announcement of Landesburg's season-ending suspension. Early reports are that Landesburg wasn't going to class which only further adds fuel to the "leaving for the pros" fire. Skipping class seems to fit the M.O. of a guy who has checked out and started looking ahead to next season - why go to class when you won't be there next year? What's the point? Regardless of what might eventually happen, the one thing that is clear right now is Bennett's commitment to doing things according to the established rules. It is obvious Bennett is establishing a new culture, and in light of the various suspensions throughout the year, it appears he runs a tighter ship than his predecessor.
- Props to the announced crowd of 13,431 who showed up to catch the Hoos' last home game of the season. Virginia fans have certainly earned a reputation for being a bit fair-weathered (a fair assessment in some cases) though Saturday's showing was extremely strong in light of the circumstances (an eight-game losing streak to be exact). Juxtapose that against the game two days earlier in Chestnut Hill when less than 4,000 people showed up to catch Boston College host the Cavs. The two teams have extremely similar records and both are struggling, yet Virginia's fan support proves miles ahead. Maybe UVa fans are looking beyond this season and buying into Bennett's efforts to rebuild the program for long-term success.
On the court, this season has been underwhelming to say the least, yet the one thing that has not been lacking is drama. Various story lines have run throughout, and it's scary to think what might happen next. Remember to keep your hands inside the ride at all times because the roller coaster that is Virginia basketball is not ready to return to the station and shut down for the year.
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An oxymoron? Yes. A must-win game? Probably not. A chance to halt the skid and show one more sign of progress? Absolutely. The idea that how Virginia finishes the season will carryover to next year is probably a bit much. To think that the Hoos will carry any momentum into next year from mini-winning streak to end this year seems unlikely - does anyone ever really look back at the last couple of games of any given season as a source of inspiration? However, if the Cavs end up losing out - finishing the season on a dreadful 10-game slide - that would likely leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth and set the tone for a long offseason. While UVa's season is likely all but over (barring a surprise run and invite to the NIT), tonight's contest against Boston College does present an opportunity to help solidify that things are moving in the right direction.
Coach Bennett has cautioned that rebuilding Virginia's basketball program is a work in progress - a task that will take some time. The optimists here at the Society were hoping he was sandbagging, but, sadly, he wasn't. The reality is Hoos fans should be looking for signs of progress and any expectations beyond that are likely too much. To be fair, early success in conference play got most fans a bit distracted and the focus shifted to pipedreams of postseason play and challenging for a spot in the top-half of the ACC. Bennett did his best to temper expectations, but Hoo nation is starved for success, and a brief stint as the league leader was like tossing a bucket full of chum in shark-infested waters.
The recent slide has put things back in perspective, and tonight's game against BC presents a chance for Bennett and his squad to display another example of how they are slowly but surely building a foundation for success. A win against the Eagles would, first and foremost, put a halt to a very dejecting losing streak - no one likes to lose regardless of the expectations. Furthermore, a victory tonight would serve as UVa's sixth conference win of the season which would be more than either of the previous two seasons. A win tonight would also represent the Hoos' third conference road win of the year - a feat last accomplished in 2006-07 when Virginia advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
So no, the trip to Chestnut Hill will not impact the ACC conference championship nor will it have any bearing on NCAA seedings. However, it does have meaning to Virginia fans and to a Virginia basketball program looking to rebuild and return to its former status as a regular NCAA tourney team. It could serve as a sign of progress, a step in the right direction, and another brick in the foundation. Small wins and moral victories, that's what Hoo fans can reasonably expect, and a win tonight fits that description.
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Not even close. Without Sylven Landesburg, Virginia didn't stand a chance. Kyle Singler, John Scheyer and the rest of the Dookies got the memo. It appears the Hoos also read the writing on the wall and bought into their own demise before the game even started. Duke immediately opened the game with a 20-4 run and never looked back. Both teams knew the storyline and played their roles accordingly. The weekend produced a handful of upsets in college basketball, but sadly, this one went exactly as scripted. Not a whole lot to say about this one, but here are few random musings following the debacle.
