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During a teleconference with reporters on Friday, Virginia coach Al Groh received a question that directly addressed the use of Cedric Peerman and Mikell Simpson. Are there ways that you think Peerman and Simpson could be used on the field together with one split wide or a different formation? The answer: "No probably not." I'm not sure why, but I was surprised. Actually, disappointed may be the better word.
The time has come for another great season of college football and what better place to be than in Charlottesville, home of the University of Virginia Cavaliers. The Cavs will be looking to build off the great season they had in 2007 where they finished with a 9-4 record while also posting an impressive 6-2 record in conference play. In this edition of "The Hawk's Nest", we'll take a brief overview of the challenges facing the team in 2008.
"It hurts so bad because you put so much into it. I look at all of our sports. It is really really hard to win. At the end of every year, when you look at how many great teams did come up short in the end, it is to some extent frustrating." Women’s lacrosse coach Julie Myers really hit the nail on the head: this was a season full of oh-so-close moments for Virginia sports teams. Who was oh-so-close to the top of the rankings this season? Who was No. 1? Hint: These Cavs only lost once! Check out The Good Ol' Blog to see the rankings.
The last Summer Reading column of the offseason relates to the last line of defense: the safeties. At least, the safeties should be the last line of defense. During the Al Groh years, however, that has not always turned out to be the case as spotty play, mismatched players, and attrition often has defined the play of the safeties.
Going into 2008, it is hard to predict whether the situation will be better, worse, or more of the same. So as the summer winds down, there are question marks about the safeties once again ... and discussing those question marks is perhaps an apt way to finish discussing the prospects for UVa's 2008 squad.
As the final few days of July falling off the calendar, football fever is heating up for many. With Virginia's season opener roughly one month away, The Sabre decided to take a look at some preseason football thoughts in "Why or Why Not?" The Sabre's Greg Waters tackles seven predictions - Kevin Ogletree will have 70+ receptions for example - and tells you whether they will happen or not.
Greensboro, GA - The annual ACC Football Kickoff shindig is held, ostensibly, to satisfy three objectives: feed the media's insatiable appetite for nuggets (football and chicken), allow conference dignitaries a morning of clashing Calloways on the links, and answer a few pressing questions about the season ahead.
Yet, the 48-hour football binge left a hollow feeling. Why? Because the one question that everyone cares about - the central theme for even holding such an extravagant dog-and-pony show - is the same question that has everyone vexed. It's so perplexing that the best answer to the question at this early stage is a question itself. Q: "Who's any good in this league?" A: "Who knows!?"
A year ago, the depth chart at the cornerback position seemed crowded, to say the least. On the message boards, there were discussions all over the place on topics such as which cornerback should be shifted to safety or why a certain incoming recruit was going onto a crowded cornerback depth chart instead of being slotted at wide receiver.
Today, however, things have changed. While the talent at cornerback still is fairly deep, the numbers now are a bit tighter and the depth chart a bit more uncertain. But overall, I think there is more reason for optimism than pessimism when it comes to UVa's cornerbacks going into the 2008 season.
In 2008, just as in every other year during Al Groh's tenure at Virginia, the linebackers will be a focal point of the defense. That became even more true after some offseason attrition left the defensive line and defensive backfield with holes in need of filling. But while there are few questions - really, only one - about who will start at linebacker in 2008, that does not mean that there are not questions that the unit must answer as a whole, particularly in terms of how the linebackers will fit with the rest of the defense. Put another way, the parts looks good at linebacker, but what will the sum of those parts be?
Having just finished the offensive line column, it is nice to turn to the opposite side of the ball and get to discuss a defensive line unit that is all about experience and returning starters and certainty and ... oh wait, never mind. Funny how quickly things can change, as well as how one change can have a ripple effect. That is the case for UVa's 2008 defensive line, a line that was expected to be a predictable strength going into 2008 but is now a major question mark.
News trickled out of West Virginia this week that the Mountaineers and Cavaliers are considering a future football series, though the details - possibly starting as soon as 2010 with potential neutral site games according to The Charleston Daily Mail - remain quite murky at this time. Naturally such news, particularly since UVa often stays quite tight-lipped about its future schedules, quickly stirred up debate among Hoo fans. Setting aside what anyone thinks of the potential WVU series, there are always quite a few interesting schedule options - including the creation of a George Welsh Cup - for the Hoos.
I admit, I have not been looking forward to writing the column about UVa's 2008 offensive line. Why, you ask? The Summer Reading columns are supposed to be informative, giving the reader some insight into a unit's outlook for the upcoming season. When it comes to the offensive line, however, I worry that this column will beg more questions than it answers. On the other hand, perhaps that is an apt analogy for breaking down the offensive line going into the 2008 season.
Each year, it seems like the preview article about the tight end corps almost writes itself. After all, each year, it seems like it is the same old story when it comes to the tight ends: a lot of talent, a lot of depth, and not all that many questions. This year? More of the same. So let's continue our summer reading with a position of comfort for the Hoos, starting with an obvious name at the top of the depth chart in John Phillips.
For the past four years, Somdev Devvarman has been the face of Virginia tennis. Devvarman's dazzling résumé, including back-to-back NCAA Singles National Championships and back-to-back ITA National Player of the Year Awards, sets him apart as one of the most accomplished student-athletes ever to walk the grounds at the University of Virginia. Despite losing Devvarman, UVa coach Brian Boland expects the Cavaliers' tradition of success to continue.
I am not sure I can remember a year during the Al Groh era when it has been more pleasurable to write the column about the wide receivers. Simply put, while I have some concerns about the 2008 passing game, it has nothing to do with the talent Virginia has at the wide receiver position ... and that has not been something I frequently could say in past years.
After an entire semester abroad in England I couldn't wait to get back to American sports and start gearing up for Southern Cal. You might think that reading about the suspensions of Chris Cook and Jameel Sewell compounded by the departures of Chris Long, Tom Santi, and Jonathan Stupar would have been less painful across an ocean. You would be wrong. While no one in England cared what I thought about the Wahoos' chances in 2008, I finally have an outlet to voice my opinion in the latest Take 5 in my new capacity as The Sabre.com's intern.
There are some positions where Virginia is trying to find enough bodies. There are some positions where we are hoping we have enough talent. There are some positions where we are not sure we have the right mix of what we need. The running backs? No issues there. A lot of bodies. A lot of talent. A lot of versatility. A lot to talk about at our second stop on this Summer Reading journey.
When I first thought about this year's series of Summer Reading articles, I thought I might work in reverse order for once, going from the safeties to the quarterbacks. Why? Because there are enough question marks in my mind over the quarterbacks that I would not have minded the extra month or two to let things play out before I put pen to paper. So why am I starting with the quarterbacks after all? Because when I thought about having to take a guess now at who the second starting safety would be ... well, you see the problem. So we are back where we started, which I suppose is the way it should be when discussing the quarterback position in a back-to-square-one type of year.
Virginia is wrapping up the sports year with baseball, women's rowing, and men's golf still in competition as May days fall off the calendar. That means it's nearly time for a quick breather before the 2008-09 seasons get under way. Personally, I couldn't wait to "Take 5" though. After all, Southern Cal is waiting in the wings and I've had some football thoughts on the brain.
The undefeated Virginia men's tennis team begins its quest for a National Championship this weekend when it hosts Fairleigh Dickinson at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The 28-0 Cavaliers are the top seed in the NCAA Tournament as they look to return to the Final Four for the second straight season. Coach Brian Boland joined The Best Seat in the House to talk about the upcoming tournament, the Hoos, and more.
The John Paul Jones Arena roars to life tonight as Bruce Springsteen brings his tour to Charlottesville. I'm happy to say I'll be headed back to the JPJ for the first time since Sean Singletary's final farewell and I can't wait to take in the show. But this is a sports column, so what the heck does Springsteen have to do with anything? There's no better time for a gimmick column than when someone famous is coming to town. So with all due apologies to The Boss and his song titles, let's hand out some totally meaningless awards!
The Virginia men's tennis team has been named the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will host the first two rounds of the 64-team draw. Brian Boland's team completed the regular season with an undefeated 28-0 record. Treat Huey and his teammates open the tourney against Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday, May 10 at 10 a.m. Mark Guilbeau's women's team, meanwhile, suffered the disappointing fate of being left out of the tournament.
The media caught up with Boland, Huey, and Guilbeau shortly after the announcements and The Sabre gives you a quick take on the news.
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