Thoughts For The Bye

The Virginia football team heads into its bye week with a win over BYU and a loss to Oregon to study. Some fans shared their thoughts in an excellent EDGE board thread. Here are some of the posts:

Subject: Chicken or the Egg
Posted by: TrueHoo on Sun Sep 8 2013 5:25:33 PM
Message: So we are stuck (again) in the cycle of having no offensive identity. ML admitted as much in the post-game. He wants to create a "power offense" and a "pro-style" attack. The issue is that we can't establish the power attack until we get good QB play and establish him as a threat. The O-Line is playing poorly but the fact is five guys can't block eight because they don't respect the pass. The QB can't establish himself or the passing game when he is running for his life.

It seems like we need to stay the course and be patient. Let Watford get into a rhythm and establish himself. Maybe he can scramble a little more for us or we can look to roll the pocket. Whatever we do we can't be firing coaches, reverting to a two QB system, or changing the O-Line every week. We will never establish continuity.

I did appreciate the comment from the Cunningham on the TV when he said our "Old School" offense vs the Ducks "spread" was a bit like "lining up the Flintstones vs the Jetsons". That is kind of what I saw on Saturday as well.

Subject: Re: Chicken or the Egg
Posted by: Deja Hoo on Sun Sep 8 2013 6:07:11 PM
Message: Agree, and used the same metaphor a few threads below before reading your post.

I've always felt you can't establish an "offensive identity" by fiat, despite the ringing words of London and his assistants (many now gone) when he took over the program in 2010. It has to be built brick by brick, and to some degree must evolve organically from the players you have, rather than the ones you wish you had (to borrow from Don Rumsfeld).

I think London's post-game remarks on the identity thing to an extent acknowledged this dynamic. He straddled between underscoring his original goal and rhetoric (i.e., we're going to run that ball, dad-gummit) and conceding we're currently searching for our offensive identity -- that is, finding the players and plays on this team that can move the ball effectively.

Subject: We've got 3 weeks to the next real game
Posted by: bruhoo on Sun Sep 8 2013 7:02:02 PM
Message: To figure it out. If our OL is still struggling vs Pitt, and if Watford and the receivers are still failing to connect, the season will be in jeopardy. However, I like getting this break in the season after going 1-1. Its like fb camp again. We'll be 2-1 when our real season begins.

Subject: Agree with you bruhoo
Posted by: 141lile on Mon Sep 9 2013 7:05:57 AM
Message: That is a long time in the colege football world. If we make a big step up with better OL and QB play then we have a chance. If the talent is just not there to make plays then all the practice in the world will not help.

This Week In Recruiting With Chris Horne

Click here for a full list of those prospects we confirmed to be in attendance for the Oregon game. The list is an impressive one, highlighted by top uncommitted seniors Jamil Kamara (wide receiver, Bishop Sullivan in Virginia Beach) and Derrick Nnadi (defensive tackle out of Ocean Lakes HS in Virginia Beach).

This week in recruiting, I hope to catch up with Kamara and Nnadi for the latest. Virginia was the clear favorite for Kamara heading into the weekend. I doubt that has changed, but we'll see what the talented receiver has to say. UVa trailed for Nnadi, who is favoring Florida State, Penn State, Ohio State, and Virginia Tech. The Hokies are the perceived frontrunner for the defensive line anchor.

In addition to reports on Kamara and Nnadi, I also plan to catch up with those prospects in attendance for the BYU and Oregon games, namely Ocean Lakes standout sophomore defensive back Levontae Taylor and junior linebacker Jahvoni Simmons.

I'll have a report on Gonzaga College (Washington, D.C.), which features three players with UVa offers. One of those players, junior quarterback Nick Johns, attended the BYU game.

This week I'll also provide the latest on the basketball recruiting front, including reaction from those prospects on Grounds this past weekend. Maury (Norfolk, VA) freshman point guard Matt Coleman and St. Anthony's (Jersey City, N.J.) sophomore shooting guard Jagan Mosley were among the visitors in town on Saturday.

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.

More recent Sabre recruiting updates ...

Sabre Scoop: UVa Impresses Johnson
UVa football hosts no. 2 Oregon this weekend, in a game that is sure to attract many recruits. In fact, two of Virginia's top remaining senior targets are expected to be in Scott Stadium tomorrow. Also in this edition of "Sabre Scoop," read the latest update on class of 2014 target Robert Johnson and more on the basketball recruiting front.