- Entering the season, the Society thought the cupboard might not be all that bare and that Tony Bennett had inherited more talent than the 4th estate realized (given they predicted the Hoos to finish last). Landesburg's absence last night presented a good opportunity for some others to step up and prove their mettle. Jerome Meyinsse came to play and posted a career high 21 points. Yet, you know it's likely not a good sign when a guy who has seen very little action prior to this year scores nearly 50% of the team's points for the game. No one else could muster double figures. For the second game in a row, Mike Scott was shut out. Bottom line, the cupboard is bare, and this Virginia squad is remarkably devoid of ACC-caliber talent. Guys like Sammy Zeglinski, Mustapha Farakhan and Jeff Jones all show flashes which leads fans to think these guys could blossom into solid scorers and make Virginia a dangerous team. Zeglinski has done the best of the three, showed some nice improvement to start the season, but has seemingly disappeared down the stretch - only a sophomore, there's still time. Farakhan will likely finish out his career as a streaky hot and cold player while, by all accounts, Jones looks destine to be an overall bust. Mike Scott continues to improve year-over-year (statistically) but still seems to be continuing a pattern of fading towards the end of the season. Meyinsse has been a very nice surprise this season - had Cav fans been saying similar things about Zeglinski, Farakhan, and Jones, this season might have turned out a little differently.
- Recently, Doug Doughty of the Roanoke Times suggested he was "not going to let first-year head coach Tony Bennett off the hook" in terms of his role in Virginia's recent skid. Hey, the Hoos have lost seven straight, so certainly everyone involved in the program deserves some portion of the blame. Doughty notes the team has regressed - fair assessment - and that a coaching getting 1.7M a year should get the most out of his players. The latter view appears to be a slippery slope....Mike Scott has failed to make a basket in the past two games. Last time I checked, the coaches don't play the game (though the Hoos would likely get a big boost offensively if Bennett suited up - he looks like he can still knock it down). Can coaches get players to make shots? Last night marked the third time Virginia has failed to crack 50 points in a game - the last time that happened was 25 years ago. Again, it's sort of a chicken or the egg - some will blame coaching, and some will blame talent. What is more tangible is recruiting (many argue it's all about the Jimmies and Joes not the X's and O's), and even when faced with a shortened recruiting cycle, Bennett put together a class that exceeds anything assembled by Leitao. That combined with the fact UVa could still likely finish the season better than most expected gives the impression that coaching might not be the biggest issue.
- With all that said, Virginia does need to find a way to stop the bleeding. The Hoos made strides to start conference play, yet the recent slide has nearly wiped out the earlier accomplishments. Finishing the year on a 10-game skid (dropping the next two and bowing out in the first round of the ACC) would make for an extremely long offseason. If the Hoos can show some life and muster a couple of wins to end the season on a positive note, it would go a long way in providing the slight glimmer of hope Virginia fans so desperately need. For those lukewarm on Bennett, a couple of wins could help prove the coach can find a way to reverse the fortunes when the chips are down. For those convinced the squad is too undermanned, ending the season on a winning streak would show the team's got a little pride left. Either way, for the most part, we all want to believe, and we had reason, but now it appears to be slipping away. Just give us something to hold on to - any signs of life will do.
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The Hoos are running on empty and a service station is nowhere in sight. From a physical standpoint, five games in eleven days has proven too much for a team that is, by the coach's own admission, thin and undermanned. From a mental standpoint, an overtime home loss to Wake combined with tough loss to arch-rival Va Tech in Bleaksburg appears to have broken (or at least severally damaged) the team's spirit. Last night, Virginia dropped it's sixth consecutive contest with a 74-62 road loss to Miami. It was their fourth consecutive double-digit setback, and sadly, the storyline for this one was no different than the previous three. It's as if the Hoos are stuck on repeat. Everyone knows Virginia's problems but it appears the squad is unwilling or unable to find the solution - likely a combination of the two with a hefty portion of the problem stemming from a lack of talent and ability. It's reminiscent of the morning after Foxfields when you're too damn hungover to turn off the stereo that has been playing the same Slackjaw song over and over again all night long. The night before you were too drunk to care, and by morning, you're too sick to move or too mentally drained to notice.
