Reaction from Virginia's upset of Georgia Tech and Dallas' last-minute loss to New England; World Series pick
Virginia 24, Georgia Tech 21
I only picked one game this weekend, Georgia Tech at Virginia, and I am happy that I got it wrong (I picked the Yellow Jackets to win 45-27). The Cavaliers upset the No. 12-ranked Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech 24-21 to get to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the ACC. The Yellow Jackets were previously undefeated at 6-0.
Virginia effectively used the bye week to meticulously prepare for the triple option attack Georgia Tech uses on offense. Cavaliers defensive coordinator Jim Reid, when he was the head coach at Richmond in the late 1990s, visited Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson, who was the head coach of Georgia Southern then, to learn about the triple option. The grizzled coach pulled put all the stops in stopping Johnson's offense Saturday, as the Hoos defense limited the Jackets to 272 rushing yards, well below their average. The entire defensive line, and also linebacker Steve Greer, cornerback Chase Minnifield, and safety Rodney McLeod all shined in stopping the Jacket running backs. When Georgia Tech quarterback Tevin Washington tried to pass, it was usually ugly. He completed only two passes for 24 yards and was picked off twice -- once by Minnifield and once by true freshman cornerback Demetrious Nicholson.
On offense, the Cavaliers pounded former UVa head coach Al Groh's 3-4 defense for 272 yards rushing, a great number for a team that doesn't run the triple option. Overall, Virginia gained 407 yards. Quarterback Michael Rocco threw one interception, but not many other bad passes and completed a long, 37-yard pass to Tim Smith down the sideline for a touchdown. Freshman signal caller David Watford also led the Hoos on a scoring drive, though he barely had to complete any passes. Indeed, the running backs did most of the work on the day. Perry Jones, who I think normally has a tendency to dance around too much, hit holes hard and became a battering ram as he churned out 149 rushing yards. Kevin Parks ran hard as well, gaining 86 yards and scoring a touchdown. Some of the best runs of the game, however, were by true freshman Clifton Richardson, who absolutely refused to go down on a couple of plays. He added 32 yards and a touchdown to the effort. The offensive line dominated the Yellow Jackets front seven, opening up huge holes on nearly every running play. I would say there were less than five negative running plays.
The defense is what impressed me the most, though. The Wahoos defense has been much-aligned the past two years as it has either struggled to adjust to Reid's 4-3 scheme, or because Reid just isn't getting the job done, or both. So for the defense to step up and have that kind of game was unforseen by me and huge.
Now, Virginia gets N.C. State this weekend at home. The Wolfpack is 3-3 overall and 0-2 in the ACC. They've struggled for most of the year but could be turning a corner and are also probably going to get back at least one, but maybe a few players back from injury Saturday.
I am very worried about Virginia being able to follow up the upset of the Yellow Jackets with a win against N.C. State and here's why.
N.C. State just had a bye week, so like UVa, it has had two weeks to prepare for Virginia. Also like the Cavaliers, the Wolfpack are pretty desperate for a win, and reaching a bowl game will be that much harder for them if they lose to the Cavaliers.
Another reason I am worried is Virginia's defense. You might be thinking, "What? The defense looked pretty dang good Saturday and you just said that yourself." This is true, and while the Virginia defense has been better overall than last year, it has had its lapses. Southern Miss quarterback Austin Davis made the UVa secondary look like a sieve in the first half Sept. 24, and a week earlier, UNC quarterback Bryn Renner did mostly the same while Tar Heels running back Giovanni Bernard rushed for over 100 yards and the team ruhed for 222 yards (less than Georgia Tech, but the effort against Tech was much better considering it runs basically every play).
Reid knew a lot about the triple option and had two weeks to get his defense ready for it. Where Reid and the Cavaliers have struggled is making adjustments and also in slowing down good quarterbacks. Georgia Tech did not change its plan at halftime -- it runs the football and that's it. The Jackets keep coming at you with the triple option, wearing you down and feasting on tiny mistakes. Virginia did a good job of not making mistakes and, as a result, it was able to beat the Jackets. Also, Washington is not a good throwing quarterback. So while the effort was good, I'm wondering if it happened because it was the perfect storm -- the passing threat was low, the knowledge of the offensive system was high and in-game adjustments by the Jackets' coaching staff were mostly non-existent.
I am afraid it could be back to some of the same struggles against the Wolfpack. Quarterback Mike Glennon (the brother of former Virginia Tech quarterback Sean Glennon and a graduate student) is a mature, highly-heralded quarterback who is impressing people this season. He's completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 1486 yards, 16 touchdowns, and only four interceptions. He was beat out by Russell Wilson for the job last year, but is no scrub (plus, look at what Wilson is doing at Wisconsin). The Cavaliers defense has another great challenge ahead of them.
Where Virginia could maybe take advantage of the Wolfpack is on offense. Virginia has found quite the three-headed monster at running back in Jones, Parks, and Richardson. N.C. State does not have a great rush defense or great defense overall. I think UVa should stick with the same game plan: Pound the ball down the defense's throat with runs, runs, and more runs. Neither Rocco nor Watford have proven reliable enough to win the game in the air. But the Hoos can win the game on the ground.