Catching Up With New Commit Isaiah Wilkins
Isaiah Wilkins did not need much time to figure out that the University of Virginia was the place for him. The Greater Atlanta Christian (Atlanta, GA) senior forward arrived on grounds around noon last Friday for the start of his official visit, his first experience at UVa. By the end of Saturday, he had decided to become a Wahoo.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• Confirmed Visitors: Oregon
• The Week In Review

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Hosted by Jim Hobgood and Frank Maloney, the show has moved to Monday nights from 6 to 7 p.m. This is the first episode of the fifth season of the popular show!

Tonight's show features UVa footbal stars Ahmad Hawkins and Bobby Call as well as Dr. Thorp Davis.

For more information on the show, check out The Sabre's Hoos Talking page.

VMI Game To Kick Off At 3:30 p.m.

From UVa Athletics Media Relations Official Release

The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today that Virginia's Sept. 21 home football game against VMI will kick off at 3:30 p.m. and be webcast on ESPN3.

The game against VMI is Military Appreciation Day at Scott Stadium. The U.S. Army Silver Wings parachute team will be performing pre-game. Inside the east and west gates, fans will have the opportunity to sign banners that will be sent to military bases. The Cavalier Marching Band's halftime show will have a patriotic theme and pre-recorded "shout out" videos from military personnel will be played throughout the game.

For the full news release, click here.

Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• UVa Claims Virginia Nike Soccer Classic Title: The No. 4 Virginia women's soccer team won a battle of undefeated teams Friday, downing Rutgers 6-0 in the Virginia Nike Soccer Classic. Junior midfielder Danielle Colaprico scored twice to post her second career multi-goal game. The Hoos captured the 2013 Virginia Nike Soccer Classic title with a 3-0 victory over Seton Hall on Sunday. The Cavaliers (6-0) concluded their non-conference schedule with a perfect record for the first time since 2004. Junior midfielder Morgan Brian had two goals and an assist to lead Virginia to the win, while sophomore forward Makenzy Doniak added a goal and an assist against the Pirates.
• No. 21 Virginia Men's Soccer Loses ACC Opener at Clemson, 2-0: The No. 21 Virginia men's soccer team gave up a pair of first-half goals in dropping its ACC opener at Clemson, 2- 0, Friday. Virginia (1-2, 0-1 ACC) had won its previous three trips to Clemson, with its last loss at Riggs Field coming in 2007. Virginia goalkeeper Jeff Gal made five saves.
• Field Hockey Grabs Two Wins: The No. 7 Virginia field hockey team earned a 6-1 road victory at Yale on Friday. Freshman Caleigh Foust logged the first hat trick of her career, including scoring the game-winning goal. UVa earned its second victory of the season over a top-10-ranked team, defeating No. 8 Old Dominion, 5-3, Sunday. Foust notched her second career hat trick, scoring three goals, including the game-winner, against the Monarchs. Elly Buckley scored the other two goals and also logged her second defensive save of the season.
• UVa Wins One Match At Pepperdine Invitational: The Virginia volleyball team split a pair of matches Saturday at the Pepperdine Invitational, coming from behind to defeat UC Santa Barbara, 3-2, after falling to the host Waves, 3-1. Senior Emily Rottman became the eighth Cavalier to record 1,300 digs in a career and now has 1,327 for her career.The Hoos also fell to Colorado State, 3-1 (25-18, 17-25, 19-25 and 19-25) on Friday.
• Cavalier Golfers Finish Second at Northern Intercollegiate: The Virginia men's golf team finished second Sunday at the 15-team Northern Intercollegiate to open its fall season. The Cavaliers completed play at 3-over 867, just one shot behind tournament champion UCF. Virginia had three players turn in top-10 finishes. Junior Denny McCarthy led the Cavaliers with a fourth-place effort, shooting 2-under 214. Junior Ji Soo Park moved up to ninth overall at 1-over 217. Freshman Jimmy Stanger also finished ninth.

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

2013 UVa Football Fan T-Shirt

Let's show the Ducks what Wahoo pride is all about. Get your UVA Bookstores 2013 Fan Shirt for only $10! Remember, supporting our sponsors directly supports The Sabre!

Issue No. 155 - Sept. 10, 2004

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.