Not long ago, the talk was about finding a consistent third scorer. During Virginia's seven-game winning streak, Sylven Landesburg and Mike Scott were putting up consistent numbers and either Mustapha Farrakhan, Jeff Jones, or (mostly) Sammy Zeglinski were taking turns filling the third -scorer role. Now, the Hoos are simply looking for anyone other than Landesburg to score. Against Miami, Scott failed to score a point and Zeglinski managed only five. Meyinsse posted a solid 13 and Jones pitched in 11, but outside of Zeglinski, no one else managed more than two measly points. That won't cut it. According to Landesburg, it's as if the Cavs have simply forgotten how to win.
Recently this year's squad has started to resemble the Leitao-led Hoos of last season. Over the past several games, Coach Bennett has toyed with various lineups and followed inconsistent substitution patterns. Last night, Farrakhan logged a DNP for the first time this season and Jontel Evans saw little time. Scott was woefully ineffective and sat much of the second half while seldom-used Solomon Tat saw some action. Possibly a bit of desperation or maybe Bennett's way of trying to find a spark...something to jump-start his otherwise lethargic team. While the rotation moves prove interesting but somewhat understandable, the way in which Virginia has played recently is far too similar to last season. Down the stretch the Hoos have become porous on defense and the offense has become non-existent. Once again, teams are keying on Landesburg and no one is stepping up offensively to relieve the pressure. Landesburg posted only four points in a home loss to FSU and too few players stepped up to fill the void. Even though he went off last night, he got too little help from others. This squad simply lacks the offensive talent to compete in the ACC, and that's pretty evident when the Hoos start looking for more production from walk-on Will Sherrill. Take nothing away from Sherrill - he's a great story and does a lot of the intangibles that are so necessary for success. Every team needs a guy like Sherrill to provide that spark and do the dirty work, but when you are relying on him to produce offensively, it speaks volumes about the team's overall talent level.
For optimistic Virginia fans (are there any), where is the silver lining in all of this. Well, if you look hard enough, you can see one - or the potential for one. While it looks bleak, if the Hoos can win two of their last three (not impossible), that would give the Cavs a 7-9 ACC record and probably put them somewhere in the middle of the conference standings. Not bad for a team predicted to finish last. Furthermore, seven conference wins are nearly as many as the nine total ACC wins Leitao's squads collected over the previous two seasons. Going from 8 games below five hundred to a winning record and possible post-season play (NIT) is a nice turnaround from last season and likely more than anyone should have expected from this year's team. Things looked grim before the Hoos rattled off seven straight earlier this season, so it will be interesting to see if Bennett and the boys can regroup and find a way to end the season on an up-swing. It's not too late to salvage a respectable season, but in order to do so, Virginia will need to figure this thing out soon....somebody just has to get up off the couch and hit the stop button so we don't hear AFH for the 100th straight time.
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No one saw that one coming. Definitely not anyone wearing a UNC uniform. A 15-point win in Chapel Hill goes a long way in helping rid the painful memories of Thursday's loss to Va Tech. Where the Hoos failed to finish against the Hokies, UVa always had an answer last night against North Carolina. Everyone knew, or at least felt, the Tarheels would make a run in the second half, yet the Cavs kept them at arms-length (and then some) after they built a big lead early in the second half. Sylven Landesburg played lights out, and Sammy Zeglinski shot extremely well from beyond the arc. Jerome Meyinsse posted another solid outing and played a big role in keeping UNC bigs Ed Davis and Deon Thompson in check. He and Mike Scott hounded the tandem all night long making it difficult for either of them to find any type of rhythm on offense. UVa's front court either blocked or altered their shots on numerous occasions and held Davis and Thompson to a combined 11 points on the evening.
Against Va Tech, Virginia struggled to hit big shots when the Cavs needed points the most, yet last night was a completely different story. UVa responded every time it looked as if UNC might mount a run and knocked down several key baskets to maintain control of the game. As Jeff White notes, Virginia's performance at Chapel Hill was impressive especially given what happened last Thursday night against the Hokies.
