Game Week Arrives!

Believe it or not Wahoo fans, it's game week! The Virginia football team kicks off its 2012 season this Saturday when Richmond visits Scott Stadium for a 3 p.m. kickoff. As always, TheSabre.com has game information pages set up to help fans prepare for that week's game. Here is the Richmond game info page.

With the first game around the corner, coach Mike London is expected to release the season's first depth chart at Monday's weekly press conference. Coach London is set to meet with the media at 3 p.m. Check out TheSabre.com's Twitter feed during the press conference for live updates. Also, the first weekly "Coach's Corner with Mike London" radio program, airs on Virginia Sports Radio Network stations across the Commonwealth tonight. The program runs from 7:06-8 p.m. Starting this year, fans can also listen to the show free of charge online at virginiasports.com. One more programming note for Monday, Aug. 27: the second episode of the popular "Building of a Program" television show will make its debut on Comcast SportsNet. This episode will also air on Friday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 1 at 9 a.m.

Finally, TheSabre.com is wrapping up its month-long Hoo Preview on Monday with JHoo's preseason article. That will mark the 41st preseason articles on the Hoos from the web's oldest Virginia fan site. A one-month EDGE subscription costs just $5.99, which is cheaper than preseason magazines and with 41 season preview articles on your Hoos for the month, that's roughly 14 cents per article!

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This Week In Recruiting With Chris Horne

Senior Taquan "Smoke" Mizzell announced last Tuesday that he was verbally committing to the University of Virginia, but Mike London and company were not done with commitments for the week. Saturday night, Victory Christian Academy (Lakeland, FL) junior defensive tackle prospect Chris Nelson called primary recruiter Jeff Hanson to pledge to the Hoos.

Mizzell, a running back Rivals.com ranks as a 5-star recruit, gives UVa its fourth recruit out of Bayside High School (Virginia Beach, VA) in as many years. The 5'10", 190-pound standout is also the Cavaliers' 18th commitment in the class of 2013.

Nelson, who is Virginia's first class of 2014 commitment, hails from the same high school Cavaliers freshman linebacker Demeitre Brim attended. At 6'2", 270 pounds, he has primarily played linebacker in his 2-year VCA varsity career, a testament to his athletic ability. Virginia is recruiting him strictly as a defensive tackle.

EDGE subscribers can read more on Mizzell and Nelson in articles posted last week.

Later this evening, I'll have an update on Bishop Sullivan (Virginia Beach, VA) junior wide receiver Jamil Kamara. The 6'2", 195-pound prospect discusses recruiting, providing a clear leader, in this latest update. Kamara may be in Charlottesville this Saturday to see UVa take on Richmond. He may be there with the aforementioned Mizzell, as the two are good friends.

Also this week, check out The Good Ol Blog for the first "Week In Review" of the 2012 season. The "Week" is a look at how each of UVa's class of 2013 commitments fared on the gridiron last weekend. And I'll also have an EDGE article up on offensive lineman Steven Moss, who has become one of the state's most coveted prospects in the class of 2014.

Finally, on the basketball front, Crespi (Encino, CA) senior point guard London Perrantes is expected to take an official visit to UVa this weekend. TheSabre.com will follow up with the talented guard following the trip, so stay tuned.

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 since the last SabreMail ...

Cavs Continue To Stockpile Offensive Talent
Tuesday was an exciting day for the University of Virginia football program and its fans, and for good reason. Known for his quickness, acceleration, and elusiveness, Smoke Mizzell impacts the game as a runner and as a receiver. The 5'10", 190-pound tailback showed off his overall game this spring and summer, standing out at prominent camps and combines including the Richmond VTO, the Nike Camp in Baltimore, and Nike's The Opening and Gridiron Kings events.

