|
| Your guide to breaking news, recruiting updates and important offers from TheSabre.com! |
|
|
 SabreMail - Sept. 10th, 2004 |
Sabre Links
Home Page Football Recruiting
Recruiting Home Basketball Recruiting
Recruiting Home Sabre Edge
Home Page Sabre Products
|
|||||||||||
Tomorrow's home opener against North Carolina will mark a new era for University of Virginia football. Not because of the game itself, but because of the environment at Scott Stadium. The Pep Band will be missing, as will most of the ties and sundresses. In their place will be: 1) a marching band, and 2) UVa t-shirts that will transform the stands into a "Sea of Orange," as the marketing slogan goes. So things will look and sound differently than they have for the previous century of Cavalier football.
But to Al Groh (a driving force behind both changes), these moves were important, maybe even necessary, in changing the culture of Virginia football. As he sees it, a championship team requires a championship environment. A "Sea of Orange." A marching band. To Groh, those things provide the look and sound of big-time college football. Since he is putting together (by all indications) a big-time team, he wants everything about the program to reflect it. This subject has been debated many times recently on the message boards, with some fans sorry to see the end of traditions they cherished. Many other fans embraced the changes, feeling like they would create an atmosphere more conducive to winning football. Most of those exchanges have ended in agreement on one point. No matter how you feel about the issue of bands and fashion, all fans want the Cavaliers to succeed. And when Virginia scores Saturday (probably many, many times against the wretched Tar Heel defense), those fans will join in one tradition that hasn't fallen by the wayside: singing the Good Old Song. Or is it time for a big-time fight song?
John Galinsky |
||||||||||||
| Recruiting News |
||||||||||||
This Week In Recruiting By Chris Horne Football recruiting...
Two in-state prospects will visit Virginia Tech this weekend. Phoebus tailback Elan Lewis and Phoebus defensive end Steven Friday are both scheduled for official visits, according to Phoebus coach Bill Dee. UVa appears to be out of the running for Burns (Lawndale, N.C.) wide receiver Josh Briscoe. Briscoe has scheduled all five official visits but Virginia was not one of them. Todd Nolen, Greg Orton and Derrick Williams appear to be remaining receiver prospects on the board. Basketball recruiting... UVa has in-home visits scheduled with two Lutheran Christian Academy (Philadelphia, PA) players - SF Dionte Christmas and PF/C Vernon Goodridge. According to LCA coach Darryl Schofield, Virginia has offered both and is seriously in the running.
For more recruiting information and updates, please see Sabre Edge.
|
||||||||||||
| Support TheSabre.com's Sponsors |
||||||||||||
Crown Auto of Virginia supports TheSabre.com
Today's SabreMail is powered by Crown Automotive Group of Virginia. Crown Automotive Group has four locations in Virginia: Acura of Richmond, Richmond BMW, Richmond BMW of Midlothian and BMW of Charlottesville. Crown is a proud sponsor of TheSabre.com. Please show your support and look to any of the Crown locations for your next new or used luxury automobile purchase.
Please remember that TheSabre's sponsors are your sponsors! They help us bring you a better website.