Speaking of winning at the Dean Dome, last night marked only the third time Virginia has ever won at the Smith Center and it was Virginia's first victory in the last six tries against the Tar Heels. For many UVa players, this marks one of the biggest victories of their college careers.
A surprising 4-2 in ACC play, tied for second in the league standings, has Virginia coach Tony Bennett starting to garner some attention for ACC Coach of the Year honors.
There's no question the Hoos caught UNC on an off shooting night, and even Bennett acknowledged as much in both his halftime and post-game tv interviews. Certainly some of that was due to UVa's defense (especially inside where seemingly almost every shot was contested) and some was due to the Tarheels having a tough outing. Couple that with a very strong offensive performance from the Cavs and it effectively created a near-perfect storm. Regardless, a win in Chapel Hill against the Tar Heels is huge and to finish the game so emphatically after blowing a 10-point lead against Va Tech makes the win that much more impressive. Without a doubt, Sunday's win was just what the doctor ordered and it showed this years' squad has the moxie to shake off a tough loss. This week the Hoos take on two more teams from North Carolina, and if Virginia can hold serve at home, the whispers of postseason play will certainly grow louder.
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After watching the Hoos get outmanned by the likes of South Florida on Monday, its hard not to think about the reinforcements coming for 2010. As we've written in this space before, Coach Tony Bennett's first class is good, not great as some have proclaimed. Still, its hard not to get excited about the five new recruits Bennett is bringing to the 'ville, two of whom are consensus top-100 players.
Nor should it be surprising. At Washington State, its hard to imagine how Coach Bennett got anyone to come to Pullman (if you've ever been to or even seen pictures of it, or that "cage you call a gym," you know what I mean). Here at UVA, Bennett's got a state-of-the-art facility, is a couple hours drive from more than a few recruiting hotbeds, and has the draw of playing in what is considered by most to be the nation's premier college hoops conference. Its kind of like swimming every morning at the local Y, and then having the chance to instead swim every day at the Aquatic and Fitness Center. It's gotta feel pretty nice, and certainly a whole lot better than where you were.
But reviewing the various recruiting rankings has to bring things into perspective for UVA's new head man. Case in point, ESPN just released its rankings for college basketball's top 25 recruiting classes for 2010 (insider access required). Virginia is ranked a respectable 21st. Its what's ahead of Coach Bennett's class in those rankings that will soon enough be keeping him up at night. Despite the strength of Virginia's class, no less than FIVE ACC schools' classes rank ahead of Bennett's. UNC, with three top-20 players, is No. 3. Wake is adding four top 100 players and is ranked No. 6. Duke is right behind them, with two elite recruits, at No. 7. NC State (how Sidney Lowe keeps doing this yet his team stinks every year I'll never know) is No. 12, and Maryland is just ahead of Virginia in ESPN's rankings at No. 18. Florida State is right behind the Hoos at No. 24.
Meanwhile, only two of Bennett's former rivals from the Pac-10 have classes that rank ahead of Bennett's. Always strong UCLA is at No. 10 and new Stanford head man Johnny Dawkins checks in at No. 15. That's it.
The story's the same over at scout.com, where Virginia's ranked 14th, but still trumped by UNC, Duke, Wake, and NC State, and at rivals.com, where Virginia's all the way up to 12th, but still behind that foursome. Coach Bennett is certainly doing well, but he has to be learning that he's engaged in an arms race here on the east coast he's not winning, and probably can't.
So yeah, the pool's nicer over here. Its not that shallow 25-meter thing at the Y where you don't quite trust the water. Here on the east coast, the pool's heated, its got olympic-sized lanes, and is plenty deep enough for diving. But just so you know, Coach, there are sharks swimming around in it. Keep swimming fast. You're going to have to.