UVa FB On The Board In 2014
For the second time in three classes, the University of Virginia has gained a commitment from Victory Christian Academy in Lakeland, Florida. Chris Nelson, a junior defensive tackle, is the latest Storm standout to commit to the Hoos, following in the same direction as former teammate Demeitre Brim.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• Mizzell Picks Virginia
• Sabre TV: Mizzell Picks UVa

Please support UVA Bookstores, TheSabre.com's longest running sponsor and a partner since 2005! They offer a wide range of apparel and gifts for UVa fans and students. UVa Bookstores are located on top of the Central Grounds Parking Garage in Charlottesville and within the Aquatic and Fitness Center near Scott Stadium. UVa Bookstores also offers a 10% discount to all active Sabre EDGE subscribers (some restrictions apply).

Inside The ACC Site

SportsWar, TheSabre.com's parent company, has launched a brand new website for fans of the ACC! "Inside the ACC" is dedicated to covering all 12 of the current schools in the conference at www.insidetheacc.com. It's the best place to find any news you want on Virginia's opponents as well as the Cavaliers.

Brendan Cotter from the UVa blog "From Old Virginia" provides weekly looks at UVa, while other writers keep tabs on other schools from the ACC.

Check out www.insidetheacc.com today and let us know what you think! You can also follow the site on Twitter if you prefer - @InsidetheACC.

Hoos Talking Returns

Hoos Talking, TheSabre.com's radio partner from Richmond, returns to the air waves this week. This season features a new day for the show, though!

That's right, Hoos Talking is moving to Mondays! The first show airs tonight at 5:30 p.m. and features Billy McMullen in studio, Voice of the Cavaliers Dave Koehn, TheSabre.com's Chris Horne and Jody Smith, MD. Beginning with the Sept. 10 broadcast, the show appears in its regular 6-7 p.m. time slot.

Make sure to check out Hoos Talking on SportsRadio 910 AM (WRNL) or stay tuned to TheSabre.com for archived audio of the broadcasts.

Give The EDGE As a Gift!

Give the Perfect Gift to your favorite Wahoo fan this year, an annual subscription to Sabre EDGE! TheSabre.com is your one-stop shop for all UVa sports information, commentary and discussion. Read articles from our excellent staff of sportswriters, including TheSabre.com's editor-in-chief, Kris Wright. Our resident recruiting expert, Chris Horne, will keep you up to date with recruiting from around the state and beyond. No one covers Virginia's premier sports better than TheSabre.com. Take your fanship to the next level with a Sabre Edge subscription! Scroll to the bottom of the page to see what Sabre EDGE has to offer.

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Paint the Town Orange Pep Rally Set for Friday: Virginia fans are encouraged to wear orange and blue to support "Paint the Town Orange" and College Colors Day on Friday, Aug. 31. The annual "Paint the Town Orange" Pep Rally will be held that night at the Charlottesville Downtown Pavilion at 8:15 p.m. The Virginia football team opens the 2012 season Saturday, Sept. 1 at Scott Stadium against Richmond. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.
• Virginia to Honor Dr. Frank McCue at Richmond Game: The Virginia athletics department announced it will honor the late Dr. Frank C. McCue III in several ways this season. Prior to the start of the season-opening Richmond game on Saturday, Sept. 1, a moment of silence will be held to remember Dr. McCue. At halftime Dr. McCue will be recognized for his service to the UVa athletics program by being enshrined as a Virginia Legend. A plaque honoring him will be displayed on Legends' Walk at the north end of Scott Stadium. McCue joins former Virginia football head coaches Art Guepe and George Welsh as the only non-football players enshrined as Virginia Legends.
• Cavaliers start the season 1-1: The No. 8 Virginia field hockey team closed out the opening road trip of the 2012 season with a 3-2 loss at No. 9 Penn State. Paige Selenski and Carissa Vittese scored the two UVa goals. The Hoos opened the season on Friday with a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory at Temple. Elly Buckley and Rachel Sumfest scored two goals each in the win.
• Men's Soccer Falls 2-1 in Overtime to Georgetown: The Virginia men's soccer team opened its regular-season schedule with a tough 2-1 overtime loss to Georgetown on Friday. Zach Carroll scored the Cavaliers' goal.
• Women's Soccer Tops UNCW 2-0 For Third Straight Win: The No. 8 Virginia women's soccer team concluded its season-opening homestand with a 2-0 victory over UNC Wilmington on Sunday. Makenzy Doniak and Danielle Colaprico scored second half goals to lead the Cavaliers (3-1) to the win. UVa defeated Radford, 5-0, and Liberty, 3-0, earlier in the week.
• Volleyball Defeats Rhode Island, Falls to Denver Saturday: The Virginia volleyball team split a pair of matches the final day of the Rams Volleyball Rocky Mountain Invite, defeating Rhode Island, 3-0, before falling to Denver, 3-0, Saturday. The win was the first for the Cavaliers (1-2) under first-year head coach Dennis Hohenshelt. Senior captain Jessica O'Shoney led the Cavaliers with 14 kills in the win, while junior captain Emily Rottman led the squad with 16 digs. The Hoos fell to Colorado State on the first day of the event. Sophomore Tori Janowski earned all-tournament team honors.

