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   SabreMail - July 22nd, 2005
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Is Virginia's football program on the rise? On the decline? Running in place? It's kind of hard to say right now, isn't it?

Image: Virginia CavaliersOn one hand, it seems ridiculous to claim the Cavaliers are slipping. After all, they have won at least eight games for three straight years and were ranked as high as #6 midway through last season. On the other hand, last year's lousy finish undoubtedly affected people's perception of Al Groh's program. Just look at the message boards. More fans are skeptical of the 3-4 defense. More fans are critical of the offensive playcalling. And more fans and outside observers are wondering if UVa will ever win the championships that Groh seemed to promise five years ago.

So what is the state of the program? That's what we'll try to analyze and discuss over the next six weeks in a seven-part series, cleverly called "The State of the Program." The first part, "The Big Picture", was posted Tuesday. It takes a broad view of the program and presents the topics that will be covered in the next six parts - The Offense, The Defense, The Special Teams, Intangibles, Recruiting and The Fans.

The idea isn't to harp on all of the program's problems and suggest ways to improve things. We're not that presumptuous. The goal of the series is to offer an objective and informative look at how each facet of Al Groh's operation has evolved over the years, where things stand and what the future may hold. By the time the 2005 season starts, hopefully you'll know a lot more about the program's positives, negatives and challenges.

Sound good? OK, there are two ways to get involved. First, if you're not a Sabre Edge member, please consider signing up so you can read the other articles in this series. Also, feel free to e-mail me with your thoughts, suggestions and ideas. After all, its your football program, too, and your website. Let me know what you think.

John Galinsky
Editor
TheSabre.com
[email protected]


   Recruiting News

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

The 'Hoos started the week in excellent fashion, landing 5-8, 175-pound running back/defensive back Kordell Young. Young, who plays for West Deptford High School (N.J.), chose Virginia over offers from Boston College, Illinois, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Syracuse.

Young rushed for 1,251 yards and 22 touchdowns last season as a junior, averaging 11.5 yards per carry. He earned all-South Jersey and all-conference honors for his performance. Very fast, Young ran a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash at a combine earlier this year. Very strong as well, he can squat 500 pounds.


Virginia is on the outside looking in for Landstown wide receiver Damon McDaniel. According to Landstown head coach Chris Beatty, McDaniel has set four official visits - to Oklahoma, Florida, LSU and Virginia Tech. Virginia is not among the schools being considered highly for the final visit.

Of TheSabre.com's top 10 prospects in the state of Virginia, UVa is seriously in the running for Granby wide receiver Chris Bell (#2), Highland Springs linebacker Jarrell Miller (#3) and Meadowbrook OLB/DE John Graves (#4).


In basketball recruiting news, Virginia has offered 6-6, 230-pound small forward/power forward Jon Mitchell out of Mount Vernon High School (N.Y.). Mitchell, who is also seriously considering offers from Georgia Tech, Marquette and Pitt, is rated a 4-star prospect by Scout.com. He averaged 17 points and 7 boards last season as a junior.

UVa has also offered Bethel (Hampton, VA) power forward Duke Crews. Crews, who is 6-7, 220 pounds, was recently offered by UNC.

For more recruiting information and updates, please sign up for Sabre Edge.

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   News, Notes and Fan Discussion

Post of the Week

This one speaks for itself...

Subject: Greetings, EDGE Board!
Posted by: StLouHoo on Wed Jul 20 2005 1:37:52 PM
Message: So I'm sitting here in the middle of my tour in Iraq, and I can't help but find I miss my Sabre posting days; and the rare free time I get to surf the internet almost always winds up with me going to the Sabre website. But this whole 7000 miles away thing made me miss my Wahoo nation even more than being in St Louis did, and reading the free board wasn't cutting it anymore, so I finally broke down and became an EDGE subscriber today. (Not like I have much else to spend my money on over here). I can honestly say treating myself to this indulgence will do wonders for my morale for the next few months I'm here completing my tour. Can't say I'll be able to post too much, but looking forward to contributing when I can, reading the great posts y'all make, and hopefully getting back without missing too much of our upcoming season.

Sorry to take up your time. Just excited to be here again.

To read the responses to this post, Edge subscribers can click the link below.

  • Sabre Edge Message Board

    Around the Wahoo sports world...

  • Can't wait for football season to start? How about football practice? Virginia's first one is Aug. 5, though the school has not released its schedule of open practices yet. Likewise, no date has been announced for "Meet the Team Day," though it's expected to be in mid-August.

  • The most recent UVa men's soccer recruiting class has been ranked #9 in the country by College Soccer News. The 10-member class is highlighted by standouts Bakary Soumare, Antonio DiMaggio, Michael Giallombardo and Robert Rogers. Five ACC programs had classes ranked in the top 10, including Maryland (#2), Duke (#3), North Carolina (#5) and Wake Forest (#8).

  • Hannon Wright, a backup goalie for the Cavaliers from 1996-99, was hired as a men's lacrosse assistant coach. He replaces Conor Gill, who left to pursue other interests. Wright was a volunteer assistant from 2002-03 while attending UVa's law school.

    For more information on UVa athletics, please see their official website below.

  • virginiasports.com

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  •    What's New on TheSabre.com?

    Sabre Edge articles from the past week

  • Ask The Experts #10: The 3-4 Defense, TheSabre.com

    Image: Coach George WelshOK, OK. Ever since we started "Ask the Experts" last December, about half of your questions have concerned the 3-4 defense. So here you go. George Welsh and Ty Smith (a defensive coordinator at three colleges) used both the 3-4 and 4-3 defenses in their long coaching careers, and in this article they answer the following questions.

    1) What are the relative strengths and weaknesses of the 3-4 and 4-3 defenses?

    Image: Ty Smith2) The 3-4 defense used to be the most common alignment in college and pro football. Now it's the 4-3, though the 3-4 is making a comeback, particularly in the NFL. What accounts for that evolution?

    3) Looking at personnel, what is the difference between the 3-4 and the 4-3 in terms of the physical requirements and on-field responsibilities at each position?

    4) How much does the scheme matter? Can you win championships in college football with a 3-4 defense?

  • 2005 Schedule: The Lighter Side (Part 1), Fletch F Fletch (Jake Poh)

    Image: Western Michigan BroncosOver the next month, TheSabre.com is going to provide some solid in-depth looks at our upcoming opponents. That's not what I'm trying to do here. Not even close. This isn't even the same ballpark or sport. I can guarantee that you will learn a thing or two about each school on our schedule, including the Western Michigan Fighting Whatevers, but I can't guarantee that you will want to know it. I apologize in advance to serious football evaluators everywhere.

  • Managing Expectations, or How I Survive Being a Wahoo, Vandy-Hoo (Rob Mahini)

    Image: Wahoo FansThe ball split the uprights and ended the first game at the newly renovated Scott Stadium. I could barely hear myself think over the BYU fans erupting in the neighboring visitors' section. After digesting the first wave of dejection and disbelief that hit me, I realized that I set myself up for this especially tough reaction to the overtime loss. I expected us to win. Or, perhaps, I mismanaged my own expectations.

  • State of the Program, Part 1: The Big Picture, John Galinsky

    Image: Virginia CavaliersWe're about to enter the fifth season of the Al Groh era in Virginia football. What better time to take a close look at the program? By now, Groh has put his stamp on the program in numerous ways - offense, defense, special teams, attitude, discipline, recruiting, etc. We'll examine all of those things and also look at how the fan base and the culture of UVa football have changed. Most importantly, we'll try to show the challenges that still need to be met in order to fulfill Groh's championship aspirations.

    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.

    Football

  • Landstown Duo Setting Visits
  • Eliades Returns from Latest Visit
  • Who Leads for Campbell?
  • Vince Jacobs to Announce Tomorrow
  • Maybin to Narrow List Soon?

    Basketball

  • Basketball Target: SF Jon Mitchell

  •    Sabre Edge

    Get your Wahoo fix. Subscribe to Sabre Edge!

    Every month, Sabre Edge provides you with exclusive articles, columns, special features, interviews and recruiting news, including daily recruiting updates. There's even a special message board just for subscribers. And to top it off, you get 10 percent off all of your online purchases through TheSabreShop.com during your subscription.

    All of the great Sabre Edge content can be yours for the price of $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year. Try it for a month and cancel if you like. But we think you'll get hooked on the Edge and find out for yourself why the most knowledgeable Cavalier fans are Edge subscribers.

    If you're a true Wahoo, then the Sabre Edge is right for you. Check it out!

  • Sabre Edge Info and Sign Up

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