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With college basketball kicking off Monday night, college hoops previews are everywhere. As part of its coverage, ESPN the Magazine ranked the top 64 teams (ignore the fact that the top 64 don't make the dance, but rather 31 auto bids plus 34 at-large teams do, and oh yeah, its 65 teams because God forbid a 9-9 Big Ten team lose a spot for an automatic qualifier).
Its one of those years where no one can tell who's any good, so "experts" are largely sticking with the big names. Case in point, North Carolina, who lost their top four scorers from a year ago, are ranked sixth in the AP poll based on the return of Ed Davis and an uber-talented freshman class. The Heels will be good, especially towards the end of the season, but there's no way they're the sixth best team in the country right now.
But you can excuse a little North Carolina bias (Duke bias is another matter). They're always good, always have at least one lottery pick on the roster, and are well coached by Roy Williams. I also won't quibble with ESPN putting Duke at 12, since the Dukies always maximize talent (during the regular season at least), or Georgia Tech at 25, since Derrick Favors may be the best player in the country right out of high school (the last time Paul Hewitt brought Favors' kind of talent to Atlanta was 2006-07, when one-and-doners Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenden led the Jackets to a 20-12 record and an NCAA berth). And I won't even kill them too bad for putting Maryland at 19, although most people will tell you that merry band of turtles played over its head last season and its unlikely they'll be able to do it again. Same with Wake Forest at 33, but the Deacs will severely miss their two best players - Teague and Johnson - regardless of how high Al-Farouq Aminu can jump.
But once you get past them, I was shocked by the utter lack of homework ESPN did as part of its ESPN the Magazine College Hoops preview. They're not the only ones, but as the 700-pound gorilla in the sports world, they're an easy target.
First, the ACC was propped up last season by a couple of singularly great players on otherwise bad teams: Tyrese Rice at BC, Toney Douglas at Florida State, and Jack McClinton at Miami. All are gone; all three should expect to take a step back. Yet ESPN has BC at 28, essentially 5th in the ACC, based on the return of Reggie Jackson and all of his 7 ppg? Florida State is at 35 based on Darwin Kitchen? And Miami is at 56, based apparently on a couple of guys averaging just around 10 ppg? Sorry, folks, don't see it with any of them. Maybe BC is a bubble team based on Al Skinner and what's left of Rice's tough supporting cast, but make no mistake, they are nothing more than that - a supporting cast. BC's barely an NIT team last season without Rice. And don't expect FSU and Miami to be even bubble good without their do-everything leaders. Solomon Alabi's a nice NBA big-man prospect, but he can't score, something the 'Noles had enough trouble doing even with Douglas. And you want to know what life will be like for the Canes without Shooter Jack? Harken back to their ACC-Big Ten Challenge game last season against Ohio State. They led by 14 at the half with McClinton. Playing without him in the second half after he was ejected, they were outscored by 19. Get used to the latter.
ESPN also apparently thought another pair of senior-led teams - Virginia Tech at 42 and Clemson at 47 - were getting their leaders back. But no, AD Vasallo is not coming back for what seems like his seventh year of eligibility. I can't see the Hokies building an NCAA resume, which they didn't have last season even with Vasallo, on the backs of Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen. And Clemson lost not only KC Rivers to graduation, but also 3-point bomber and Reggie Cleveland candidate Terrence Oglesby to Italian pro ball. That's 27.4 ppg out the door. Trevor Booker is a man among boys, but I'm not sure who's getting him the ball, or loosening up defenses for him, anymore.
The point of all this, other than the national media is sometimes lazy and stupid? A middle of the pack spot in the ACC -- and the bubble talk that goes with that spot -- is ripe for the taking. Wake, BC, FSU, Miami, Va. Tech, and Clemson are all less than they were a year ago. Maryland's no better. So there's no reason Virginia, with five returning starters and the ACC ROY in its stable, can't fill that void. Its something I hope Tony Bennett's thinking, even if he's not saying it. The national media certainly isn't.
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What in the world has happened? Only a month ago, this thing was all sorted out – a horrific 0-3 start, including an embarrassing loss to William and Mary, meant had officially hit rock bottom. All signs pointed to Groh’s dismissal as a foregone conclusion, and after being on the proverbial “hot season” for several seasons, it finally seemed like a true consensus had been reached regarding the embattled coach. The only question remaining was whether or not he would be released during the bye week or if Littlepage and company might consider an “exit” plan.