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Patriots 20, Cowboys 16
Dallas lost in yet another hard-fought game Sunday, this time in New England, one of the toughest places to win in the NFL. The offense sputtered against what was supposed to be a soft Patriots defense. I think Bill Belichik did a good job of coming up with a scheme to take the big plays out of the Cowboys offense. Defensively, the Cowboys did a fantastic job, except for being able to stop Patriots quarterback Tom Brady during the final two minutues of the game when the future Hall-of-Famer led his 34th game-winning drive in the fourth quarter (or maybe it was 34th comeback in the final two minutes -- whatever it was, the guy is clutch). Can't really blame defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and the defense there -- few have been able to stop Brady at all, much less with the game on the line. The defense did its job; it was the offense that lost the game for the Cowboys on Sunday.
Dallas is 2-3 and has had a brutal schedule so far this season through five games (Jets, 49ers, Redskins, Lions, Patriots) with two of those teams being significantly better than was expected (49ers and Lions). This is what it comes down to if Dallas hopes to make the playoffs -- I think the Cowboys need to go 8-3 in their final 11 games. The schedule gets much easier. There are five games that I think Dallas must win and has no business losing -- Rams, Seahawks, Bills (at home, which is easier than going to Buffalo, different story there), Dolphins and Cardinals. If Dallas can win those five, then it needs to find three more wins in the remaining six games: Redskins, Eagles twice, Giants twice, and Buccaneers. They can go 3-3 against those teams and possibly still win the division at 10-6. It doesn't look like any team in the NFC East is ready to take control and if the Cowboys beat the Eagles and Giants at least once (and possibly sweep one or win against the Redskins again), they can still make the playoffs.
The Patriots loss was tough, but I can take it. It is hard to beat the Patriots in New England. I am fearful, however, that the losses to the Jets and Lions could come back to bite Dallas. The Cowboys had those games all but wrapped up before collapses. Wins against one or both of those teams and Dallas could be sitting at 3-2 or 4-1 right now with less pressure on it to perform over the last 11 games.
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WORLD SERIES BEGINS TONIGHT - RANGERS AT CARDINALS, 8:05 P.M., FOX
A prediction is tough here. Both teams have obviously done a good job to get to this point. The Cardinals are bit like the Giants last year, the team that got hot at the right moment. They've won clinching games in Philly and Milwaukee. The Rangers were in the World Series last year, though, and have quietly been the most impressive team in the playoffs. I don't know if I can see the Rangers losing it again.
Texas 4 games to 3
I only picked one game this weekend, Georgia Tech at Virginia, and I am happy that I got it wrong (I picked the Yellow Jackets to win 45-27). The Cavaliers upset the No. 12-ranked Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech 24-21 to get to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the ACC. The Yellow Jackets were previously undefeated at 6-0.
Virginia effectively used the bye week to meticulously prepare for the triple option attack Georgia Tech uses on offense. Cavaliers defensive coordinator Jim Reid, when he was the head coach at Richmond in the late 1990s, visited Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson, who was the head coach of Georgia Southern then, to learn about the triple option. The grizzled coach pulled put all the stops in stopping Johnson's offense Saturday, as the Hoos defense limited the Jackets to 272 rushing yards, well below their average. The entire defensive line, and also linebacker Steve Greer, cornerback Chase Minnifield, and safety Rodney McLeod all shined in stopping the Jacket running backs. When Georgia Tech quarterback Tevin Washington tried to pass, it was usually ugly. He completed only two passes for 24 yards and was picked off twice -- once by Minnifield and once by true freshman cornerback Demetrious Nicholson.
On offense, the Cavaliers pounded former UVa head coach Al Groh's 3-4 defense for 272 yards rushing, a great number for a team that doesn't run the triple option. Overall, Virginia gained 407 yards. Quarterback Michael Rocco threw one interception, but not many other bad passes and completed a long, 37-yard pass to Tim Smith down the sideline for a touchdown. Freshman signal caller David Watford also led the Hoos on a scoring drive, though he barely had to complete any passes. Indeed, the running backs did most of the work on the day. Perry Jones, who I think normally has a tendency to dance around too much, hit holes hard and became a battering ram as he churned out 149 rushing yards. Kevin Parks ran hard as well, gaining 86 yards and scoring a touchdown. Some of the best runs of the game, however, were by true freshman Clifton Richardson, who absolutely refused to go down on a couple of plays. He added 32 yards and a touchdown to the effort. The offensive line dominated the Yellow Jackets front seven, opening up huge holes on nearly every running play. I would say there were less than five negative running plays.
The defense is what impressed me the most, though. The Wahoos defense has been much-aligned the past two years as it has either struggled to adjust to Reid's 4-3 scheme, or because Reid just isn't getting the job done, or both. So for the defense to step up and have that kind of game was unforseen by me and huge.
Now, Virginia gets N.C. State this weekend at home. The Wolfpack is 3-3 overall and 0-2 in the ACC. They've struggled for most of the year but could be turning a corner and are also probably going to get back at least one, but maybe a few players back from injury Saturday.