|
||||||||||||
| News, Notes and Fan Discussion |
||||||||||||
Post of the Week
Subject: This about sums up Wilk Hall
1. Thou shalt not be a cheapskate. It is considered poor taste for a person shopping for a tailgate to mention the word budget. If a budget must be followed, do so in a reticent manner. Even if one is on a strict budget, however, it is acceptable to buy expensive brands of labeled alcoholic beverages because, after all, these are for friends that deserve the best. 2. Thou shalt not diet. Diets are to be forgotten on game day. Green pasta, guacamole and pistachio ice cream are considered greens by real tailgaters for the sake of a diet. 3. Thou shalt have plenty. Never run out of food or drink. It is far better to have too much than too little. Besides, think of all those great leftovers. 4. Thou shalt not arrive at the last minute. Never rush. Always arrive early. You are, however, permitted to rush your spouse and family if they are preventing you from being early. 5. Thou shalt always park in the same place. - Where security is either lax, or discreet. Thy tailgate party shall only have one chef. The chef is right. Always right! If you question the chef you question the almighty. The chef doesn't eat, drink, he/she tastes. All chef decisions are final, unless he/she changes his/her mind. 6. Thou shalt not talk politics. Politics are to be avoided at a tailgate party. If a guest insists on talking politics, animal rights or gun control, you are permitted to demonstrate a reason for gun control. 7. Thou shalt not resist progress. It is the duty of all tailgaters to constantly upgrade and improve their tailgate parties. If there are new gadgets to be bought or made, tailgaters must buy or make them. 8. Thou shalt not make others tailgate. Since some guests to a tailgate party are not as excited about tailgating as you are, they must be allowed to stay in your vehicle during blizzards or rainstorms. Do not, however, deliver food to them. Make them come outside to get it. 9. Thou shalt not snub the women who choose to dress up. Upon first impression they may appear too fragile for football. But it is likely they were born with pompoms in hand, can call a penalty as well as any ref (or better in the SEC), and can drink you under the table. Besides, you'll LOVE them later when they produce flasks of Crown from beneath those tiny little skirts. 10. Thou shalt not depart the parking lot until traffic clears. It is much better to tailgate for an hour or two than to sit in traffic with idiots. Relax and enjoy the sunset. Cavs spell doom for Temple
Well, Virginia apparently has a good football team. The Cavaliers lived up to their preseason hype with a thorough 44-14 rout of Temple in their 2004 opener last Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. They seized a 30-0 lead at the half and cruised from there, rolling up 286 yards on the ground and 504 overall. The defense forced a pair of early turnovers that set the tone for the afternoon. Of course, we won't really know how good Virginia is until later in the season. The 15th-ranked 'Hoos don't face a ranked opponent until Oct. 7 when they play No. 20 Clemson at Scott Stadium. For a story on the Temple game, please see the link below.
For a look ahead to North Carolina, please see the link below.
Men's soccer undefeated so far Adam Cristman helped the VIrginia men's soccer team get off to a strong start last weekend. The sophomore forward scored three goals in a pair of victories as the No. 11 Cavaliers beat Marshall 3-0 and Long Island 2-0 in the Virginia Soccer Classic at Klockner Stadium. The 'Hoos figure to tested this weekend at the Saint Louis Nike Classic. They face Cincinnati tonight before taking on No. 8 St. Louis on Sunday. For more information about UVa men's soccer, please see the link below.
Four games, four shutouts for women's soccer The UVa women's soccer team also hasn't given up a goal this season. In four games, the No. 5 Cavaliers have outscored their opponents by a total of 14-0, including a 1-0 victory over No. 18 West Virginia last Sunday. The Cavs will try to keep that streak going this weekend at their own event, the Virginia Nike Soccer Classic. They face No. 8 UCLA tonight at 7, then play South Carolina at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Both games will be at Klockner Stadium. For more information about UVa women's soccer, please see the link below.
Holland heads to East Carolina You could make a convincing argument that Terry Holland was both the best coach and the most influential athletic director in UVa history. Because of that, he probably could have stayed at Virginia in some capacity for as long as he desired. But Holland, 62, isn't one to sit still and get bored. He decided to step down from his position as special assistant to President Casteen in July. Then this week he accepted a job as East Carolina's athletic director.
Holland won 326 games in 16 seasons as men's basketball coach. As athletic director, he played a major role in improving facilities and bringing together different UVa factions (fans, coaches, administrators), and he also hired Pete Gillen and Al Groh. He's been such an important figure at UVa, why isn't there anything named after him?
|
||||||||||||
| TheSabreShop.com - The Place for Wahoo Gear! |
||||||||||||
Free Shipping on Wahoo Jerseys For a limited time only! TheSabreShop.com is here to help you get fired-up for the upcoming football season. We are offering free UPS ground shipping on our custom Wahoo jerseys. Now through Monday, purchase any jersey from the category below, choose "UPS ground shipping" as your preferred method and receive your jersey with no shipping cost. TheSabreShop.com, outfitting the best fans with the best gear available.