Yet a road win last Saturday over Maryland extended the Cavs winning streak to three, got them to .500 on the season, and as expected, caught the attention of some national media and even elicited some minor praise. While entertaining and good for news stories, Groh’s trademark as an October turnaround specialist proves confounding to most Virginia fans and downright problematic to those who firmly believe “Groh-must-go.” As it stands, the rebound certainly complicates the situation, and a matter that seemed resolved just three games ago once again provokes far more questions and “what-ifs” than answers.
So, the Yellow Jackets come to town tomorrow in what has turned out to be a surprise mid-season ACC showdown in C’ville, yet, no matter the outcome, the game will likely do little to help clarify things for Virginia fans. A loss and clearly things get very dicey, yet not entirely hopeless, and with this crew, who knows how the rest of the season will play out. On the other hand, a Cavalier upset probably only makes the Duke game that much more nerve-wracking. Long-time Wahoo fans have come to almost expect having their hearts stomped on just when things start to look promising, and a flop against Duke at home seems so fitting to follow an upset-win over Ga Tech. Even if UVa finishes October at 5-3, becoming bowl eligible is still no sure bet.
Ultimately, anything after tomorrow’s game is neither here nor there, and as players and coaches alike always take it “one game at a time,” so too should Cav fans. The Ramblin’ Wreck visits tomorrow and recent history favors the Hoos. References to Ga. Tech’s current winless streak in Scott Stadium abound, and for those who follow the Cavaliers, it would not come as a complete shock if Virginia pulls off the upset. These two squads seem to have a knack for making sure the favored team suffers a disappointing and often season-altering defeat. If the Cavaliers want to continue the trend, the overwhelming consensus is that they must find a way to stop Tech’s high-powered running game.
Averaging over 281 yards per game, Ga Tech ranks second in the country in rushing and their 417 yards of total offense per contest is good for second in the ACC. Quarterback Josh Nesbitt orchestrates the Yellow Jackets’ triple-option, and in fact, the junior leads the team with 625 rushing yards on the season – good enough for 34th in the country no less. Reigning ACC offensive player of the year Jonathan Dwyer follows closely behind Nesbitt with 593 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns on the season. How heavily do the Jackets rely on these two guys and their ground attack? Put it this way, last week against the Hokies, Ga Tech ran the ball 63 times (43 of which were either Dwyer or Nesbitt) and the two accounted for 204 of the team’s 309 rushing yards on the afternoon. For the season, Nesbitt has only 80 pass attempts, and last week against Va Tech he was a mere 1-7 for 51 yards. On the rare occasion they do go to the air, look for Demarius Thomas to be the prime target as he leads the team with 27 catches for 671 yards and 4 touchdowns on the year.
While every team facing the Ramblin’ Wreck knows what to expect, few have been able to slow them down. For the Hoos to control the Yellow Jackets' running attack, Hootie of the Daily Progress points to the importance of Virginia maintaining their defensive assignments while Michael Phillips of the RTD stresses being patient defensively. Virginia’s defense has proven decent most of the season and has especially come on strong during the three-game winning streak. The Cavs enter the contest ranked 21st nationally while only allowing 293 yards of total offense per game. Virginia will have to go without defensive end Matt Conrath, and he plays a key role in a unit that has fared relatively well against the run (ranking 59th nationally). Against Maryland the Hoos gave up less than 4 yards per carry (Va Tech surrendered almost 5 yards a carry to the Yellow Jackets last week). Forcing three turnovers was a key contributing factor in last year’s upset victory and this is one area that could likely play a big role in tomorrow’s contest – takeaways are certainly one way to slow Ga Tech’s ground attack, keep their offense off the field, and disrupt their ball control. After digging themselves a deep whole early in the season, Virginia is now back on the plus side in turnover margin and ranks 37th nationally
Of course, UVa's offense could do their part in helping slow the Ramblin' Wreck attack by sustaining long drives and putting plenty of points on the board. Sewell is probable for Saturday's contest and Mikell Simpson is expected to play which is good news for the Cavalier offense. Ga Tech has been allowing opposing offenses to move the ball well against them. The Yellow Jackets surrender almost 378 yards per game and give up 26 points per outing, so Virginia should be able to move the ball and generate some ball control of their own.
