Did You See That Coming?

Virginia's 31-0 destruction of Maryland on Saturday proved to be a dominating surprise for a team that had lost three games this season by more than 25 points. Against the Terps, the Cavaliers controlled every facet of the game, beginning in the trenches and spreading everywhere on the field. Impressive to say the least.

As always, Rob Mahini (Vandy-Hoo) takes a look at the weekend's game on The Good Ol' Blog. He's still searching for the right words two days later. Check out these two entries from the blog:

Quick thoughts on turtle crushings
Some quick thoughts about this past weekend. I've moved from speechless to stupified, which means I can discuss what happened but I may sound stupid doing it. Nevertheless, here goes nothing….

I tried very hard during the Comcast replay to look for under-the-radar problems with the team. Maybe some mistakes that weren't obvious as the Hoos blasted Maryland. And, frankly, the only one I saw was Vic Hall's Adventures in Punt Fielding and some other minor special teams issues. Aside from that, every other unit played superbly and almost flawlessly. The offensive line was pass protecting and run blocking like the old UVa teams. Verica was a mobile Matt Schaub. The wide receivers were open and catching almost everything. Peerman and Simpson were back with a vengeance. Phillips redeemed himself. The defensive line surged and the line backers were swarming. The DBs blanketed the Terp receivers. And the defense as a whole was a tackling machine.

So, a shutout by the defense and 31 points by the offense. Obviously the coaching staff did some things right this past week.

Dumbstruck
I'm still speechless. Hopefully, I'll have more coherent things to say after the replay tonight (Comcast SportsNet at 7 pm). But, for now, I'm simply speechless about the game itself. I just can't wrap my mind around how this team was able to go from getting blown out by the worst program in modern ACC history to returning the favor against a team that was supposed to be "a legitimate ACC title contender" just seven days later.

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, VA) senior wide receiver Tim Smith, fresh off a big-time performance in a big win over Western Branch on Friday night, was scheduled to make an official visit to the University of Virginia over the weekend. We'll catch up with the 6-1, 190-pound standout this week for comments on the experience, which was only his second ever in Charlottesville. Smith attended UVa's Elite Prospect Day in June earlier this year.

This past weekend's visit also is Smith's second official visit. He went to West Virginia University the previous weekend and is also scheduled to go to Louisville for an official on the weekend of Oct. 18. At this point, Louisville, Virginia and West Virginia appear to be the primary three contenders in this race, though Smith has yet to rule out other schools such as Boston College.

On Friday night, Smith hauled in five receptions for 136 yards and three touchdowns in Oscar Smith's 48-7 win over Western Branch, which was undefeated as well heading into the contest. Smith started off the scoring for the Tigers with a 54-yard punt return for a touchdown.

Senior running back/linebacker Perry Jones, another Oscar Smith standout, rushed nine times for 72 yards and two touchdowns in the win. The 5-9, 185-pound prospect, a very good friend of Smith's, verbally committed to Virginia in the spring. He projects as a defensive back for the Cavaliers.

6-1, 185-pound Javanti Sparrow, a wide receiver/defensive back prospect, was on the other side of Friday night's decision. Like Tim Smith, though, he is seriously considering the Cavaliers. The Western Branch star holds a scholarship offer from Virginia and plans to make an official visit this coming weekend.

Check out the latest on Sparrow later in the week, as we'll check in for his thoughts prior to the weekend visit. He is also seriously considering North Carolina and Virginia Tech, but could a decision come soon after this weekend's trip?

Today, check out the latest on highly coveted Brookville (Lynchburg, VA) standout tight end/wide receiver recruit Logan Thomas. The 6-6, 225-pound senior, a recent selection to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, updates his recruitment and what the next step towards making a decision may be.

Thomas has narrowed his list of schools to nine.

Later this week, we'll have more with current UVa commitment Tyree Watkins, who discusses a recent visit to Penn State as well as his situation with the University of Virginia.

Chris Horne, our resident recruiting expert, provides updates throughout the week for Edge subscribers about UVa's commitments and recruiting targets in football and men's basketball. To sign up for an Edge subscription, please check out the Sabre Edge Sign Up and Information Page. If you're already on board as an Edge subscriber, click the links below to catch up on recruiting.

Sabre Edge recruiting updates from the past week ...

Army AA Thomas in No Rush to Decide
Brookville's (Lynchburg, VA) Logan Thomas, referring to the temptation of making a verbal commitment sooner rather than later, admits that "there is kind of a sense of urgency sometimes, but then again there isn't." The 6-6, 225-pound tight end/wide receiver recruit, one of the most coveted prospects out of the state of Virginia's 2009 class, does not appear close to making a decision and currently lists nine schools still under consideration.

UVA Commitment Notes
In this week's edition, we check in with outside linebacker recruit Tucker Windle for a "Quick Take." The 6-3, 220-pound Charlotte Catholic (Charlotte, N.C.) star discusses his commitment to the University of Virginia - a commitment that appears just as solid as it was when he made it this spring. Also, check out the latest on Brunswick (Greenwich, CT) wide receiver recruit Kevin Royal, who has made a position switch.

Cavs Interested in Weatherspoon
Junior forward J.D. Weatherspoon is on the University of Virginia's radar, as assistant coach Drew Diener checked out an open gym at Northland High School (Columbus, OH) earlier this week. UVa's men's basketball staff has been eyeing the 6-7, 205-pound wing since the beginning of July and has checked out several of the standout athlete's AAU games.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• Ocean Lakes Jr. WR Boasts Four Offers
• Top WR to Visit Virginia
• Cascarano Firm in Commitment to UVa
• The Latest on Javanti Sparrow
• 2010 Class: Rockbridge OL Caleb Farris

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The Best Seat in the House

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Farrelly’s Hat Trick Leads Cavaliers to 7-1 Win at Clemson: The No. 11 Virginia women’s soccer team matched the best ACC start in school history at 4-0-0 with a 7-1 victory over Clemson Sunday at Historic Riggs Field. Sinead Farrelly scored a hat trick in the first half to the lead the Cavaliers, who improved to 10-1-1 overall.
• Tchani’s PK Leads Virginia Past No. 12 North Carolina, 1-0: Freshman Tony Tchani scored his team-high eighth goal of the season, a penalty kick in the 85th minute, and Virginia defeated No. 12 North Carolina, 1-0, on the road Friday night. “This game was another example of us grinding out a victory on the road,” coach George Gelnovatch said. “We played with a lot of heart and we were organized and disciplined, which got us the win. I could not be more proud of this young team.”
• Cavalier Golfers Finish Fourth at Tar Heel Invitational: The eighth-ranked Virginia women’s golf team continued its splendid play this fall with a fourth-place finish at the 18-team Tar Heel Invitational at North Carolina’s Finley Golf Course. The field included 10 teams that are ranked in Golfweek’s top-25 this week. Virginia was led by the seventh-place finish of senior Jennie Arseneault. She posted a 1-over 73 Sunday to finish at 4-over 220. It was her second top-10 finish of the year and the seventh of her career.
• Cavaliers Sweep Second-Consecutive Competition at Mason Invite: Led by Lauretta Dezubay’s second-consecutive individual title and Emil Heineking’s first-ever collegiate victory, Virginia’s men’s and women’s cross country teams swept the George Mason Invitational on Saturday morning at Bull Run Park. The race marks the second of the season for Virginia and the second sweep of competition under first-year head coach Jason Vigilante this year.
• Defense Pushes Cavaliers Past Maryland For Win No. 500: Led by Lauren Dickson, the Virginia volleyball team defeated Maryland, 3-1 (26-24, 19-25, 25-16, 25-19) in the Comcast Pavilion Saturday evening to extend its win streak to two straight over conference opponents. The win brings the Cavaliers (10-7, 2-3 ACC) their 500th program victory. Dickson paced Virginia with her fourth-straight double-double, landing a match-high 15 kills and tied a career-high with 21 digs. Dickson also blocked five attacks.
• Top-Ranked Terps Get Past No. 10 Virginia in Extra Time: The 10th-ranked Virginia field hockey team (10-3, 1-1 ACC) dropped a 4-3 decision in extra time Saturday against No. 1 Maryland (10-1, 3-0 ACC). The game-winning goal for the Terps, scored by Emma Thomas, came in the 80th minute. Paige Selenski scored twice for the Cavaliers, who played its fifth overtime game of the year.
• Orange and Blue World Series Begins Tuesday: The Virginia baseball team will begin its annual Orange and Blue World Series at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Davenport Field. The seven-game series is the culmination of fall practice and runs through Oct. 21. Admission to all seven games is free and all games are open to the public.
• Cory Alexander Joins the Virginia Sports Network: CBS Outdoor and Virginia Sports Properties, the multi-media rights partner of the University of Virginia athletics department, announced that former Cavalier point guard Cory Alexander has joined the Virginia Sports Network. Alexander will serve as analyst with play-by-play announcer Dave Koehn on Virginia broadcasts during the 2008-09 men’s basketball season.
• Tiki Barber Named 2008 ACC Football Legend: Former Cavalier football standout Tiki Barber is one of one of 12 players chosen as the Atlantic Coast Conference’s 2008 Dr. Pepper ACC Football Championship Game Legends class announced Wednesday. Barber lettered three times during his career (1993-96) and was named the ACC’s Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year as a senior in 1996. He finished his career as UVa’s all-time leading rusher with 3389 yards and ranked 10th in conference history. His 19 career 100-yard rushing games still stand as a school record.
• Wheatley Rounds Out Virginia's Track and Field Coaching Staff: Virginia has announced the addition of Adrian Wheatley as an assistant coach for the Cavaliers’ track and field program. Wheatley will work directly with the sprinters, hurdles and relay teams. Wheatley joins the Cavalier staff from Austin Peay State University, where he served as an assistant track and field and cross country coach for two seasons. Wheatley was responsible for the sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers, in addition to recruiting and serving as the academic and study hall supervisor for the cross country and track and field teams.

For more Hoo news or to read full releases, check out Virginiasports.com.

