Virginia 23, No. 21 Louisville 21
Virginia got a huge win Saturday over No. 21 Louisville and the Cavs did it with physical, tough play. What follows are a few example of what I'm talking about.
Late in the third quarter, Virginia was up 17-7 on Louisville and faced a 3rd and 17 at the Louisville 44. Greyson Lambert threw a short pass to freshman wideout Doni Dowling who charged ahead trying to get to the first down. The play was definitely not called with the idea of getting the first down, but rather to maybe set up a field goal and Dowling did just that. He fought for the last three to five yards by punishing the first couple Cardinals players that got to him. As a result, Virginia was able to set up for the field goal at the Louisville 30-yard line. If you recall, kicker Ian Frye made the kick, but not by a lot. The ball just kind of barely snuck over the upright. He might not have made it from 52 yards. We needed every field goal that Frye made in the game (he made three and was terrific) to win and Dowling's physicality at the end of his catch and run played a big part in that.
This defense continues to be awesome to watch. My blood welled up in me with pride and intensity when Eli Harold sacked Louisville quarterback Will Gardner back on the Cardinals' one-yard line late in the game with UVa up 23-21. Anyone else catch him throw up the "L" with arms, in honor of Chris Long, who was at the game? Cool to see. After the first drive of the game, Virginia was flying all around on defense and attacking from everywhere. Max Valles had five bat downs from his hybrid
linebacker/end spot. Tackle Donta Wilkins, a pretty big guy, was able to tackle a faster guy, Louisville RB L.J. Scott in the flat after he made a catch, hustling to make the play and stop Scott from picking up extra yards. Also remember, the defensive performance had a chance to be even better than it was. Valles had a pick deep down on Virginia's end but it was called back for a terrible roughing the passer penalty on Henry Coley and Harold as they pushed down Gardner a second after he passed the ball. Had that flag not been thrown, Virginia might have won 20-14. Instead, Louisville got an automatic first down and went on to a TD to go up 21-20. I feel like karma and the football gods were smiling down on the 'Hoos later though with Louisville's muffed punt, confirming that the earlier roughing penalty should not have gone against the Cavaliers. A couple late touchdown drives aside, this defense absolutely kept Virginia in the lead during the game and played superbly, again coming up with multiple turnovers: The first INT of the year by safety Anthony Harris, a pick by corner Maurice Canady, and a fumble recovery by tackle Mike Moore off a bad handoff by Gardner.
Lambert showed toughness throughout the game, standing in the pocket and taking punishment a few times. He is a big guy at 6-foot-5, 235 pounds and can dole out his own punishment and he did that a couple times as he rushed the ball or tried to avoid a sack. While you don't want your quarterback to be taking a lot of big licks, it was cool to see him be able to do that. He doesn't seem afraid to take a hit, something I can't say about David Watford a year ago.
Mentioning the Wahoos and toughness, I can't miss the opportunity to talk about Kevin Parks. Virginia's senior running back has found finding holes really tough this season. He rarely seems to break a run for more than three yards. But boy, did he put his down and keep his legs churning for Virginia's final first down of the game, a four-yard-run, which sealed the 'Hoos' win. He got hit a little before the marker, but he kept at it and overpowered the Cardinals with some help from the offensive line, which pushed him forward for a first down. After he was tackled, you could see how passionate he was and how much he wanted to win. It was representative of the team as a whole and coach Mike London.
What the win means
You can't ignore some of what Virginia did Saturday with that victory. First ACC win since November 2012, First win against an FBS opponent since August 2013. First win over a ranked team since November 2011.
But let's settle down on the seven-win season talk and the winning the division possibilities. I'm not even convinced the team can get to six wins still. Many challenges lie ahead on the schedule beginning with a road game at No. 21 BYU on Saturday.
There were some good drives and good moments Saturday. The drive that opened the second half, culminating in a Lambert rushing touchdown, was very nice. WR Miles Gooch had a career day with
four catches for 78 yards and a touchdown. RB Taquan Mizzell even broke some tackles and found some open spaces on some nice sweeps and catches, showcasing the speed we've been waiting for him to show. Every first down Virginia got was huge, and they can not be overstated in their importance because of the field position battle. Time and time again, UVa was able to pin the Cardinals deep (shout out to punter Alec Vozenilek for a great game).
But for large portions of the contest, the offense struggled. I might be wrong, but I think the only sustained drive was that one that opened the second half. The first drive started out nice with a long pass to Gooch, but quickly went downhill with a sickly backwards past attempt to Mizzell, which resulted in a fumble and possession for Louisville. The offense racked up just 285 yards, the lowest output of the season. That could partly be due to Louisville's defense, but that is tough to tell right now. So far, we have 385 yards vs. UCLA, 330 vs. Richmond, and 285 vs. Louisville. I'm not sure what that adds up to. UCLA is undefeated but is certainly not looking like a top-10 team. People were getting very excited about the Cardinals, but I think they were getting overhyped, too. Virginia probably won't get game-changing turnovers from the defense every game. What can the offense do when it is more on its own? Can the Wahoos move the ball vs. Pitt? Duke? Miami? UNC? We shall see. I'm still worried about the offense. It needs a lot of work. However, Saturday was a nice step in this critical season for London.
