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SabreMail - October 27th, 2005 |
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SabreMail Contest, Week #7 Last week's contest: UVa Fan Limericks! We asked you to write limericks about being a UVa fan. We were hoping for timeless poems about the nature of Wahoo-ness. Instead, we mainly got timely screeds about the frustration of losing to the Tar Heels. Whatever. Some of them were funny anyway. Here are the honorable mentions...
A 7-5 game they did lose They looked mighty bad And the Tar Heels were glad. To forget this will take lots of booze Richard Rogers (1995 hoo)
There once was a coach from the Jets
There once was a group called the HOOS
With its win over FSU in the bank
Walter Jordan (58hoo)
There once was a stud named Marques
There once was a Hokie named Dirk
And the winner is David Robertson (Nag Raja). He gets a free month of SabreEdge for this entry...
Our offensive line's looking porous.
Great reference to the UVa head coach who compiled a 1-29 record from 1958-60. Thanks to everyone who entered. (Check further down SabreMail for the second-place entry by Bruce Foster.) Now to this week's contest:.. What's the craziest thing you've ever done as a UVa fan? A ridiculous road trip? Outrageous behavior at a game? Told a whopping lie in order to skip a wedding and watch the 'Hoos? Whatever you did, please tell it in 500 words or less, and make sure it's a true story. Honor system, people. Please send your entry to [email protected] with the header: SabreMail Contest. Thanks, and good luck!
John Galinsky |
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Recruiting News | ||||||||
This Week In Recruiting By Chris Horne Football recruiting... Because this week is a bye week, the coaches have been out on the recruiting trail. Here are a few notable stops head coach Al Groh made on Monday. He traveled a short distance to Fork Union Military Academy, where he met with head coach John Shuman. Virginia has offered 5-9, 170-pound wide receiver Jacoby Ford. A native of Florida, Ford has had an outstanding season at FUMA. In eight games, he has tallied 14 touchdowns thanks to his elusiveness and blazing speed - Ford was timed at 4.19 in the 40-yard dash during the Fork Union mini-camp this May. Ford listed six schools at the top this week - Virginia, Virginia Tech, Florida, West Virginia, Michigan State and Clemson. Coach Shuman says his star is waiting to hear back from Miami, Florida State and Georgia. This weekend, Ford will travel to Michigan State for an official visit. Virginia, which was the first school to offer Ford, is in the running for one of his five official visits. Groh's second stop on Monday was at Lebanon High School in Pennsylvania, where he watched 4-star defensive lineman Jared Odrick in action (Lebanon's game was postponed from last Friday to Monday). This is a big weekend in Odrick's recruitment, as he will make an unofficial visit to Virginia Tech for tonight's game versus Boston College and then head to Penn State for a weekend official visit. Odrick has already taken official visits to Florida and Virginia Tech. He has been on several unofficial visits to UVa, most recently for the Florida State win. Odrick's plan is to take November official visits to Georgia and Virginia, but we'll see what he says after this weekend. Penn State is thought to be a tough team to beat in this race.
Commitment update. Virginia missed out on 4-star wide receiver Chris Bell last week, but fans can find comfort in the season 6-2, 165-pound Chris Dalton is having. The West Iredell High School (Statesville, N.C.) star has caught over 50 passes for 850 yards and has 13 touchdowns. The 13 TDs ties a school record for most in a season. Dalton, who was timed in the 4.3s in the 40-yard dash at three consecutive combines earlier this year, was selected to the North Carolina/South Carolina Shrine Bowl game in December. The game is a big honor for high school seniors in the Carolina states. Also selected was Mount Tabor (Winston-Salem, N.C.) quarterback O.C. Wardlow, who has also committed to Virginia.
Basketball recruiting. This week we profiled 6-6, 230-pound small forward Will Harris. Harris, who recently de-committed from the University of Connecticut, now appears to be one of the top targets to fill Virginia's remaining scholarship spot in the 2006 class. Harris plays for Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. Almost immediately after the news of Harris's de-commitment broke, Coach Dave Leitao put in a call to Brewster head coach Jason Smith. Smith says Boston College, Providence and Seton Hall are also hot on the trail of Harris, a versatile performer who can play outside and inside. Harris will likely decide in the spring.
For more recruiting information and updates, please sign up for Sabre Edge.
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Today's SabreMail is brought to you by Glenmore Country Club. Glenmore Country Club, nestled near the Blue Ridge Mountains just outside Charlottesville, is one of the most beautiful places in the Commonwealth. Just ask Al Groh, who lives there. But you don't have to be a resident (or a football coach) to enjoy what Glenmore has to offer. Become a corporate or non-resident member and enjoy golf on its 18-hole, par-72 championship course designed by architect John LaFoy. Treat your employees or clients to a round they won't forget. Or host a fundraising tournament there. While you're at it, how about holding your next board meeting in the Pinnacle Room at Glenmore? Enjoy lunch and an afternoon round of golf. And make sure to tell them you found out about Glenmore because of TheSabre.com - that's why they sponsor us. Please check out Glenmore's website to learn more.
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News, Notes and Fan Discussion | ||||||||
Post of the Week In a week full of angry rants, here was a good factual analysis...
Subject: Analyzed the game riding out the storm south of Orlando. See inside it you wish.
First off, the players deserve some of the fault especially the offensive line. I can't tell you how many times 4 UNC d-linemen blew up plays against our 6 to 7 blockers. I was shocked watching the game again. With all that being said though, the play calling was downright terrible. It was beyond clear that our coaches didn't put our players in situations to make plays and succeed. Here are some interesting stats for you:
Total plays called: 67
The last number is generous at best since some of our off tackle plays are really run "off TE" and not quite sweeps so they weren't counted. To be fair, not all of the plays were EXACTLY the same but the theme of pulling linemen and trying to run outside with a direct handoff were there for every play. It was interesting to see no "Student Body Right" and "Student Body Left" plays (pitches). All wide attempts were handoffs.
The second play is even more baffling. In the 2nd half, we had a 2nd and 2 from the UNC 43. As predicted, we run a sweep right with Hagans handed off to Peerman at the 50. That's midfield for you mathematically challenged fans, seven yards behind the LOS. As you can guess, UNC was all over the backfield and dropped CP for a 3 yard loss. Here is another interesting point, after the 30-yard attempt to Ogletree in the first half we ran 19 straight plays either running the ball or passing the ball within 5 yards of the LOS. The 3rd down attempt to MJ in the end zone ended that string. Since I'm so bored and everyone may not have watched the game, I was going to post every play and result but I don't want to bore you too. No need to spread my misery today. So, the takeaway point for me is that we have little imagination on offense (at least we didn't on Saturday). There were many of the exact same formations and plays. We didn't test the middle of the field enough. Do you remember seeing the TE stretch play up the middle that we've run so successfully lately? Our plays are very predictable for even the armchair QB. We didn't use all our weapons. We continuously ran the same sweep play over and over again. We ran the wrong play at the wrong time. It's also interesting to note that I didn't see one checkoff from Hagans. Do we ever see one? That could say a lot about who has control and calls the shots. I know we're supposed to be positive today. Don't consider this post as negative but more about the facts. If I come across negative then I truly do apologize to all who read through this entire post. All I want is to see my Hoos give every team its best shot, week in and week out. When we play not to lose, don't play with "all heart", don't take chances, don't seem to have fun, etc. than it makes it hard for us fans (read, me) to do the same. Here's to hoping for changes down the road. We have two weeks to make those changes and 1 "practice" game to test them all in real game situations before the stretch run. An odd season is unfolding It's the bye week. Time to take a deep breath and think about what a strange season it's been for the Wahoos. Their only win in four October games came against Florida State, of all teams. They're unbeatable at home, awful on the road. They're 4-3 overall, 2-3 in the ACC. The bad news is they're out of the ACC race. The good news is the next three games are at Scott Stadium. Please check out the Game Pages and free articles below to read more about the 'Hoos...
To get the most in-depth analysis, Edge subscribers can read the stories below. If you're interested in joining Sabre Edge, please sign up here.
Around the Wahoo sports world...
For more information on UVa athletics, please see their official website below.
OK, a few more limericks... This entry by Bruce Foster (Hoofprints) was a close second in our contest...
Where pergolas adorn the hill. Our fans sing and sway For dear U-VA It's the Sabres that give us the thrill.
And yes some of us still wear ties
O alas there's that team from the 'burg.
How they make us so sick All we hear of is Vick Yet they're still just a castrated bird!
But the life of a Wahoo is rough
On defense, your fears will abound
And defenders don't turn around!
To the team, why must I remain true?
It's something God put deep within
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Please check out this featured sale product from our sponsor, UVaBookstores.com
Notice to Sabre Edge subscribers from UVa Bookstores The UVA Bookstores/Sabre Edge Discount Cards are ready for pick up! Sabre Edge members will need to come to the UVA Bookstore atop the Central Grounds Parking Garage and go to the Customer Service Desk (located at the front of the store to your right as you walk in). Your card will be there and you can start saving on great products throughout the Bookstore and TJ's Locker. If you aren't going to be in town in the near future, remember to use your online discount. Enjoy your savings! We are excited to be a part of TheSabre.com community.
What's New on TheSabre.com? |
Fan photos welcome in WAHOOWA! You want your picture posted on TheSabre.com? Then please check out our Wahoowa! section, especially the areas for Fan Photos and V-Sabres Worldwide. We're happy to post your tailgate pics and your vacation photos (as long as the V-Sabres logo is visible). Please send them to [email protected]. Mike also is taking pics of fans during games and has a new Fan(s) of the Week every week. Sabre articles from the past week
Now that we get a breather during Virginia's second and final bye week, it's a good time to evaluate the season so far and look ahead. So we've assembled a roundtable of Sabre experts to tackle 15 questions concerning the Cavaliers. Mike Ingalls, Greg Waters, Nick Sauer and John Galinsky discuss the best and worst aspects of UVa's offense, defense, special teams and coaching. They also offer their thoughts on the team MVP, the biggest issues affecting the 'Hoos and their predictions for November.
Al Groh was on a recruiting trip to Pennsylvania tonight, so associate head coach Danny Rocco took his place on the Cavalier Call-In radio show with Mac McDonald. Groh did call from the road with comments about the North Carolina loss and fielded two questions from fans about Marques Hagans and the offense. Rocco, also the outside linebackers coach, then took questions about the team's road woes, the offensive gameplans, recruiting in Tidewater, and more.
As you might expect in a 7-5 loss, the defense graded out fairly well. The Cavaliers held the Tar Heels to one score, 21 yards or less on eight of 13 drives, limited the Carolina running game to 3.7 yards per carry and shut down a UNC passing attack that entered the game averaging 221 yards. On offense, however, the performance and the play-calling were pathetic, and the grades reflect that. The offensive line, in particular, had an atrocious afternoon in Chapel Hill, and the coaching staff, including QB coach Mike Groh, didn't get the job done.
In fairness to Ron Prince, today's pathetic offensive showing wasn't entirely his fault. Marques Hagans was gimpy and erratic. Wali Lundy still doesn't look 100 percent. Michael Johnson was injured on the opening kickoff and right guard Marshal Ausberry also had to leave the game, forcing the Cavs to reshuffle their line. Still, it wasn't Prince's finest hour - or three-plus hours, as the case may be, at Kenan Stadium. The same offense that was dynamic, creative, freewheeling and fun a week ago became conservative, dull, stagnant and stubborn. But maybe that should come as no surprise.
All the energy, enthusiasm and momentum from last week's upset of Florida State didn't carry over into today's game at North Carolina. The #23 Cavaliers, reverting to their mediocre pre-FSU form, suffered an ugly and deflating 7-5 loss to the Tar Heels. They managed just one field goal against a UNC defense that allowed 69 points in its previous outing. In dropping their third ACC road game this month, the Wahoos (4-3, 2-3 ACC) generated just 199 yards and scored their third-fewest points in Al Groh's 58 games as head coach. 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
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