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Issue No. 187 - April 29, 2005

Long, Peerman among spring game standouts

Chris Long had 3.5 sacks in a dominant performance.

As a sneak preview of the 2005 season, last Saturday's spring game at Scott Stadium may have been misleading. After all, Ahmad Brooks, Kai Parham, Brennan Schmidt, Keenan Carter, Michael Johnson, Tom Santi, Connor Hughes and several other Cavaliers who figure to play key roles next season weren't participating for various reasons.

But it was still a good chance for fans to catch what amounted to a 90-minute scrimmage - Offense vs. Defense - and identify some potential stars of the future. Defensive end Chris Long and tailback Cedric Peerman were the standouts on defense and offense, respectively, while Theirrien Davis and the other wideouts also performed well before a crowd of 6,000-plus.

The Cavs won't convene training camp again for more than three months, but the spring practices gave us plenty to discuss over the summer as we anticipate next season. Will the passing game be better? Are the injuries going to linger? Is there enough depth at linebacker? What's the story in the secondary? We'll tackle these questions and more in the coming months.

Coming Soon

The Sabre has you covered when it comes to Hoo news. Here are a few of the articles to expect on the site soon:

• Looking Ahead To ECU: The Sabre brings you pregame coverage and analysis for the football team's game with ECU this weekend.
• Looking Back At Maryland: Our analysts and columnists take a look at the win over Maryland.
• Jed Williams: Jed Williams checks in with his latest piece.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Peerman Carries Cavs to Victory
Virginia appeared to be a completely different team Saturday night than in the early part of this season. The offense was clicking on all cylinders, completing passes, making the blocks, creating holes, converting on third downs and the list goes on. Despite the difference in outcomes, it's the same players executing the plays ... except for one Cavalier who made all the difference. Returning from a lingering injury, Cedric Peerman made his presence felt all over the field: running, blocking, catching and even preserving the defense by keeping them off the field.

Cavaliers Slay Terps
Shortly after Virginia's disappointing loss at Duke last week, UVa coach Al Groh said "You can't run for the hills when things are tough." He easily could have been talking about the whole Virginia program after the team's 1-3 start featured three blowout losses. Well for one October night, quarterback Marc Verica and the Hoos showed they aren't headed for the hills just yet. Behind a sterling effort from Verica, a resurgent running game with Cedric Peerman, and a strong defensive outing, UVa stomped Maryland, 31-0, Saturday night.

Maryland Scouting Report: Defense & Punting
Virginia is struggling on third down conversions through the air completing a mere 52% of its passes and converting only 29% of its chances (12 of 42). The numbers are just as dismal on the ground where Virginia has converted four first downs in 13 tries. Maybe even more disturbing is that the Cavaliers have lost 14 yards in those 13 plays. It's difficult to convert first downs when you're moving backward. Maryland will present a challenge for an offense already foundering with self-inflicted challenges.

Best Seat In The House: Cory Alexander
Former point guard Cory Alexander is joining the Virginia Sports Network to serve as the color analyst for UVa basketball broadcasts during the 2008-09 men’s basketball season. Alexander, who played for seven seasons in the NBA, suited up for Virginia from 1992-95, recording 1,286 points and 401 assists. He joined Jay James on The Best Seat in the House to talk about joining the radio broadcast, Dave Leitao, Virginia basketball, and more. Check out the free audio.

Maryland Scouting Report: Offense & Kicking
After a sluggish start in the first two games of the season where the Terps averaged 14 points per game, the Maryland offense had a breakout game scoring touchdowns on its first three possessions en route to a 35-27 upset of then-ranked California. Over its last three outings, UM has averaged 35.3 points per game.

Tuesday Press Conference Notes '08 - Maryland
At Virginia’s weekly press conference this week, the tone remained hopeful and confident for this weekend’s match-up against Maryland despite last weekend’s 31-3 demoralizing loss to perennial cellar-dweller Duke. When the Cavaliers face Maryland this weekend, they will do so in a virtual ‘must-win’ situation. A loss at home would push them even farther back in the ACC standings entering the toughest part of their schedule.

Inside The Game - Duke
Marc Verica's first two starts as Virginia's quarterback have been drastically different in some ways. At Connecticut, he had a high completion percentage, made shorter pass attempts, finished with one turnover, and got pulled. At Duke, he had a low completion percentage, attempted some deeper passes, tossed four interceptions, and played the whole game. Verica didn't direct a touchdown drive in either game.

JHoo's 10 Things I Learned ... Duke
I barely know what to write. After a game like we saw on Saturday, it remains almost impossible to break down plays because you find yourself spending so much time breaking down the program. Still, maybe that is not the wrong approach to take - after all, when you lose 31-3 to Duke, something obviously is broken.

Cavalier Call-In Highlights '08, Show 6
The Virginia football team has stumbled to a 1-3 start and to make matters worse, the Cavaliers have been through three lopsided losses to boot. The most recent setback came on Saturday when Duke snapped its ACC losing streak by defeating UVa 31-3. Coach Al Groh joined Dave Koehn for Cavalier Call-in on Monday to talk about the game with the Blue Devils and more.

Greg's Stock Report '08: Duke

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