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Sabre Edge Features
We may look back Virginia's 44-38 loss to Louisiana Tech as the defining game of the 2012 season. Not so much from a won-loss perspective, but from a wake-up call perspective. Even after posting 625 yards and a 7.81 yards per play average against the 122nd ranked defense in the nation, Virginia still could not win a game on its home turf. Why not? Missed tackles, no power running game, poor pass coverage, and coaching blunders. If Saturday's game showed us anything, it shows that there is a drastic need for Virginia's rah-rah head coach to get in the faces of coaches and personnel and make some changes in who and how his team plays the game.
The Cavaliers have lost three straight games and sit below .500 on the season at 2-3 so the theme of the week appears to be "get back on track" for the Virginia football program as it searches for back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2004-2005. The recent losing skid combined with offensive struggles and turnovers has led to a week of change for the Hoos as well. Michael Rocco, who has started 18 straight games at quarterback for UVa, has been replaced by Phillip Sims, assuming a leg injury doesn't keep him out of action in Durham.
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It is Duke week as Virginia heads back into conference play for the rest of the 2012 season. Of course, that's not what most of the questions were about at UVa's weekly media meeting. No, as most fans probably expected, the conversation quickly turned to the Cavalier quarterback position.
Ouch. Losses are never fun, and it is not like UVa was a big favorite to beat Louisiana Tech this past Saturday, but still ... I mean ... you know ... ouch. There is plenty for Virginia to learn coming out of this game, a game that could have been won. Let's discuss a few of those Things here.
For Saturday's game with Louisiana Tech, a disappointing 44-38 loss for the Hoos, I spent the day on the sidelines snapping photos for the site. So instead of a single focus to lead off The Sunday Sampler this week, I thought I'd take on some of the hot topics among Virginia fans and message board posters out there. Yes, that means there are some thoughts on the quarterbacks.
In a game full of penalties and self-inflicted wounds for Virginia, it is only fitting that the game with Louisiana Tech on Saturday was decided on an infraction. On a day when the Hoos were flagged 16 times, a final 5-yard infraction gave the visitors a first down and the Bulldogs ran out the clock with a 44-38 victory in front of a crowd of 42,027 fans at Scott Stadium.
The Virginia football team led early, but gave up 34 unanswered points as Louisiana Tech stormed ahead. A late Cavalier rally came up short Saturday and the Bulldogs prevailed 44-38. Check out 40 free photos from the game, including a look at the retro uniforms worn in recognition of halftime honoree Frank Quayle.
The Virginia football team enters this week's contest with Louisiana Tech with a 2-2 record. The Cavaliers would like to end their two-game skid with a win, but that won't be an easy task. The Bulldogs have one of the nation's highest-scoring offenses. Of course with Tech's shaky defense on the other side of the ball, the media has been forecasting a potential shootout this week at Scott Stadium. Take a look at the "Watch List" to prepare for some wrinkles to monitor during the game.
Neither offense nor defense showed well against TCU and some old ghosts like dropped passes, missed tackles and poor execution haunted the Hoos. In this report I'll take a look at three trends that have affected Virginia's play over the last few weeks and I'll look at how poor tackling, assignment football and an improving running game could impact Virginia's game against Louisiana Tech on Saturday.
Deja vu? For the second straight season, the Virginia football team enters the fifth game at Scott Stadium with a 2-2 record and a WAC opponent on the docket. Last season, the Cavaliers pulled out a 21-20 overtime win against Idaho and that jumpstarted a 6-2 finish to the regular season. Can the Hoos get some momentum going again with 2011 WAC Champion Louisiana Tech in town?
Virginia's opponent this week may not carry the most recognizable name for fans, but Louisiana Tech and its high-octane offense may get everyone's attention Saturday at Scott Stadium. The Bulldogs, after all, bring a 3-0 record to Charlottesville after putting up more than 50 points in all three games. UVa's players already know that they have a challenge on their hands this week.
There were a few things to take out of Virginia game against TCU, even if not nearly as many as anyone - coach, player, or fan - would have liked. In what always set up as a challenging season, going on the road to TCU certainly qualified as a challenge, but there are a few things worth discussing from the game ... and that is the task before us.
There's a disturbing trend developing for Virginia's defense this season: giving up big scoring plays. The Cavaliers allowed another huge touchdown play against TCU on Saturday in a 27-7 loss. Horned Frog receiver Brandon Carter sprinted to a 68-yard touchdown reception that put the Hoos behind on the scoreboard in the first quarter and they trailed the rest of the way. The Sunday Sampler takes a look at that and more in the aftermath of the TCU loss.
After struggling mightily against Georgia Tech last week, the Virginia football team flew west in search of a bounce-back game on Saturday. The Cavaliers didn't find any redemption medicine, however, as TCU's success at home continued in a 27-7 victory. The Horned Frogs own the nation's longest winning streak and have won 28 of their 29 home games. Virginia, which fell to 0-3 all-time in the state of Texas, has lost two straight games and owns a 2-2 record.
The Virginia football team travels to Fort Worth on Saturday to face a fast and tough Texas Christian squad. Throughout the week, much of the discussion has focused on TCU's strong defense that shuts down the run and makes it hard to score. But the Horned Frogs offers some other challenges too and this week's Watch List article takes a closer look.
There really is no other way to say it, Virginia got beat in every phase of Saturday's contest with Georgia Tech. Out-coached, out-hustled and out-played. The Yellow Jackets were more physical too. JHoo's weekly column had it right when he wrote that this was a brutally difficult mismatch, especially the Tech spread-option against the inexperienced UVa defense. Can the Hoos regroup for TCU? Let's take a look at the grades and some things to keep tabs on in Texas.
For an offense that is struggling in several areas, Fort Worth isn't ideally where you'd start a search for answers. Fort Worth, after all, is home to the Texas Christian University football team and the Horned Frogs don't make things easy on opposing offenses. In fact, it's outright hard to score on the TCU defense.
For me, it just would have been better if this week of football hadn't happened. I mean, I thought the Chicago Bears game on Thursday night was bad - it was - but Saturday wasn't much better for the Hoos. Remembering the game won't be much more fun than watching the game was over the weekend, but that's the task before us. Here are some things I learned from the Georgia Tech game.
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