Special Features 
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TheSabre.com
Your source for independent coverage and discussion of University of Virginia sports
Special Features
Virginia has lost three straight games to Duke, including a disappointing 55-48 setback in Durham last season. What can the Cavaliers do to snap the skid against the Blue Devils? The generic game plan is the same. Run the football, eat up the clock, and use play action on offense. Stop the run, tackle well, and win third down on defense. Throw in low numbers for penalties and turnovers and that's been UVa's formula in its wins. With those basics in mind, let's take a look at some more specific details for this game in the Duke Watch List.
Now what? Week by week, the questions have been asked. The Hoos haven't been perfect, but mostly they've answered those questions in impressive fashion. The result is a 6-3 record and bowl eligibility for the first time since the 2007 season. So, the questions this week shifted. Now what? Can you avoid a letdown now that you've secured a bowl and avoid complacency? The Hoos say they're focused on snapping a three-game losing streak against Duke.
Virginia fans will finally get an opportunity to see James Johnson play on the court this season. Johnson, a 6'9", 238-pound forward, was redshirted last season in order to develop his mental and physical game. He and the coaching staff felt he needed an extra year to improve in some areas. With the season opener and Johnson's debut just days away, it's an opportune time for "The Sabre Interview" with the redshirt freshman.
Rounding out our "Q&A" features with the University of Virginia incoming freshman is 6'6", 197-pound wing Paul Jesperson, the 2010/2011 Gatorade and Associated Press Player of the Year in the state of Wisconsin. In this "Q&A", the versatile freshman discusses making the transition from playing point guard in high school to off guard in college, the work being done by Strength and Conditioning Coach Mike Curtis, working with fellow freshman Malcolm Brogdon, and much more.
The difference between a championship caliber team and a one that is not is the ability to take care of business. Virginia's 31-13 win over Maryland was a blue-collar effort and nothing more, and that's what good teams do in these situations. Virginia thwarted a Terrapin touchdown opportunity from the Cavalier 2-yard line late in the first half and scored on the ensuing possession to take a 14-13 halftime lead. The Hoos never trailed again and put the game away early in the second half. Let's take a closer look in Greg's Game Report.
Virginia just beat Maryland. On the road. Convincingly. To qualify for a bowl. To clinch a losing season for Maryland. To keep the program's momentum rolling. I really have nothing else to say ...
... okay, maybe I do. Here are 10 Things I Learned from the 31-13 win at Maryland.
The magic number is six. All the way back on Aug. 2, I wrote those words about the Virginia football team. Well, Virginia, there are bowls this holiday season. More importantly, however, getting the magic sixth win should awaken the Cavalier faithful. Many, many Hoo fans have been waiting for the football program to show them something before making an invested return to the fandom. UVa accomplished that and more with its 31-13 win at Maryland on Saturday.
The implications for this week's Virginia game have been discussed all week long. Drilling deeper into the matchup, the key factor may be the running game. That's an area where Virginia has talent and confidence. The Maryland Watch List points out some more of the key analysis areas for the game.
The script this week is fairly simple for the Cavaliers. For the second time this season, they grabbed an unexpected ACC win against a favored foe. The first time that happened against then undefeated Georgia Tech, the Hoos took the field the next week with a sluggish offensive performance and a 28-14 loss to NC State. This time, Virginia is coming off a 28-21 victory at Miami. The task is to avoid another lackluster outing in the follow-up performance at Maryland.
The University of Virginia's most decorated freshman, guard Malcolm Brogdon, earned Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Georgia Sportswriters Association Group AA Player of the Year honors as a junior and AJC All-Division Player of the Year honors his senior season. Primarily playing the two -guard position but also seeing time at the point, the 6'5", 215-pound Brogdon averaged close to 26 points, almost 13 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game his senior year. TheSabre.com caught up with Brogdon as practice opened for a Q&A.