I am very worried about Virginia being able to follow up the upset of the Yellow Jackets with a win against N.C. State and here's why.
N.C. State just had a bye week, so like UVa, it has had two weeks to prepare for Virginia. Also like the Cavaliers, the Wolfpack are pretty desperate for a win, and reaching a bowl game will be that much harder for them if they lose to the Cavaliers.
Another reason I am worried is Virginia's defense. You might be thinking, "What? The defense looked pretty dang good Saturday and you just said that yourself." This is true, and while the Virginia defense has been better overall than last year, it has had its lapses. Southern Miss quarterback Austin Davis made the UVa secondary look like a sieve in the first half Sept. 24, and a week earlier, UNC quarterback Bryn Renner did mostly the same while Tar Heels running back Giovanni Bernard rushed for over 100 yards and the team ruhed for 222 yards (less than Georgia Tech, but the effort against Tech was much better considering it runs basically every play).
Reid knew a lot about the triple option and had two weeks to get his defense ready for it. Where Reid and the Cavaliers have struggled is making adjustments and also in slowing down good quarterbacks. Georgia Tech did not change its plan at halftime -- it runs the football and that's it. The Jackets keep coming at you with the triple option, wearing you down and feasting on tiny mistakes. Virginia did a good job of not making mistakes and, as a result, it was able to beat the Jackets. Also, Washington is not a good throwing quarterback. So while the effort was good, I'm wondering if it happened because it was the perfect storm -- the passing threat was low, the knowledge of the offensive system was high and in-game adjustments by the Jackets' coaching staff were mostly non-existent.
I am afraid it could be back to some of the same struggles against the Wolfpack. Quarterback Mike Glennon (the brother of former Virginia Tech quarterback Sean Glennon and a graduate student) is a mature, highly-heralded quarterback who is impressing people this season. He's completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 1486 yards, 16 touchdowns, and only four interceptions. He was beat out by Russell Wilson for the job last year, but is no scrub (plus, look at what Wilson is doing at Wisconsin). The Cavaliers defense has another great challenge ahead of them.
Where Virginia could maybe take advantage of the Wolfpack is on offense. Virginia has found quite the three-headed monster at running back in Jones, Parks, and Richardson. N.C. State does not have a great rush defense or great defense overall. I think UVa should stick with the same game plan: Pound the ball down the defense's throat with runs, runs, and more runs. Neither Rocco nor Watford have proven reliable enough to win the game in the air. But the Hoos can win the game on the ground.
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Patriots 20, Cowboys 16
Dallas lost in yet another hard-fought game Sunday, this time in New England, one of the toughest places to win in the NFL. The offense sputtered against what was supposed to be a soft Patriots defense. I think Bill Belichik did a good job of coming up with a scheme to take the big plays out of the Cowboys offense. Defensively, the Cowboys did a fantastic job, except for being able to stop Patriots quarterback Tom Brady during the final two minutues of the game when the future Hall-of-Famer led his 34th game-winning drive in the fourth quarter (or maybe it was 34th comeback in the final two minutes -- whatever it was, the guy is clutch). Can't really blame defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and the defense there -- few have been able to stop Brady at all, much less with the game on the line. The defense did its job; it was the offense that lost the game for the Cowboys on Sunday.
Dallas is 2-3 and has had a brutal schedule so far this season through five games (Jets, 49ers, Redskins, Lions, Patriots) with two of those teams being significantly better than was expected (49ers and Lions). This is what it comes down to if Dallas hopes to make the playoffs -- I think the Cowboys need to go 8-3 in their final 11 games. The schedule gets much easier. There are five games that I think Dallas must win and has no business losing -- Rams, Seahawks, Bills (at home, which is easier than going to Buffalo, different story there), Dolphins and Cardinals. If Dallas can win those five, then it needs to find three more wins in the remaining six games: Redskins, Eagles twice, Giants twice, and Buccaneers. They can go 3-3 against those teams and possibly still win the division at 10-6. It doesn't look like any team in the NFC East is ready to take control and if the Cowboys beat the Eagles and Giants at least once (and possibly sweep one or win against the Redskins again), they can still make the playoffs.
The Patriots loss was tough, but I can take it. It is hard to beat the Patriots in New England. I am fearful, however, that the losses to the Jets and Lions could come back to bite Dallas. The Cowboys had those games all but wrapped up before collapses. Wins against one or both of those teams and Dallas could be sitting at 3-2 or 4-1 right now with less pressure on it to perform over the last 11 games.
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WORLD SERIES BEGINS TONIGHT - RANGERS AT CARDINALS, 8:05 P.M., FOX
A prediction is tough here. Both teams have obviously done a good job to get to this point. The Cardinals are bit like the Giants last year, the team that got hot at the right moment. They've won clinching games in Philly and Milwaukee. The Rangers were in the World Series last year, though, and have quietly been the most impressive team in the playoffs. I don't know if I can see the Rangers losing it again.
Texas 4 games to 3
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