Read SabreMail No. 155 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:

• JHoo and Greg Waters: TheSabre.com's analysis of the Oregon continues this week with articles from JHoo and Greg Waters.
• Tony Bennett Interview: TheSabre.com has an interview scheduled with men's basketball coach Tony Bennett. Stay tuned!

In Case You Missed It

Recent Sabre updates ...

The Sunday Sampler 2013 - Oregon
Coming into the game with Oregon, it looked like Virginia would have opportunities to get its tight ends involved in the passing game. Jake McGee and Zach Swanson took full advantage of some openings in the defense to combine for 12 catches in the disappointing loss. The Sunday Sampler looks at the tight ends and more this week.

Postgame Snapshot: Oregon
The No. 2 Oregon football team marched into Scott Stadium and rolled to a 59-10 win on Saturday. De'Anthony Thomas scored 3 touchdowns for the Ducks, while Khalek Shepherd posted 1 TD for the Hoos. David Watford and Greyson Lambert both took snaps for UVa. Take a look at the Postgame Snapshot mini-gallery for some sights from the game.

Ducks Dust UVa
It turns out that Oregon's bite is every bit as bad as its quack. The No. 2 Ducks flocked to Charlottesville on Saturday and thrashed the Cavaliers to the tune of 59-10. The visitors sprinted - literally - to a touchdown in the first two minutes and eventually handed the Hoos their first loss of the season.

Hoos Ready For The Ducks?
If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it probably has already sprinted past you for another big touchdown play. That's how I feel at least when watching Oregon play football. And now Oregon brings its high-flying act to Charlottesville. Will the Hoos be ready?

Sabre TV: Brian Scores International Goal
Virginia women's soccer player Morgan Brian made her second appearance with the US National Team earlier this week and she made the most of the opportunity. Brian, with her UVa coaches and teammates in attendance at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C., scored her first international goal in the team's 7-0 win against Mexico. Sabre TV stopped by University Hall as the media caught up with Brian to talk about the experience.

What You Need To Know: Oregon Preview
After opening its season with a win, the Virginia football team faces a monster challenge this week when No. 2 Oregon arrives in Charlottesville. The Ducks haven't lost a true road game since 2009 and that 15-game streak is the longest in the nation. It's time to get ready for the Quack Attack.

5 Questions With The Duck Stops Here
Virginia kicked off football season last week with a 19-16 win against BYU. The Hoos will try to make it to 2-0 against teams from west of the Mississippi when No. 2 Oregon sprints into Scott Stadium this Saturday. Dale Newton from Oregon site "The Duck Stops Here" answered 5 questions to help preview the match-up.

Tailgating With Chefhoo 2013: Oregon
I'm sure many have circled this weekend's date with Oregon as a game to look forward to. Big opponent, big crowd, beautiful fall weekend. Well, those are all important things ... but I've had this game marked for some time, because I love duck. I love it grilled, roasted, sauteed, whatever. Here is a "quack"-tastic recipe that should please everyone.

Wednesday Watch List: Oregon
The Virginia football team opened its season with a big win over BYU. Can the Hoos make it two in a row in Scott Stadium? It won't be easy with No. 2 Oregon headed to town. The Ducks have a high-paced spread option offense and a big-play defense. TheSabre.com Editor Kris Wright provides a weekly "Watch List" so you know what wrinkles to expect from the opponent. Take a look.

Greg's Grades & Trends: BYU, Oregon
UVa's secondary produced its highest grade in three seasons in Saturday's 19-16 win over BYU. The special team operations were not flawless but delivered often and at big moments. There is some concern that there were no big plays in the run or pass game and limited vertical attempts but that is likely more a function of easing a new quarterback into the offense. So overall, this was a good start.

JHoo's Things I Learned 2013 ... BYU
We wait all this time for a football game, we finally get a quarter of decent defensive football and so-so offensive football ... and then we have to wait some more? Well, it was worth the wait. Stressful at times, but worth the wait. What did we learn from the BYU game? Let's take a look.

Hoos Move On Quickly From Win
Virginia waited out a slow-moving thunderstorm, lost the lead in the fourth quarter, and rallied with a late touchdown to take down BYU in its opener on Saturday. While the weather circumstances weren't ideal and many didn't expect the Cavaliers to defeat the Cougars, the celebration proved to be short for the football team.

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