For a fan base starving for postseason play, it's hard to avoid the hottest topic of conversation since Thursday night's 28-21 win at Miami. The Hoos, after all, are one win away from bowl eligibility. And naturally fans are talking about it. They're looking up the ACC's bowl affiliations. They're playing out scenarios for the season's final month and using phrases like "control their own destiny". But don't expect the team to join in any time soon. The coaches and players are focused on the Maryland Terrapins.
Feel like you are riding a bit of a rollercoaster right now? Welcome to the wonderful world of rebuilding a football program. This week, however, coming off a road win at Miami, we get to see the world from the top of the coaster. That's a great view for the weekly "10 Things I Learned" column. So what can we take from the win over the Hurricanes?
Virginia's offense dialed up the big play against the Hurricanes striking for touchdown passes of 78, 37 and 53 yards and the Cavalier defense put a Halloween hex on the Miami running game as Virginia claimed its first ACC road win in eight games. The Hoos are now one win away from bowl eligibility and even more interesting - they are not out of the Coastal Division race. Let's take a closer look at the 28-21 win in Greg's Game Report.
There's an old saying about "keeping up with the Joneses" where the gist is the desire to match your neighbors' success. For the Virginia football team, the meaning is much more positive. After all, it's good for anyone in the program to try to keep up with junior captain Perry Jones. From his work ethic to his leadership to his on-field abilities, the Hoos are better because he's wearing orange and blue.
So far this season, the Virginia football team has followed a pattern. Two wins, two losses, two wins. The Hoos will try to break the trend and avoid back-to-back losses in this week's ACC game against Miami. In the Miami Watch List are a couple of items that could influence the outcome in Florida in 2011.
Now, it may seem crazy, but it's true - to be an elite athlete (an elite runner), you have to learn how to take a break. A long, glorious, don't-even-think-about-running break. Just once a year, but still. To some people, it may seem absurd - why would you want to voluntarily get out of shape? Trust me. When you compete eight or nine months straight over the year, plus training the other three to four months, taking two weeks off is barely a blip in the grand scheme of things.
High hopes checkered the Charlottesville landscape last week. Fresh off an upset of previously unbeaten Georgia Tech, the Hoos had a chance to win back-to-back ACC games for the first time in two years. They had an opportunity to move to within one game of bowl eligibility for the first time since 2008. Unfortunately, however, Virginia couldn't get the job done and fell 28-14 to NC State. Can teams mimic NC State's approach and lock down the Hoos?
UVa receiver Tim Smith hauled in a 60-yard touchdown reception, but NC State won a defensive battle with Virginia, 28-14. Check out some of your favorite Hoos like Perry Jones, Chase Minnifield, and Smith in action or see if your fan photo is in this 72-image gallery of the Cavaliers' latest contest.
The Georgia Tech game was a perfect example of the potential of the 2011 Cavalier football team when all three phase of the game play at a solid, sustained level for four quarters. Saturday against NC State was a prime example of what can happen when one operation doesn't carry its weight. Virginia's defense and special teams did enough to win against NCSU - the offense, however, was AWOL resulting in the Hoos' 28-14 loss to the Wolfpack.
Going into the NC State game, UVa was 4-2 and good feelings abounded. Coming out of the NCSU game, UVa is 4-3 and uncertainty seems to reign. What a difference a week can make, eh? Let's dive into "10 Things I Learned" after the 28-14 loss to the Wolfpack.
The Virginia football team closes out a four-game stretch of home games this weekend against NC State. If the Hoos can topple the Wolfpack, they would finish this quartet of games at 3-1 with a 5-2 overall record in hand. That means the Cavaliers would have five cracks at bowl eligibility in the regular season's final 30 days. Can you say big game?
So what items are important in this UVa-NCSU showdown? Let's take a closer look in the NC State Watch List.
TheSabre.com is an independent publication and is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the University of Virginia.
Copyright © 1996-2013 TheSabre.com All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy