Sabre Edge Features 
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Sabre Edge Features
After signing a top 25 class in 2011, some may have wondered if Virginia coach Mike London would be able to duplicate his results in the future. Fast-forward one year later and London and the Cavaliers will welcome another top flight recruiting class to Charlottesville as 25 prep student athletes signed on the dotted line Wednesday morning, pledging their allegiance UVa.
After hanging on for a tough 61-60 win at NC State, UVa returns home on Tuesday night for a battle with the Clemson Tigers, the Cavs' third contest in six days. With a win over Brad Brownell's squad, Tony Bennett's Hoos (17-3, 4-2 ACC) would move three games above .500 in the ACC for the first time since February 2010, when a home win over NC State had the team at 5-2 in conference. Can the Cavs tame the Tigers?
After bouncing back from the Virginia Tech loss with a 66-49 win over Boston College, UVa heads down Tobacco Road to face NC State at the RBC Center on Saturday night. Like the Hoos on Thursday night, the Wolfpack are coming off a devastating loss to their in-state rivals, a 74-55 defeat at UNC in a game that was even more of a blowout than the final score indicates. Can the Cavs pull out a tough road win in a game that could end up determining which team finishes in the top 4 of the ACC and maybe even which team makes the Big Dance?
After a heartbreaking home loss to Virginia Tech on Sunday night, the Virginia Cavaliers are back in action Thursday night against the Boston College Eagles. Tabbed by many as the worst Power 6 conference team during out of conference play, BC has looked a bit better in the early stages of ACC competition, winning home contests against Clemson and Virginia Tech. Can the Hoos move back above .500 in ACC play with a win against Steven Donahue's squad?
For Virginia fans the aftermath of Sunday's loss to Virginia Tech ranged from disappointment to worry. The frustration heavily hinged on the fact that the loss came to rival VT at home. The concern, on the other hand, stared at the long-term ramifications. In other words, did the Hokies provide a blueprint for knocking off the Cavaliers?
The Giants drafted me with the mindset of fitting me in the 4-3. I'm not going to lie, it was different coming in. It's a lot more fluidity as far as movement. At UVa, I was often on the line of scrimmage for the majority of the time and had to take the slot every now and then, but I had designated rules as part of the learning experience. But I think the biggest asset that can help a player who is trying to make that transition from the 3-4 to the 4-3 is really just reps. Repetition.
After crushing Georgia Tech on the road 70-38 Thursday night to move to 15-2 (2-1 ACC) on the season, the Hoos return home to face another Tech on Sunday: the cross-state rivals from Blacksburg. The Hokies are reeling, having lost their first four ACC games, culminating in a 82-68 loss at The Barn to UNC on Thursday in which the Gobblers fell apart in the second half. Can the Cavaliers win their third straight against the Hokies?
Virginia won it's first ACC game of the season over Miami at JPJ Arena on January 7th, a 52-51 nail biter that ended as Miami missed a shot at the buzzer. Please check out this free photo gallery of 58 images of the event, many of them of Mike Scott. Superman wears Mike Scott pajamas!
2012 is a huge year - and saying even that is an understatement. It's the first year I'll be able to seriously participate in the Olympic Trials. It's a big year for me after competing for Team USA at the Track and Field World Championships in Daegu, South Korea last August. It's a big year for women's steeplechase, as 2012 will only be the second Olympic Games to have women's steeplechase as an event.
After seeing a 12-game winning streak snapped at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Cavaliers hit the road again and seek to return to their winning ways against Georgia Tech on Thursday night. But the game won't be at the Alexander Memorial Coliseum, which is being renovated and rechristened the Hank McCamish Pavilion. Instead, the game will be held at Philips Arena, the home of the NBA's Hawks. Will the Hoos be able to continue their recent success against the Rambling Wreck, one of two teams whom Tony Bennett has not lost against in his tenure at UVa?
A little more than midway through the season with the meat of the ACC schedule up next, the Virginia Cavaliers find themselves with a top 20 ranking (No. 15 in the latest Associated Press poll) and a 14-2 record. At 1-1 in the ACC, the Hoos, who just lost a nail-biter to No. 6 Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium, are at an interesting juncture in the season. This team, and even the very program that Tony Bennett is building, is at a potential crossroads.
Through my tenure as a Cavalier, never have I witnessed more emphasis on the inner struggle between greatness and contentment. As a coaching staff, and ultimately a program as a whole, passion and dedication to greatness is law; an acquired characteristic every fortunate alumnus departs with embedded in his soul. Amidst reassuring and motivating methods, the one particular event in the culmination of our fall workouts that coaxes out courage is the Iron Cavalier.
On Saturday evening, the UVa men's basketball team exorcised last year's demons by hanging on to beat Miami, 52-51, and win its ACC home opener and move to 14-1 on the season. On Thursday night, the Hoos will look to exorcise demons of a different kind: Blue Devils, to be specific. It's almost 17 years to the day since Virginia and current assistant coach Jason Williford entered Cameron Indoor Stadium and left with a win (91-88 in double OT) on January 14, 1995. There are reasons to believe, though, that the losing streak in Durham might not be long for this world.
The Virginia football team's appearance in the Chick-fil-A Bowl didn't turn out in the Hoos' favor as Auburn won 43-24. Still, there were some highlights in the game for the Cavaliers; for example, Michael Rocco set a new Virginia bowl record with 26 completions and Kris Burd ended his career with two touchdown catches. Plus, UVa wore orange helmets for the first time since the 1978 season. Take a look at the helmets and other featured Cavaliers in this free photo gallery that features 75 images.
In a way, UVa was playing in the Chick-fil-A Bowl with house money, having already cashed in on a season that certainly surpassed the expectations of most. Even playing with house money, however, you want to do well at the table ... but this was a night where the cards were not in the Hoos' favor. Let's take a look at "10 Things I Learned" against Auburn in the bowl game.
The Virginia men's basketball team soared to a 13-1 record during non-conference play, including what has grown to an 11-game winning streak. The Cavaliers hope to keep grabbing victories when ACC play begins Saturday night at the John Paul Jones Arena. First up on the conference schedule is Miami, a team coached by former UVa assistant coach Jim Larranaga. Get ready for the Hurricanes with this Miami Primer.
Virginia's return to postseason play after a three-season absence did not go the way many had hoped. In the end, the Cavaliers were who we thought they were: a team with a good FBS offense, a defense that has difficulty with containment, misdirection and elite speed and a team that needs to desperately upgrade its special teams play. First, let's be clear - Auburn is not your typical 7-5 team. All five of the Tigers' losses this season were to teams that won 10 football games and are currently ranked in the top 18. Let's take a closer look in Greg's Game Report.
Virginia returned to postseason play Saturday for the first time since the Gator Bowl followed the 2007 season. While the 43-24 loss to Auburn in the Chick-fil-A Bowl isn't the result the Hoos wanted, one bright spot proved to the offense. It's an area that has continued to improve since Mike London and offensive coordinator Bill Lazor arrived two seasons ago.
ATLANTA - There's really no other way to say it: this season special teams has been a huge disappointment. It can be argued that the third phase of the game cost the Cavaliers two victories this season, including Virginia's 43-24 Chick-fil-A Bowl loss to Auburn on Saturday. Entering the game there was little doubt that the defending BCS National Champions held the special teams advantage and that paid big dividends for the Tigers in their victory.
ATLANTA - Chase Minnifield's status for the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Saturday is in question. Coach Mike London acknowledged Friday that Minnifield, UVa's senior All-American cornerback, is injured and will be a game time decision for the game with Auburn. Virginia's head coach would not discuss the specifics of Minnifield's injury. Let's look at more news and notes for the bowl game.
Some things immediately come to mind when you think of Southeastern Conference football teams like Auburn, Virginia's opponent in this weekend's Chick-fil-A Bowl. Speed, of course, tops the list. Things like great defense, relentless pass rushers, explosive offensive plays, strong running backs, and more aren't far behind. The Tigers certainly feature a lot of those elements too. Let's take a closer look at what else to watch for in the Auburn Watch List.
From time to time I like to reference music in my writing; especially opinion pieces. Music is one of my great passions and, as a father, it thrills me that my children have adopted my love of music. Of course, piano lessons starting at the age of six help. I also have a great love of older music. The songs I reference often give away my age and it's apparent I'm somewhere beyond 25.
Since the Cavaliers were selected to play in the 2011 Chick-fil-a Bowl, if I could identify a theme running through the print articles and broadcast news stories it would be Barry Manilow's, "Looks Like We Made It."
The Cavaliers (8-4) return to bowl action for the first time since a Gator Bowl appearance followed a 9-3 regular season campaign in 2007. For a group eager to help coach Mike London return UVa football back to its winning ways, a trip to the Chick-fil-A Bowl proved to be a major accomplishment in just the second year of the rebuilding project. Coach London sees the trip to Atlanta as a positive step and a significant opportunity for the football program at Virginia. Let's take a look at the matchup with Auburn.
As Virginia's Chick-fil-A Bowl date with Auburn approaches this weekend, the Cavaliers are prepared for a physical showdown with the Tigers. Before heading to Atlanta, several UVa coaches and players said that Auburn appears to be a strong and aggressive team on video so the Hoos are expecting more of the same in the Georgia Dome.
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