Free shipping on select jerseys only. Here's the list of jerseys available with this offer! Act now, these jerseys will go fast!
And don't forget to browse the great selection of items we've got in-stock and ready to ship!
|
||||||||||||
| What's New on TheSabre.com? |
||||||||||||
Sabre Edge articles and columns from the past week
Let's keep this game in perspective. Temple does not have the speed, overall athleticism or quality of coaching to compete with UVa. The 'Hoos did what was expected of them. With all of the accolades pouring from nearly every corner after Saturday's win, it is sometimes difficult to bring in some objective evaluation points. The Temple game was simply a "dressed scrimmage" against a team that is barely hanging on to its Division 1-A status.
The Cavaliers aced their first test of the season against Temple, but they weren't flawless. We hand out grades for each unit (the defensive line earned the top score) and name players of the game on offense, defense and special teams.
The Virginia Cavaliers soundly defeated the Temple Owls, 44-14, Saturday afternoon. Listen to Coach Al Groh speak with the media in his postgame press conference.
Sabre Edge recruiting updates from the past week Our resident recruiting expert, Chris Horne, provides updates for Edge subscribers about UVa's commitments and recruiting targets in football and men's basketball. To sign up for an Edge subscription, please see the sign-up promotion below. If you're already on board as an Edge subscriber, click the links below to catch up on recruiting.
|
||||||||||||
| Sabre Edge |
||||||||||||
Get your Wahoo fix. Subscribe to Sabre Edge!
Still not convinced? Well, we've made it even easier for you to subscribe. We offer three subscription options, including a yearly rate of $34.95, a quarterly rate of $10.95 and a 'what the heck is this thing all about' monthly rate of $4.95. So, if you're unsure, check us out for a month and see what we are offering. If you're a true Wahoo, then the Sabre Edge is right for you. Check it out!
|
| SabreMail is a trademark of TheSabre.com - Copyright © 2001 - 2004 - All Rights Reserved |
For each game, I'll list five things the Cavaliers need to do (the absolutes) and five things they would like to do (the desirables) against their opponent. Here are the absolutes and the desirables for the 2004 home opener against North Carolina. One thing Tony Franklin and company must do is avoid giving up big plays to the dangerous Tar Heel offense led by Darian Durant.
Saturday's 44-14 rout of Temple marked the sixth time in Virginia's last 17 games that Wali Lundy has scored at least three touchdowns. Despite the presence of an excellent fullback, the junior tailback has no plans to relinquish his role as the primary ball carrier in the red zone.
"I love getting the ball at the goal line," Lundy said. "I think of that as my time. I think it might be kind of hard to stop me down there. I got a nose for the goal line."
In his Monday press conference, Virginia coach Al Groh discussed many topics, including his thoughts on North Carolina, Wali Lundy's performance against Temple, the play of the defensive line, the commitment to the running game, the debut of the freshmen, and much more. Also included in this audio feature is an interview with junior kicker Connor Hughes, who talks about dealing with his first "off day" as a Cavalier.
Normally, if a kicker misses two field goals and an extra point in the opening game, that would be a cause for concern. Not for the Virginia football team this year. None of the Cavaliers seem a bit worried about Connor Hughes, who missed as many kicks Saturday as he did in the entire 2003 season. UVa coach Al Groh even joked about it Monday: "We sent him off to a Trappist Monastery for the last two days to think this one out."
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The tackling wasn't perfect. The offensive execution wasn't perfect. The second half wasn't perfect. Mr. Perfect himself, Connor Hughes, sure wasn't perfect. But for an opening game, the Cavaliers couldn't have asked for a much better performance than the one they turned in today. Even against an awful opponent like Temple, I expected Virginia to struggle a little bit more, especially in the passing game. With an inexperienced quarterback and young receivers, I figured it might take that unit a while to work out the kinks.
