Lots of subjects I've been wanting to write about, so I'll try to hit them all here, roughly in order of importance.
The Cavaliers did not fare well against Auburn Auburn Auburn Auburn Auburn Auburn Virginia 's next possession, the Cavaliers drove deep down into Auburn territory and faced a 4th-and-6 at the Auburn 15. Virginia
We all know what happened from there. Auburn got some more big offensive plays and, eventually, another blocked punt for a safety, and the blowout was on for Auburn Virginia
I think Virginia Auburn
Even though it was a loss, I thought there were some good performances by the Cavaliers. QB Michael Rocco had a solid game, completing 26 of 41 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns. His first touchdown completion to Kris Burd for 27 yards into the back of the end zone in traffic where he had to loft the throw was a thing of beauty. Except for just being a little off here and there on some throws, I like Rocco heading into next year.
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| UVa WR Kris Burd virginiasports.com |
I thought after kind of being a spotty receiver all season, true freshman Darius Jennings also had a good game. He caught four balls for 35 yards (at least two on deep out routes) and I think he is going to be featured in the offense even more next season.
The run game produced pretty well. The game was kind of a track meet and the Cavs got behind so they had to pass more than they probably would have liked but the running backs had solid yards per carry averages -- 4.4 for Kevin Parks who led the team with 48 yards and a touchdown, 5.5 for Clifton Richardson and 4 for Perry Jones. I can't tell you how exciting it is to have all three of these guys back next year. Jones will be a senior, Parks will be a redshirt sophomore and Richardson will be a true sophomore.
The offense is very young and promising. We return just about everyone except Burd, offensive lineman Anthony Mihota, and fullback Max Milien. Add in some new playmaking freshman hopefully like Jennings was this season, and I think the offense can be better than this season.
The offense is very young and promising. We return just about everyone except Burd, offensive lineman Anthony Mihota, and fullback Max Milien. Add in some new playmaking freshman hopefully like Jennings was this season, and I think the offense can be better than this season.
Of course, there were some negatives in the game as well. The defense was not very good, even though at times it was put into bad positions by Auburn Auburn Virginia
The special teams is a real mess. I know Anthony Poindexter is a living UVa legend, but I don't know if he is suited to coaching the special teams. We had multiple kicks and punts blocked this season, the kickoff returns weren't what I thought they could've been, and the punt returns were non-existent. And whether it was his fault or not, Robert Randolph had a worse year kicking than last year (he actually peaked his sophomore season in 2009 when he was 17 of 19). The rugby style punts are effective at times, but so many of them were close to getting blocked. And in the bowl game, inexplicably, we tried a rugby style punt from the end zone. It was of course blocked -- that was Auburn Auburn Virginia
All in all, it was a great season though. I predicted before the first game that we would go 5-7 with a shot at 6-6 and we ended up 8-5. Highlights were wins against Georgia Tech at home, at Miami, and of course, at Florida State. The schedule for next year includes non-conference games vs. Richmond, Penn State, Louisiana Tech (all at home), and at TCU. In the ACC, Virginia will host Maryland, Wake Forest, UNC, and Miami and travel to N.C. State, Georgia Tech, Duke, and Virginia Tech.
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VIRGINIA BASKETBALL UPDATE - HOOS HOST MIAMI TODAY
The last time I wrote about the UVa basketball team, it was 10-1 and had just edged a two-win Seattle team on the road and picked up a solid road win at Oregon. Now, the Cavaliers are 13-1 (their best start since the 1981-82 season) and, just like a good win over Oregon and a close win over a bad Seattle team, Virginia has done the same thing even more recently. On December 30, Virginia was given all it could handle while playing a winless Towson team at home but won, 57-50. Three days later, the Cavaliers turned around and traveled to Baton Rouge, La. to take on the respectable 10-3 LSU Tigers and came away with a hard-fought 57-52 victory.
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VIRGINIA BASKETBALL UPDATE - HOOS HOST MIAMI TODAY
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| KT Harrell virginiasports.com |
Also since I last discussed the Wahoos, sophomore KT Harrell and freshman James Johnson decided to transfer from the program. The move was quite strange as both are young and the team was in the midst of a long winning streak and had just gotten ranked in the top 25. I don't think that anything is wrong with the way coach Tony Bennett is treating the players. Ironically enough, there was a story by Jeff White on virginiasports.com right before the West Coast swing detailing a former Bennett player at Washington State who still feels the impact Bennett had on him (http://www.virginiasports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=17800&ATCLID=205348797). I think their decisions were based on playing time and style of play. Harrell started at the beginning of the season but freshman Malcolm Brogdon started playing well and taking some of his time and also, Sammy Zeglinski came off an ankle injury and that ate into Harrell's PT. Still, I obviously wish Harrell had stuck it out. He gave up too easily. His best move was a pump fake, drive right and take a mid-range jumper, and he had gotten good use out of it so far during his UVa career. He was currently in a shooting slump, however, and hadn't been very effective since entering ACC play last season when teams started keying on him and stopping him. He hadn't developed many other moves and I guess decided he wasn't going to try and work for more playing time.
Johnson, meanwhile, was just a handful of games into his redshirt freshman campaign. He wasn't playing much but is very young and had good players ahead of him on the depth chart, namely two seniors in Assane Sene and Mike Scott. Both Sene and Scott developed as big men under Bennett and I would've expected Johnson to do the same so I really wish he had stuck it out at UVa. I think he would have been a solid contributor by his junior year.
So, Virginia's had to play with nine scholarship players since the transfers, and Bennett elected to take the redshirt off freshman Paul Jesperson. Jesperson has seen limited minutes since that time, but the depth he provides as a 6-foot-6 guard could be valuable once ACC play begins.
Speaking of ACC play, it begins Saturday when the Cavaliers host 9-4 Miami. The Hurricanes are a team in transition. First-year head coach Jim Larranaga -- the former coach at George Mason -- has only recently been able to play with a full complement of players. Miami has beaten all the teams it should've beat, and lost to the teams it should've lost to. In their most recent game, the 'Canes beat UNC Greensboro, a two-win team, 99-89. The offensive point total shows how explosive Miami can be and the defensive total shows a team that is still learning a defense and is vulnerable to lose to lots of teams. Hopefully, Virginia can take advantage on the offensive end and limit Miami's points and get an important win to open ACC play. Virginia's second ACC game is at Duke, so you can see why it is critical for UVa to start 1-0. If Virginia can get to 10-6 in ACC play, it will be 23-7 overall. I think then they would have a good chance of making the NCAA tournament, especially if the Cavs could win at least one game in the ACC tournament which oftentimes has proven to be a challenge. Anything less than 10 wins in conference, and the Hoos could be in trouble. My preseason prediction had us with 10 ACC wins and on the bubble, but I also had us going 11-3 out of conference. A 13-1 non-conference start is a good boost, especially with wins over Michigan, Oregon, and LSU.
The Virginia women's basketball team is 12-4 and playing pretty well under first-year head coach Joanne Boyle. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers have lost guard China Crosby for the rest of the season because of a knee injury. The Cavaliers nearly upset No. 25 UNC on Thursday night at home, falling 78-73 in double overtime. Before that, Virginia opened ACC play by hanging tough at Duke but eventually falling to the Blue Devils 77-66. Earlier this season, UVa was blasted by then-No. 24 Texas 79-53 so to see the Cavaliers playing these ranked ACC teams tough is a good sign of progress. UVa's next game is Sunday at Clemson.
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COWBOYS MISS PLAYOFFS, WILD CARD ROUND PICKS
The Cowboys lost in their last game of the season to the Giants to finish 8-8. I predicted after the first game of the year against the Jets -- in which Dallas took a big lead only to lose at the end -- that the Cowboys would finish 8-8 if they couldn't close out games, so I give myself a pat on the back there.