Proving me wrong
Now, if there is a group of players that can prove me wrong and change my mind, it will be this one. It already did so Saturday since I predicted a 31-17 Louisville win. I'll be predicting a BYU win for this Saturday, too, so the guys will get another chance. There is something different about this team than the last couple years. The leadership is palpable. The Daily Progress' Andrew Ramspacher reported Monday night that Coley called a players-only meeting for Sunday, a rather surprising thing for a team coming off a significant upset. When the players entered the room, the team captains had put up wipe boards around the room that had "2 and 1" written on them, emphasizing the fact that Virginia started 2012 and 2013 at 2-1 but those years did not end up successful. The players are aware of the past and are trying their best not to repeat that and not to be complacent at 2-1 and a nice upset under their belts.
The passion and togetherness on this team is evident in the players' actions and words. I already mentioned Parks' passion after picking up the win-clinching yards. Right after Lambert's final kneel down, Matt Johns and Watford were out there with Lambert and they were all in their personal huddle hugging, which was great to see after all that the Virginia QB unit has gone through the past couple seasons. After the game in the locker room, the senior middle linebacker, Coley, was on the floor crying with players coming by to congratulate him. London was on the verge of tears during the on-field interview after the game and in the news conference afterwards. The win meant a lot to this team that has been through a lot, but it seems to have its eyes set on the bigger picture and owns a perspective that has been made more clear through failure.
One of the post-game videos I watched was an interview with Frye, whose field goals were all from at least 35 yards out. Frye is from Bristol, Va., and strikes me as a down home boy who you might
guess was from Bristol. He was out for a lot of last year with a leg injury and probably got to watch the dynamics of the team in a different way from the sideline. Though he was important Saturday, he is "just a kicker" and seems like a guy that would be honest and wouldn't have to hold back when talking about the team, unlike a head coach or starting quarterback. He flat out said after the game that the team is different this season. "It's such a relief. This year, we are really clicking. We have so much more leadership, a lot of older guys stepping up. It's a different group, it really is, and we can't wait for the next game." I think that speaks volumes. This attitude change could be what catapults Virginia into a successful season.
Virginia got a huge win Saturday over No. 21 Louisville and the Cavs did it with physical, tough play. What follows are a few example of what I'm talking about.
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| QB Greyson Lambert |
This defense continues to be awesome to watch. My blood welled up in me with pride and intensity when Eli Harold sacked Louisville quarterback Will Gardner back on the Cardinals' one-yard line late in the game with UVa up 23-21. Anyone else catch him throw up the "L" with arms, in honor of Chris Long, who was at the game? Cool to see. After the first drive of the game, Virginia was flying all around on defense and attacking from everywhere. Max Valles had five bat downs from his hybrid
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| DE Eli Harold |
Lambert showed toughness throughout the game, standing in the pocket and taking punishment a few times. He is a big guy at 6-foot-5, 235 pounds and can dole out his own punishment and he did that a couple times as he rushed the ball or tried to avoid a sack. While you don't want your quarterback to be taking a lot of big licks, it was cool to see him be able to do that. He doesn't seem afraid to take a hit, something I can't say about David Watford a year ago.
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| RB Kevin Parks |
What the win means
You can't ignore some of what Virginia did Saturday with that victory. First ACC win since November 2012, First win against an FBS opponent since August 2013. First win over a ranked team since November 2011.
But let's settle down on the seven-win season talk and the winning the division possibilities. I'm not even convinced the team can get to six wins still. Many challenges lie ahead on the schedule beginning with a road game at No. 21 BYU on Saturday.
There were some good drives and good moments Saturday. The drive that opened the second half, culminating in a Lambert rushing touchdown, was very nice. WR Miles Gooch had a career day with
 |
| WR Miles Gooch |
But for large portions of the contest, the offense struggled. I might be wrong, but I think the only sustained drive was that one that opened the second half. The first drive started out nice with a long pass to Gooch, but quickly went downhill with a sickly backwards past attempt to Mizzell, which resulted in a fumble and possession for Louisville. The offense racked up just 285 yards, the lowest output of the season. That could partly be due to Louisville's defense, but that is tough to tell right now. So far, we have 385 yards vs. UCLA, 330 vs. Richmond, and 285 vs. Louisville. I'm not sure what that adds up to. UCLA is undefeated but is certainly not looking like a top-10 team. People were getting very excited about the Cardinals, but I think they were getting overhyped, too. Virginia probably won't get game-changing turnovers from the defense every game. What can the offense do when it is more on its own? Can the Wahoos move the ball vs. