Analysis Features 
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Analysis Features
Before Heath Miller came to Charlottesville, Bruce McGonnigal was the top receiving tight end in UVa history. From 1987-90, he caught 103 passes for 1,556 yards and 12 touchdowns. He led the Cavaliers with 26 receptions in 1988 and made the All-ACC team in 1989.
Bruce answers your questions about tight end play, including: What do you think of the re-revolution of the TE position over the past few years? Do you think the TE is a big wide receiver or a lineman with hands? How did Gary Tranquill and Coach Welsh create matchup advantages for the TE position? When preparing for a game, which player on the defense got the majority of your attention - the OLB, SS, DE or someone else? Can TEs operate as effectively vs. a nickel or dime defense?
With just two weekends remaining before the ACC baseball tournament, the seedings are starting to clarify a little. Miami, North Carolina and Georgia Tech will battle for the ACC regular-season crown, while Maryland, Duke and Virginia Tech in all probability will be relegated to the four-team ACC mini-tournament. The only real question remaining is who will join the Terps, Hokies and Blue Devils. Unfortunately, the 'Hoos are in the mix.
Shawn Moore was one of the greatest UVa quarterbacks of all time. He started from 1988-90, passing for 6,629 yards and 55 touchdowns, and finished fourth in the 1990 Heisman voting. He still holds the school record for total offense (7,897 yards) and he played four seasons for the Denver Broncos. He is now the Director of Sports Partnerships and Football Services for USA Football, which promotes and supports the sport at all levels of amateur football.
Shawn answers five of your questions about the QB position, including: Why was UVa's vertical passing game so effective when you were here? What was your technique on alley-oop passes to Herman? When did you truly feel comfortable as a college quarterback? Is the importance of the QB position overstated? And what are the attributes that make someone a Hall of Fame quarterback?
The coaching search is complete. The "horserace" is over. After a multi-week roller coaster ride, former DePaul University basketball coach Dave Leitao has been tasked with the Herculean effort of rebuilding a once-proud ACC basketball program. Now the dust has settled and it's time for an analysis of that roller coaster ride by an outsider.
That last word is key: outsiders like me (and most of you) are unable to pierce through the secrecy shrouding the search. It's impossible to fully know Craig Littlepage and John Casteen's actual actions. The best we can do is gather the press accounts and sift through it all to judge how things went. Having said that, some of their decisions and actions can be scrutinized. For instance, should we have targeted Tubby Smith at all? Was the media managed correctly? Should we have been so hung up on head coaching experience?
The 2005 ACC football schedules are out and TheSabre.com breaks them down. Who plays the easiest schedule? Who plays the toughest? Who got the biggest breaks with the league schedule? Whose nonconference slates seem a tad light? How difficult is Virginia's schedule compared to the rest of the league? We rank all 12 teams on strength of schedule, using our foolproof scientific methodology.
In most years, by the end of the spring game, anyone paying attention usually has a pretty good idea of a team's depth chart and how things are shaping up at each position. But this spring created more questions than it answered for Virginia's defense. Thanks to injuries and academic issues, too many key players saw little or no action last month. While some younger defenders like Chris Johnson emerged as potential stars, it's hard to say that a single spot on UVa's defense looks like a sure thing going into the summer.
In some ways, this was an especially important spring for the Virginia offense. Given the problems with the passing game in the latter half of last season, the coaches needed to start coming up with some solutions. They also needed to begin resolving issues on the offensive line, create a tentative depth chart and figure out which young players will be ready to make an impact this fall. Were the Cavs successful? Well, yes and no.
Even though many key players weren't on the field Saturday, the spring game gave fans a glimpse of some young players who will be asked to contribute in 2005. Linebackers Clint Sintim and Jon Copper, defensive end Chris Long and safety Jamaal Jackson were a few of those guys whom the 'Hoos hope will make a difference next season. On offense, Theirrien Davis continued to impress as did center Jordy Lipsey and running back Cedric Peerman. Marques Hagans also played well in limited action.
Let's take a close look at each position and analyze what transpired Saturday, and what that might mean for next season.
While not overly exciting, this year's spring game turned out to be an adequate synopsis of what has gone on in practices this spring. Lots of players were out due to injuries, there was a continued and well-documented emphasis on passing and pass defense, and young players continued to impress. I thought I'd share a few of the things that really jumped out at me, such as the play of Chris Long, Theirrien Davis, Cedric Peerman, Clint Sintim, and more.
For the Virginia football team, the big story this spring has been who's missing. About a dozen players expected to play significant roles next season have missed all or part of this practice period because of injuries and other reasons. But that doesn't mean it's been a waste of time.
On the contrary, for a number of Cavaliers, this month has been an ideal time to spring forward, both in their development and on the depth chart. Here are five young guys - all members of the 2004 recruiting class now participating in their first spring camp - who have made substantial progress, based on my observations during practice and from talking with Coach Groh and other players. None played major roles last season, but thanks to their performances this spring you may be seeing a lot more of them in the fall.
Al Groh says he has been pleased by the progress of his secondary this spring. That's a good thing considering how poor Virginia's pass defense was last season.
The Cavalier defensive backs seem to have a better grasp of the 3-4 defense and they are working hard on the technical side of pass coverage under Al Golden. There are still many concerns about this unit, but it's been encouraging to see individual and collective improvement during spring practices.
