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Could the 2012 season have ended on more of a sour note? Put another way, if UVa had been blown out on Saturday, would that have felt worse? Rationally, of course this 17-14 loss was "better." Emotionally, that's a bit harder to decide. Let's take a look at what we learned from the season finale at Virginia Tech.
I've got nothing. Sorry, Virginia fans. I know you want my opinion or thoughts on the final two minutes and "The Great Timeout Caper of 2012" but I've got nothing. I can come up with no logical, factual, or 'reasonable doubt' mindset to describe why Virginia and coach Mike London let two minutes of precious time dwindle away as Virginia Tech set up for the game-winning field goal.
For the first time since 2009, the Virginia football team took a lead in its rivalry showdown with Virginia Tech. It didn't last. The Hokies rallied from a 14-7 deficit in the second half to capture the 17-14 win in Blacksburg, handing the Cavaliers their ninth straight loss in the series. While the score remained closer than the last three meetings, the loss still stung for the Hoos, who finished the season 4-8 and 2-6 in the ACC.
Taquan "Smoke" Mizzell burst onto the varsity scene as a sophomore in 2010, when, as Bayside's (Virginia Beach, VA) starting tailback, he rushed for 1,472 yards and scored 22 touchdowns. The 5'10", 190-pound prospect doesn't plan on waiting a year before becoming an impact player at the University of Virginia.
It somehow seems fitting that Virginia's fleeting postseason hopes would end in a game that was a microcosm of the Cavaliers' inconsistent play in 2012. For 45 minutes, the Hoos made a game of it but the issues that have plagued UVa all season continued in game 11. It was the same old song we've been humming all season long. In short, the Cavaliers continue to do the things bad teams, and losing teams do.
The theme this week is simple. End the streak. Virginia Tech has reeled off 8 straight wins in this rivalry matchup. This year's showdown carries a different feel than a year ago when the winner was headed to the ACC Championship Game. At 4-7 UVa has been eliminated from bowl consideration and it enters this contest trying to play the role of spoiler.
Saturday will mark the 94th meeting between rival in-state schools Virginia and Virginia Tech. The series, dating back to 1895, is led by the Hokies 51-37-5. The series was practically even until the late 90's. But the Hoos have managed just one win since their dramatic come-from-behind victory in Blacksburg in 1998. The last win was a home contest in 2003 when current Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub led the Cavaliers to a resounding victory, 35-21.
In this latest edition of Sabre Scoop, Bayside (Va. Beach, VA) 5-star RB Taquan "Smoke" Mizzell talks recruiting and Fork Union (VA) safety Malcolm Cook answers how solid his commitment to Virginia is. Also get the latest news and notes on the football recruiting trail.
Well, the last two weeks were nice, weren't they? Winning four straight games to sneak into a bowl game always was a tall task, but it was a nice dream while it lasted. On Thursday, things came crashing back to Earth for the Cavaliers, however, as North Carolina pulled away to win. Let's look at what can be learned from the UNC game.
Virginia's loss to North Carolina on Thursday night bumped the Hoos out of bowl contention and left the team with one final game - the rivalry showdown with Virginia Tech. It also exposed a defensive area that, simply put, needs to be addressed beginning as soon as spring practice starts. Receiver screens. The Sunday Sampler looks at that and much, much more.
The Virginia football team's post-bye week magic ran out as the Cavaliers came up short - literally - against North Carolina on Thursday night. The primetime showdown remained a closely contested affair until UVa failed to score on fourth down from the one-yard line late in the third quarter and things spiraled out of control for the hosts the rest of the way as the Tar Heels rolled to a 37-13 victory.
The Virginia Cavaliers dominated the final 11:38 of the game and for the fourth time in his career quarterback Michael Rocco led the Cavaliers on a game-tying or game-winning drive in UVa's 41-40 victory over the University of Miami. The win was the fourth of the season and kept the Hoos' slim postseason hopes alive.
The theme of the week: Restart a Charlottesville streak. Virginia dominated North Carolina in Charlottesville from 1981-2008, winning every meeting at Scott Stadium. The Tar Heels finally broke their curse in 2010, however, with a 44-10 victory. The Cavaliers and older alums would love nothing more than to restart a streak of Charlottesville losing for the Heels this season.
Westside (Houston, TX) cornerback Hipolito Corporan verbally committed to the University of Virginia back in the spring, despite the fact that he had never been to Charlottesville before. Plans to visit the grounds this past summer fell through, but the 6'2", 190-pound senior did make an official visit to UVa this past weekend.
Virginia is riding a two-game win streak heading into the Thursday night, nationally televised ESPN match-up against North Carolina. To start the win streak, the Cavaliers destroyed NC State on the road, 33-6. Virginia then took Miami in a shootout, 41-40, that wasn't decided until just 6 seconds remained. But this week offers a completely different challenge because the Cavaliers have a short week to prepare due to the Thursday night schedule.
Malcolm Cook enjoyed a breakout season in his first (and last) year at Fork Union Military Academy (VA). The Richmond (VA) native, a safety, has racked up at least 14 interceptions for a 10-2 Blue Devils squad that will take on Liberty Christian Academy in the Virginia Independent Schools Division 1 state championship this Friday night.
That. Just. Happened.
Virginia pulled out a heart-stopping last-second win against Miami on Saturday, 41-40, giving the Hoos back-to-back wins in November. The drama concluded with a Michael Rocco to Jake McGee touchdown pass that caused Scott Stadium to erupt. Breaking it down will be a true pleasure.
In many ways Virginia's 41-40 victory over Miami on Saturday was a lesson in resilience. The Cavaliers faced several moments, including a 10-point fourth quarter deficit and a late safety during an attempted rally, that could have caused them to fold. They didn't. Then there were many of the individual stories that made winning possible.
The Virginia football team needed a fourth-quarter rally to take down Miami 41-40 on Saturday, but with the win the Hoos have won two straight games. Look back at the victory against the Hurricanes with photos of Michael Rocco, Dominique Terrell, Eli Harold, and more in this gallery! Photo galleries are free on TheSabre.com!
Nine weeks ago at Scott Stadium, Michael Rocco led Virginia on a last-gasp drive to defeat Penn State with a touchdown pass to Jake McGee. 63 days later, No. 83 came through again for Rocco. This Saturday the duo connected on a touchdown play with 6 seconds remaining to stun Miami 41-40. With the victory, UVa has won two straight games for the first time since September.
The Virginia football team looks to win two straight games for the first time since September when Miami comes to town Saturday. The Hoos opened the season with back-to-back wins against Richmond and Penn State before a six-game losing streak hit the books. The Cavaliers bounced back after the bye week with a convincing victory against NC State last weekend and they hope to add another one this time around. The Watch List takes a look at a few wrinkles that could appear in the UVa-Miami matchup.
In my grade and trend report last this week I said "I believe Virginia is looking at the losing end of another game with a 31-17 loss." That's why they play the game. In winning in Raleigh for the first time since 1999, Virginia dominated with the run, was efficient with its passing game and finally found a way to force more turnovers than it gave away. Let's look at the grades and prepare for the matchup with Miami.
Build on that. The goal this week simply has to be "build on that NC State win." After all, there were some positive signs against the Wolfpack. With the Coastal Division leaders coming to town, the Hoos simply want to avoid a step backward against Miami. Let's take a close look at the match-up against the Hurricanes.
Whew, we really needed a win, didn't we? Yes, we did. It always is a little nicer to break down a win compared to a loss, something that I quickly remembered the last couple of days as I dug into the NCSU win. Here are a few Things I learned from the Cavaliers' 33-6 victory against NC State.
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