A UNIQUE HIGH SCHOOL
I got busy last week and didn't get out my normal predictions posts. Two weeks ago, I went with my wife, Holly, and our friend, Sam, to a Louisa County high school football game. I've been wanting to go to one of Louisa's games for awhile ever since I found out it has a live lion at games. Yep, you read that right. A live lion. They are the Louisa Lions so it makes sense. Anyway, I'm a sports designer at the Daily Progress but the story of the lion at games fascinated me so I asked the sports editor if I could do a story on it and he agreed. Last week, I was transcribing my interviews from the game. I talked to the current AD, former ADs, a player, and more. That story will be in the Progress sometime next week and I'll also publish it here so be looking out for that.
A TRIP TO D.C.
A lot of times, I do my predictions posts on Fridays. Last Friday, I was busy because Holly and I headed up to see my friend Bret, who lives in Washington, D.C. Bret was my roommate my first two years of college, one of my best friends from college, and the best man at our wedding. Originally, we were going to go see Bret a month or so earlier and check out a Washington Nationals game. We couldn't get a mutual date to work out so we ended up going up this past Saturday with the idea that we would go to the Virginia-Maryland football game. Well, the weather was bad, and Virginia has not been playing well so we decided to go to the Newseum instead, which was a really cool experience.
TOUGH TIMES FOR THE CAVALIERS
I am as big a fan of the Wahoos as anybody so the fact that I was "meh" on going to the game shows you where the fanbase is at right now, I think. Only 38,000 showed up for the Ball State game two Saturdays ago in which Virginia built a 17-7 lead before getting outscored 41-10 the rest of the way en route to a 48-27 loss in which Virginia piled up 13 penalties and four turnovers. This past Saturday against Maryland, the 'Hoos actually almost ended up winning, but a 42-yard field goal sailed wide right by Alec Vozenilek.
Virginia was criticized for getting conservative on its final drive. Mike London said after the game he would have played the ending the same way again. Virginia drove down to the Maryland 24-yard line and had time to move the ball closer down 27-26, but ran the ball on three straight plays and could not get any closer. Vozenilek, the team's punter and backup kicker, was 6 for 6 before the miss. Virginia lost to the Terrapins despite racking up 505 yards of offense, winning the turnover battle 3-0, and getting whistled for just five penalties. Virginia made into Maryland's red zone six times but scored just two touchdowns. The Cavs' offense has started moving the ball the past couple games after the debacle at Pittsburgh but now needs to start scoring more touchdowns. And the defense played better against Maryland than it did against Ball State but still gave up 468 yards so hopefully it can start playing better. At 2-4, it is looking unlikely that UVa can make a bowl game this year. There is no reason, though, a few more wins can't be had. This team has the potential to win this weekend vs. Duke and could probably beat Georgia Tech and a struggling UNC team. Finding a sixth win is difficult. And that is assuming those other thee games are all wins, which I think is unlikely. Still, I don't think Vir
ginia will end up 2-10. Another victory or two will fall Virginia's way. At the end of the season, I still think some tough choices will have to be made regarding London and the rest of the coaching staff. There is lots of money tied up in this staff -- the new assistants were given two-year contracts -- and London's contract runs through 2016. It would cost a lot of money to get rid of this staff at the end of the season. Right now, the coaches' contracts are their security blankets and what might keep them here through 2014. We will see what happens, though, if Virginia continues to lose, though, and maybe even loses ugly. That could push the administration over the edge and force its hand, especially if we go into next year looking like fan support will be at one of the lowest points since before the George Welsh era.