To say that Virginia struggled at wide receiver last season would be an understatement. Only two Cavalier wideouts caught more than seven passes last year and one of them (Michael McGrew) graduated. So the WRs were one of the major question marks and priorities entering spring ball. And with the spring game just four days away, it's safe to say they remain so.
Drops and other problems have plagued the wideouts throughout the spring, including Sunday's practice. But there is also plenty of talent at the position and reasons for optimism, including the emergence of Theirrien Davis.
Nick Sauer, a former walk-on linebacker for the Cavaliers, has been watching spring practices closely and has plenty of observations to share. He discusses who looks bigger and better (including Kevin McCabe), the play of the DBs, LBs and WRs, the offensive play-calling, the issue of vocal leadership, and much more in a notebook chock full of analysis and insight.
What follows is a position-by-position analysis of the Virginia defense as the Cavaliers wrap up their first week of the spring practice period. I'll look at how each position graded out last season, mention who's missing, take a stab at the depth chart, discuss what's solid and shaky, and highlight a player to watch at each spot. The development of the cornerbacks, including Philip Brown, will be crucial this spring.
What follows is a position-by-position analysis of the Virginia offense as the Cavaliers get ready to begin spring practice Friday. I'll look at how each position graded out last season, mention who's missing, take a stab at the depth chart, discuss what's solid and shaky, and highlight a player to watch at each spot. One thing's for sure: While the running game prospered in 2004, the passing game, led by Marques Hagans, will need to spring forward over the next month.
Back by popular demand, former UVa head coach George Welsh answers more of your questions about college football. In this installment, he discusses the details of game preparation, specifically relating to film study of the opponent. He also describes the "arms race" with other programs in terms of escalating costs of coaching salaries and facilities. And he gives a frank answer to the question of whether he believes the Cavaliers can regularly compete for the national championship.
As spring football rolls around, it often creates more questions than answers. That's the case as the 2005 Cavaliers head into camp.
Here are six of the biggest questions facing Virginia this spring, including: Who will step in for Zac and Big E? Will the Wahoo wideouts be better received? Is the linebacking corps deep enough? And do the Cavs have the secondary covered?
As Virginia gets ready to start spring football practice next Friday, now seems like a good time to look ever further ahead to the fall and analyze the new ACC in 2005. The advent of the dual-division conference and championship game should make for the most exciting year ever in the ACC. Here is how I see things panning out for Virginia and the 11 other teams...
In 2004, Virginia completed one of the most magical seasons in its baseball history. And with the return of a strong pitching staff (3.63 ERA last year) and a slick-fielding defensive unit (.973 - second in the ACC), many expected another magical year in 2005.
But there was plenty of uncertainty to open the season, especially on offense. That uncertainty has turned into borderline panic as the Cavaliers have experienced some troubling early-season numbers.
How did the Cavaliers go from a top-20 team in November to the worst team in the ACC by March? To be sure, it wasn't any single thing. It was a combination of things - injuries, attrition, poor leadership, fractured chemistry and increasing discord within the program.
With the help of a few well-placed sources, I'll try to examine Virginia's slide from prosperity to mediocrity and pinpoint the factors that poisoned a once-promising season. Call it the anatomy of a lost season. Or, in this case, more of an autopsy. This is the coroner's report.
They say kickers are misunderstood. If so, Jake McInerney has agreed to help you understand them better. Of course, after reading this, you may wonder if that's a good thing.
Jake was UVa's starting kicker in 1989 and 1990. He led the ACC in scoring in '90 and still holds the school records for consecutive field goals (14) and extra points (88). In this installment of "Ask the Experts," he answers your questions about getting "iced" by timeouts, the importance of a proper snap and hold, kicking technique, squib kickoffs, the difference between kickers and other football players, and why so few high school kickers are offered scholarships.
Virginia in the NCAA tournament? What was once a laughable notion has in one short week become a reasonable possibility. Pete Gillen has deployed a new offense, his Cavaliers have ratcheted up the defense and Virginia has seemed to shake its propensity for second-half collapses and now finds itself on the cusp of NCAA bubbledom. How have the 'Hoos made the jump from laughingstock to potential Cinderella?
The Virginia men's basketball team has many parts in place for offensive success. An unselfish point guard (Sean Singletary) who can penetrate, pass and score. Two outstanding perimeter shooters (Devin Smith and J.R. Reynolds). Two slashers (Gary Forbes and Adrian Joseph) who are good in transition. The Cavaliers even have a rarity in college basketball: a true low-post scorer (Elton Brown).
So why is the whole offense often less than the sum of those parts? Or, on most nights, less than 80 points? I'll take a shot at answering those questions and hope I don't get it blocked or shoot an airball. (We've seen enough of that already, haven't we?)
What's the best way to tell whether a team is well coached or poorly coached? Easy. Just look at how that team plays defense. Defense is Basketball 101 and the failings of a team in this area are a strong indication that they are not being taught correctly. In this article I will address the glaring inadequacies of the Cavalier defense, as painful as it may be.
Defense is not that difficult. This is a simple fact - a coach can teach absolutely everything involved with defense except for size and quickness. You can't teach a guy to have a natural shot, or to be gifted with great vision to pass the ball, but you can teach him how to see ball and man, play good help defense and box out after shots.
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