To read the full stories or gather more information on Virginia athletics, check out Virginiasports.com.

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Issue No. 462 - September 13, 2010

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

There will be some news on the basketball recruiting front this week. Whether it's positive or negative remains to be seen.

Landon School (Bethesda, MD) head boys basketball coach Andy Luther said late last week that senior Darion Atkins will make an official visit to the University of Virginia this week. Coach Luther believes the visit will begin Monday.

Atkins, a 6-8, 210-pound power forward prospect, took an official visit to Notre Dame over the weekend. The Fighting Irish and the Cavaliers lead for the athletic prospect, a player Luther calls "extremely long and athletic. He has incredible timing as a shot-blocker. He has impressive vertical abilities and he gets back up off the floor really fast, which probably explains his gifts as a shot-blocker. He runs the floor very well. He's very active on the offensive glass. He has a good nose for the ball."

A decision from Atkins may come as soon as this week. Stay tuned to TheSabre EDGE for the latest on this situation later this week.

Virginia has secured some perimeter help in this class with commitments from Greater Atlanta Christian (Atlanta, GA) guard Malcolm Brogdon and Merrill (WI) wing guard/forward Paul Jesperson.

Read SabreMail No. 462 here.

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:

• The Sabre Interview: Mike Ingalls is working on his latest in-depth interview with some of your favorite Hoos. Up next? Basketball star Jimmy Miller.
• Hoo Preview: The Sabre's annual "Hoo Preview" gets you ready for football season. JHoo's preseason article wraps up the preview Monday!
• Game week: With kickoff set for this week, the Sabre's pre-game and postgame coverage will hit the site. Are you ready for some football?

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles and blog posts since the last SabreMail

Hoo Preview 2012: Catching Up With True Freshmen
As part of TheSabre.com's annual Hoo Preview, the site catches up with some of the program's true freshmen to talk about the transition to college, practice, season expectations, and more. Recruiting analyst Chris Horne and Editor Kris Wright interviewed Maurice Canaday, Trent Corney, Canaan Severin, C.J. Moore, Kwontie Moore, Mike Moore, and Greyson Lambert to talk about their first seasons with the Wahoos.

Hoo Preview 2012: Running Backs
The Virginia offense made tremendous strides last season and looks primed for big things in 2012. Several key playmakers return, and the Cavaliers welcome in a host of talented newcomers. As is par for the course of preseason camp, there are more questions than answers at certain positions. Fortunately for Cavalier fans, however, one area of certainty with the 2012 squad is the quality and depth of the running back group.

Hoo Preview 2012: 5 Questions - Kevin Parks
Much of the Virginia football team's offense is based on being physical and running the football. That mindset establishes a tempo for the offense and sets up many of the system's play-action pass routes. If you're going to run the football, of course, it helps to have talented running backs. There are no issues there for the Hoos. Kevin Parks, a sophomore in the RB corps, wraps up the "5 questions" series for the Hoo Preview.

Hoo Preview 2012: Veteran Or Young Gun?
Young gun or proven veteran? That is the question. When contemplating the quarterback situation at Virginia, it got me thinking about the pros and cons of starting an inexperienced, highly touted quarterback over a consistent veteran who might not have nearly the same potential for greatness. It's something that has been talked about in fan circles for ages, and something UVa fans have discussed more times than they would like over the last couple of decades.

Hoo Preview 2012: How To Create Quarterback Rhythm
When most observers think of rhythm in football terms, they think of quarterbacks who effectively take the snap, go through their drop smoothly and throw the ball comfortably after setting up. The pass easily connects with the target. So with that in mind, while understanding that rhythm is elusive, let's take a look at "How to create quarterback rhythm" in this latest article for the Hoo Preview.

Hoo Preview 2012: Rocco Remains Confident
Since his arrival at Virginia the Mike London mantra has been clear - faith, family and football. "My priorities, how I run the program are: Faith, Family and Football," London told the Charlottesville Daily Progress back in November 2011. For the Hoos, quarterback Michael Rocco may well serve as the embodiment of that philosophy.

Hoo Preview 2012: Quarterbacks
Who will emerge from the quarterback competition as the starter? Who will be the back-up QB? How many quarterbacks will redshirt? Virginia fans anxiously have waited for depth chart news at quarterback this fall. UVa coaches, on the other hand, simply are not in a rush to make any final decisions. As a result, the Cavaliers' starting quarterback for the opener with Richmond next Saturday remains unknown, but the Hoo Preview breaks down the candidates.

Hoo Preview 2012: 5 Questions - Michael Rocco
Virginia quarterback Michael Rocco faced a quarterback competition with David Watford last fall as both players battled for the spot left vacant by Marc Verica. In the end, Rocco won the job and he started all 13 games for the Hoos during their 8-5 season. So while the starting quarterback at Virginia for 2012 remains to be seen with Rocco, Watford, and Alabama transfer Phillip Sims in the mix, Rocco answered The Sabre's "5 Questions" for the preseason.

Hoo Preview 2012: How To Tackle
After struggling with a switch in schemes in 2010, Virginia's defense displayed tremendous improvement in the second year of coach Mike London's tenure. Defensive coordinator Jim Reid's unit trimmed the averages for points, total yards, first downs per game, rushing yards, and third down conversions per game. That defensive progress played a huge role in the Cavaliers' 8-5 season. Virginia assistant coach Anthony Poindexter helped break down "How to tackle" for the Hoo Preview.

Hoo Preview 2012: Harris Steps In At Safety
For the Virginia defense, 2012 will be looked at as a transition year. After finishing third in the ACC in total defense in 2011, the unit must undergo a major facelift this season. UVa must replace three starters on the defensive line and in the secondary. A plethora of freshmen and sophomores will get a chance to compete for starting jobs as the Cavaliers reload on defense. At the safety position, sophomore Anthony Harris is ready to step into the spotlight.

Hoo Preview 2012: Defensive Backs
Once the offseason began for the Virginia football team, it didn't take long for many to zero in on the secondary as one area of concern for the 2012 season. Losing three multi-year starters from the depth chart tends to cause such observations. The Hoo Preview takes a look at the UVa secondary in this latest article.

Hoo Preview 2012: 5 Questions - Demetrious Nicholson
Most people have probably heard the old phrase 'sink or swim' at some point. It's common lingo for throwing someone into a challenge with little preparation as if you were throwing them into the deep end of the pool with no flotation device. They'll either rise to the occasion or come up short. Virginia defensive back Demetrious 'Tra' Nicholson received that treatment last season.

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