Some analysts were wondering if owner Jerry Jones was going to fire coach Jason Garrett, but he seems to have stuck by him and will give him at least one more year. Garrett was 5-3 last season as an interim coach and 8-8 this season, so you could argue the team took a step back this season under him. I think it is good to give him another year, though. He's only coached one full season and I think you have to give a new coach, especially a first-time head coach, at least two years to see what he can do. In the draft, we must shore up the offensive line (Tyron Smith out of USC was a good pick last year and I think it would be great to get another offensive lineman this season) and get younger and better on defense, especially in the secondary. Another year of missing the playoffs, however, could spell the end of Garrett's first stop as a head coach. Another dry spell next season would make it three straight years without a playoff appearance by the Cowboys.
THE PICKS
SATURDAY
Bengals at Texans, 4:30 p.m. NBC
The Bengals failed to beat any teams this season that are in the playoffs but were solid all year long and now rookie quarterback Andy Dalton and rookie receiver A.J. Green lead Cincinnati into Houston where the Texans will play in their first ever playoff game. The Bengals might not beat a current playoff team all regular season, but the Texans are not your typical playoff team. They've lost three in a row and are hinging their playoff hopes on rookie quarterback and third-stringer T.J. Yates. The Bengals have a good defense and I think they will do enough to slow down RB arian Foster and the Texans' run game. Cincinnati almost beat Houston at home, but lost 20-19 during the regular season. I like the Bengals to get it done this time.
Bengals 17, Texans 16
Lions at Saints, 8 p.m. NBC
This should be a high-scoring affair down in the Superdome. The Saints have been on a tear since losing to the lowly Rams in the middle of the season. New single-season passing yards leader Drew Brees leads a Saints attack capable of putting up over 40 points. The Lions have put up big numbers this season as well and also have proven capable of overcoming large deficits, so it won't be over if the Saints take an early lead. Last week, Detroit lost at Green Bay 45-41. Earlier in the season, the Saints beat the Lions at home 31-17. I'm expecting a similar type game this week.
Saints 38, Lions 28
SUNDAY
Falcons at Giants, 1 p.m. FOX
The Giants won their last two games over the Jets and Cowboys to sneak into the playoffs as a 9-7 division winner. As such, they get to host a team with a better record who got in via wild card, the Falcons. Atlanta started off the year 2-3, but was able to rebound and finished the season 8-3 to end up a 10-6 wild card team. I'm still not a big believer in them. They haven't looked like they did last year when they went 13-3 in the regular season. They ended up losing in the divisional round to the Packers at home last year, so I don't expect this version of the Falcons to fare better when they have to travel to cold New York.
Giants 23, Falcons 16
Steelers at Broncos, 4:30 CBS
Like the first Sunday game, this matchup pits a home team with a record worse than the visiting team. The Steelers come into the playoffs at 12-4 while the Broncos have lost three straight but won the AFC West at 8-8. The Tim Tebow-led Broncos have failed to produce much on offense the past two games, managing just 14 points against Buffalo and three last week against Kansas City. The Steelers, though they have a great record, have let bad teams hang around this season. Pittsburgh beat Indy by just three, Jacksonville by just four, Kansas City by just four, and Cleveland by just four. If I were the Steelers, I'd want this game out of reach before it comes down to the final drive for Tebow and the Broncos. We all know about his fourth-quarter magic this season. Still, I think the Steelers do enough to win, but will be sweating it in the fourth quarter.
Steelers 17, Broncos 9
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ACC'S BOWL WOES, THREE BOWL PICKS
Coming Sunday or Monday: BCS National Championship pick
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| James Johnson virginiasports.com |
So, Virginia's had to play with nine scholarship players since the transfers, and Bennett elected to take the redshirt off freshman Paul Jesperson. Jesperson has seen limited minutes since that time, but the depth he provides as a 6-foot-6 guard could be valuable once ACC play begins.
