It wasn't too long ago that many Virginia fans might have been expecting two ACC wins for the entire season. After all, the Hoos had struggled in preseason play, with Coach Tony Bennett was preaching patience early and often and some even suggesting things wouldn't turn until he got "Bennett-Ball" players on campus.
Now that the Cavs have won six straight, including their first two ACC contests (something they haven't done since the Jeff Jones era), Hoo nation will be understandably jubilant. Of course, let's keep in mind that Virginia's two ACC wins came against a N.C. State team that is likely to struggle all season and a young Ga. Tech team that, while talented enough to bury Duke at home, still has no idea how to consistently win on the road. As Winston Wolf would say, "Let's not start..."
Still, two ACC wins is two ACC wins. Its a league, unlike the one Bennett came from, where there are no free conference wins (since the Whack-10 always has one or two doormats, Oregon State filling the role in recent years, that any decent team can bank two wins against). And hey, in the early season game of chance that is the ACC standings, Virginia stands alone at the top.
I won't pretend to know how they did it -- last night's tilt didn't even merit ESPN360 treatment -- but we can go around the Fourth Estate to get their thoughts:
- Hootie credited the win to matching the Yellow Jackets' inside presence. In particular, Jerome Meyinsse, while he's still little more than a black hole offensively, was the most impressive, fighting off Tech's Gani Lawal all night. For the second straight game, the Hoos fought for post position, an off-the-ball defensive key often lost under Leitao and Gillen. Virginia simply didn't let Tech's big men catch in favorable spots, something they also did effectively against N.C. State's Tracy Smith. Its something they'll have to continue to do, since their most effective lineup is still probably going small and their most legit big man -- Assane Sene -- still appears lost in Bennett's system. On Tuesday, they outrebounded a much bigger Tech team 36-33 for the game.
- David Teel credited the Cavs' clutch three-point shooting. As Teel notes, Virginia finished a pedestrian 5-for-14 from distance, but PG Sammy Zieglinski notched a pair of timely triples. The first to cut the Tech lead to one at 55-54, and then, off a huge Landesberg offensive rebound, Zieglinski nailed another to put the game away at 72-63.
- Doug Doughty noted the Hoos' proficiency at the line. So did the RTD. Virginia was 23-of-26 from the charity stripe, a few days after going 19-of-20 at N.C. State. Their opponents, meanwhile, let the Hoos hang around by failing to capitalize on those "free" points. N.C. State was 16-for-26 from the line on Saturday, keeping the Hoos in the game when they may have had a chance to put it away. Ga. Tech was worse, finishing a dreadful 3-for-11 from the charity stripe. If you're perhaps undermanned, you have to find every advantage you can. Bennett's charges have found one at the free throw line through two ACC games.
- Resident Yellow Jacket killer Mustapha Farrakhan had another solid outing. A year after stunning Tech with a couple of dagger threes in an OT win, Farrakhan scored 15 points off the bench in last night's triumph. The junior guard is far from the most gifted player on the squad, but he's been its toughest player since his arrival three years ago. And he's a perfect fit for how his new coach wants to play.
Virginia looks for ACC win No. 3 at home against Miami Saturday. A day after mulling lowering ticket prices and sending an e-mail around (I know I got one) seeking suggestions on how to re-fill the JPJ like its 19 ... er 2006. Yes, the lower ticket prices for nosebleeds would help -- it makes little sense that a seat in the last row cost as much as one twenty rows lower. But if you build it - the program, not the building - they will come. We'll see if that holds true with the Hoos 2-0 in the ACC and a Saturday night tilt against Miami coming up.
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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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