Call it Virginia’s version of Oktoberfest, chalk it up as yet another shining example of the “Octgrohber” effect, or simply blame it on Groh continuing to live up to his media nickname of “Mr. October,” but whatever the reason, Virginia's turnaround has certainly made things interesting. The players call him “Jeezy,” for Young Jeezy, and while there seems to be no obvious connection between Groh and the hip-hop artist, Young Jeezy’s single titled “Crazy World” off his 2008 album The Recession seems to aptly sum up the season thus far. Hoo knows, if history continues to repeat itself, things might just get even more crazy after Saturday.
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Since its inception in 1999, the Big Ten has never won the ACC-BigTen Challenge. The amusing part? The leagues actually agreed to swap the names every other year, so its the Big Ten-ACC Challenge this and every other year. Um, don't you have to win the challenge to get that privilege? Shouldn't they just change it to the ACC - Big Ten Challenge until further notice? Yet somehow the Big Ten always seems to get equal or more bids to the Big Dance than the ACC.
But that's a rant for another day (although you can tell where my mind is at, October or not). No, Virginia and Indiana play this weekend in football, where the Big Ten should have the advantage, right? Well, not necessarily. The Big Ten's failures (most notably Ohio State's) on the country's biggest stage is well documented, but it goes deeper than that. So how do the conferences stack up against each other on the gridiron?
We decided to look into it. The two conferences have not played yet this season, and only sparsely in the last three years. There's last year's academic bowl - Northwestern 24, Duke 20 (I've yet to confirm the rumor that the winner was decided through a game of Trivial Pursuit). And then there's the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl - Boston College 24, Michigan State 21. So two games over three years, and a split at that. Not much help.
How about non-conference games in general? Thankfully, a Missouri blog - tigerboard.com - has done some great analysis on this, so I don't have to. Not surprisingly from UVA's perspective since they're 0-3 themselves, the ACC has struggled in out of conference games this season. Tigerboard's analysis is only current thru 9/24 (i.e. doesn't count the past two weekend's games). But even if you add those more recent games in, the ACC is 12-11 against FBS teams; the Big Ten is 19-9. Much better for the Big Ten.
However, if you narrow it down to games against other BCS conference teams, the ACC and Big Ten are an identical 6-7 (including games against Notre Dame, of which the Big Ten has three). So it appears that the Big Ten has been fattening up on non-BCS opponents. To be sure, the Big Ten should get some credit for actually beating them - Virginia certainly hasn't - but it does undercut the Big Ten's reputation as a superior football conference.
It gets even shakier for the Big Ten if you look at the last decade. The Big Ten simply does not have the non-conference advantage over the ACC you'd think it would as a supposedly powerhouse football conference. In fact, it has none at all. Since 2000 (for this, I did not adjust tigerboard's numbers to add the last two weekend's games), the ACC is a mediocre 99-108, a .478 winning percentage, against BCS conference opponents. But the Big Ten is actually worse: 84-93, a .475 clip. Now, of course, just as this season's numbers don't take into account strength of opponent, neither do the last decade's numbers. But its a disparity you don't expect between what's known as a football conference and one that's known, even on this blog, as a basketball one.
Of course, nobody thinks of Indiana as being one of the Big Ten's football powers anyway. But when you look at those numbers, the fact that Indiana is 3-2 (wins against W. Ky., E. Mich., and Akron), or that the Hoosiers gamely fell, 36-33, at then-ranked Michigan, doesn't seem to mean a whole lot. That's because it appears, just as in basketball, that the Big Ten is trading on an unwarranted reputation. So Big Ten opponent or not, this is a game Virginia can, and at home probably should, win Saturday.
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