Speaking of ACC play, it begins Saturday when the Cavaliers host 9-4 Miami. The Hurricanes are a team in transition. First-year head coach Jim Larranaga -- the former coach at George Mason -- has only recently been able to play with a full complement of players. Miami has beaten all the teams it should've beat, and lost to the teams it should've lost to. In their most recent game, the 'Canes beat UNC Greensboro, a two-win team, 99-89. The offensive point total shows how explosive Miami can be and the defensive total shows a team that is still learning a defense and is vulnerable to lose to lots of teams. Hopefully, Virginia can take advantage on the offensive end and limit Miami's points and get an important win to open ACC play. Virginia's second ACC game is at Duke, so you can see why it is critical for UVa to start 1-0. If Virginia can get to 10-6 in ACC play, it will be 23-7 overall. I think then they would have a good chance of making the NCAA tournament, especially if the Cavs could win at least one game in the ACC tournament which oftentimes has proven to be a challenge. Anything less than 10 wins in conference, and the Hoos could be in trouble. My preseason prediction had us with 10 ACC wins and on the bubble, but I also had us going 11-3 out of conference. A 13-1 non-conference start is a good boost, especially with wins over Michigan, Oregon, and LSU.
The Virginia women's basketball team is 12-4 and playing pretty well under first-year head coach Joanne Boyle. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers have lost guard China Crosby for the rest of the season because of a knee injury. The Cavaliers nearly upset No. 25 UNC on Thursday night at home, falling 78-73 in double overtime. Before that, Virginia opened ACC play by hanging tough at Duke but eventually falling to the Blue Devils 77-66. Earlier this season, UVa was blasted by then-No. 24 Texas 79-53 so to see the Cavaliers playing these ranked ACC teams tough is a good sign of progress. UVa's next game is Sunday at Clemson.
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COWBOYS MISS PLAYOFFS, WILD CARD ROUND PICKS
The Cowboys lost in their last game of the season to the Giants to finish 8-8. I predicted after the first game of the year against the Jets -- in which Dallas took a big lead only to lose at the end -- that the Cowboys would finish 8-8 if they couldn't close out games, so I give myself a pat on the back there.
Some analysts were wondering if owner Jerry Jones was going to fire coach Jason Garrett, but he seems to have stuck by him and will give him at least one more year. Garrett was 5-3 last season as an interim coach and 8-8 this season, so you could argue the team took a step back this season under him. I think it is good to give him another year, though. He's only coached one full season and I think you have to give a new coach, especially a first-time head coach, at least two years to see what he can do. In the draft, we must shore up the offensive line (Tyron Smith out of USC was a good pick last year and I think it would be great to get another offensive lineman this season) and get younger and better on defense, especially in the secondary. Another year of missing the playoffs, however, could spell the end of Garrett's first stop as a head coach. Another dry spell next season would make it three straight years without a playoff appearance by the Cowboys.
THE PICKS
SATURDAY
Bengals at Texans, 4:30 p.m. NBC
The Bengals failed to beat any teams this season that are in the playoffs but were solid all year long and now rookie quarterback Andy Dalton and rookie receiver A.J. Green lead Cincinnati into Houston where the Texans will play in their first ever playoff game. The Bengals might not beat a current playoff team all regular season, but the Texans are not your typical playoff team. They've lost three in a row and are hinging their playoff hopes on rookie quarterback and third-stringer T.J. Yates. The Bengals have a good defense and I think they will do enough to slow down RB arian Foster and the Texans' run game. Cincinnati almost beat Houston at home, but lost 20-19 during the regular season. I like the Bengals to get it done this time.
Bengals 17, Texans 16
Lions at Saints, 8 p.m. NBC
This should be a high-scoring affair down in the Superdome. The Saints have been on a tear since losing to the lowly Rams in the middle of the season. New single-season passing yards leader Drew Brees leads a Saints attack capable of putting up over 40 points. The Lions have put up big numbers this season as well and also have proven capable of overcoming large deficits, so it won't be over if the Saints take an early lead. Last week, Detroit lost at Green Bay 45-41. Earlier in the season, the Saints beat the Lions at home 31-17. I'm expecting a similar type game this week.
Saints 38, Lions 28
SUNDAY
Falcons at Giants, 1 p.m. FOX
The Giants won their last two games over the Jets and Cowboys to sneak into the playoffs as a 9-7 division winner. As such, they get to host a team with a better record who got in via wild card, the Falcons. Atlanta started off the year 2-3, but was able to rebound and finished the season 8-3 to end up a 10-6 wild card team. I'm still not a big believer in them. They haven't looked like they did last year when they went 13-3 in the regular season. They ended up losing in the divisional round to the Packers at home last year, so I don't expect this version of the Falcons to fare better when they have to travel to cold New York.
Giants 23, Falcons 16
Steelers at Broncos, 4:30 CBS
Like the first Sunday game, this matchup pits a home team with a record worse than the visiting team. The Steelers come into the playoffs at 12-4 while the Broncos have lost three straight but won the AFC West at 8-8. The Tim Tebow-led Broncos have failed to produce much on offense the past two games, managing just 14 points against Buffalo and three last week against Kansas City. The Steelers, though they have a great record, have let bad teams hang around this season. Pittsburgh beat Indy by just three, Jacksonville by just four, Kansas City by just four, and Cleveland by just four. If I were the Steelers, I'd want this game out of reach before it comes down to the final drive for Tebow and the Broncos. We all know about his fourth-quarter magic this season. Still, I think the Steelers do enough to win, but will be sweating it in the fourth quarter.
Steelers 17, Broncos 9
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ACC'S BOWL WOES, THREE BOWL PICKS
The ACC went 2-6 during the bowl season. N.C. State beat Louisville and Florida State beat Notre Dame while North Carolina lost to Missouri, Wake Forest lost to Mississippi State, Georgia Tech lost to Utah, Virginia lost to Auburn, Virginia Tech lost to Michigan, and Clemson lost to West Virginia. The two wins were by seven and four points and three of the six losses were by at least 19 points. And of course we all know about the Orange Bowl debacle. Clemson embarrassed the ACC by giving up 70 points to West Virginia as the Mountaineers put up a record 49 points by halftime. Usually, I don't think that bowl losses necessarily reflect poorly on the conference as a whole, but that one did. The Tigers were the ACC champions and they gave up 70 points! Incredible. These results were not good for a conference trying to get itself back on the college football map.
Of course, the Virginia Tech-Michigan Sugar Bowl could have easily gone the Hokies' way and also ended in controversy. Virginia Tech won the game statistically, but weird decisions by the coaching staff and some untimely mistakes cost it the win. The controversy came at the end of the game with the score tied at 20 and the overtime period beginning. The Hokies got the ball first. On 3rd-and-5, QB Logan Thomas lofted a pass toward the end zone and WR Danny Coale dove and seemed to make a terrific catch. The play was ruled a TD. The TD was reviewed, however, and the call was overturned and Virginia Tech missed the ensuing field goal try. Michigan then kicked the game-winning field goal on its first possession. It was one of the closest calls I've ever seen. It was very difficult to tell whether Coale had caught the ball or not. The ball appeared to touch the ground but he also seemed to have control of the ball. I was pretty surprised the call was overturned since the ruling on the field was touchdown. I wasn't sure if there was enough evidence to overturn the call. But, that's the way things go sometimes and things certainly didn't go the ACC's way during the bowl season.
Bowl picks through Sunday
TONIGHT
8:30 p.m. - AT&T Cotton Bowl - No. 8 Kansas State vs. No. 6 Arkansas
Arkansas 34, Kansas State 21
SATURDAY
1 p.m. - BBVA Compass Bowl - SMU vs. Pittsburgh
SMU 31, Pittsburgh 28
SUNDAY
9 p.m. - GoDaddy.com Bowl - Arkansas State vs. Northern IllinoisNorthern Illinois 40, Arkansas State 33
Coming Sunday or Monday: BCS National Championship pick
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