COWBOYS BEST REDSKINS, SETTING UP SHOWDOWN WITH EAGLES: Note: If you haven't vote in my poll on right side of the page. Still a couple days left to let me know who you think will win the NFC East. Dallas snapped a two-game losing streak this past Sunday night with a 31-16 home win over the Redskins to move to 3-3 in the NFC East. The Eagles are 3-3 as well while Washington is 1-4 and the Giants are 0-6. The Cowboys lost both games to the Redskins last season. Washington has not beaten the Cowboys three times in a row since the late 1980s. Washington, kind of like Virginia, put up a lot of yards without much to show for it. The 'Skins more than doubled the Cowboys' offensive output (433 yards to 213 yards). The Redskins turned the ball over twice. Dallas used an 86-yard Dwayne Harris punt return for a touchdown and a 90-yard kick
return into the Redskins' red zone to put its offense in favorable positions. The 'Boys also sacked RG3 and he fumbled inside the 'Skins' 5-yard line. A win is a win, though and Dallas really needed one. I don't put a lot of stock into the fact that the Cowboys' offense didn't do much. Rivalry games are always tough. Another one is coming up for the Cowboys this weekend at the Eagles. Philadelphia's offense has looked quite good at times this season under new coach Chip Kelly but the defense has struggled. The game is in Philly, and that could give the Eagles an edge, but they have lost eight games in row at home. It will be an interesting matchup. The Cowboys have played better overall this season but the Eagles are 3-3 and scrapping right there along with them for the division lead. The rest of the way, Philly has an easier schedule, so I think this game is bigger for the Cowboys. It would be huge to get a division win (Dallas would move to 3-0 in the NFC East) and have it be on the road in Philly.
I got busy last week and didn't get out my normal predictions posts. Two weeks ago, I went with my wife, Holly, and our friend, Sam, to a Louisa County high school football game. I've been wanting to go to one of Louisa's games for awhile ever since I found out it has a live lion at games. Yep, you read that right. A live lion. They are the Louisa Lions so it makes sense. Anyway, I'm a sports designer at the Daily Progress but the story of the lion at games fascinated me so I asked the sports editor if I could do a story on it and he agreed. Last week, I was transcribing my interviews from the game. I talked to the current AD, former ADs, a player, and more. That story will be in the Progress sometime next week and I'll also publish it here so be looking out for that.
A TRIP TO D.C.
A lot of times, I do my predictions posts on Fridays. Last Friday, I was busy because Holly and I headed up to see my friend Bret, who lives in Washington, D.C. Bret was my roommate my first two years of college, one of my best friends from college, and the best man at our wedding. Originally, we were going to go see Bret a month or so earlier and check out a Washington Nationals game. We couldn't get a mutual date to work out so we ended up going up this past Saturday with the idea that we would go to the Virginia-Maryland football game. Well, the weather was bad, and Virginia has not been playing well so we decided to go to the Newseum instead, which was a really cool experience.
TOUGH TIMES FOR THE CAVALIERS
 |
| Virginia punter/ backup kicker Alec Vozenilek |
 |
| Virginia coach Mike London |
ginia will end up 2-10. Another victory or two will fall Virginia's way. At the end of the season, I still think some tough choices will have to be made regarding London and the rest of the coaching staff. There is lots of money tied up in this staff -- the new assistants were given two-year contracts -- and London's contract runs through 2016. It would cost a lot of money to get rid of this staff at the end of the season. Right now, the coaches' contracts are their security blankets and what might keep them here through 2014. We will see what happens, though, if Virginia continues to lose, though, and maybe even loses ugly. That could push the administration over the edge and force its hand, especially if we go into next year looking like fan support will be at one of the lowest points since before the George Welsh era.
 |
| Cowboys returner/WR Dwayne Harris |
return into the Redskins' red zone to put its offense in favorable positions. The 'Boys also sacked RG3 and he fumbled inside the 'Skins' 5-yard line. A win is a win, though and Dallas really needed one. I don't put a lot of stock into the fact that the Cowboys' offense didn't do much. Rivalry games are always tough. Another one is coming up for the Cowboys this weekend at the Eagles. Philadelphia's offense has looked quite good at times this season under new coach Chip Kelly but the defense has struggled. The game is in Philly, and that could give the Eagles an edge, but they have lost eight games in row at home. It will be an interesting matchup. The Cowboys have played better overall this season but the Eagles are 3-3 and scrapping right there along with them for the division lead. The rest of the way, Philly has an easier schedule, so I think this game is bigger for the Cowboys. It would be huge to get a division win (Dallas would move to 3-0 in the NFC East) and have it be on the road in Philly.
Comments
Post a Comment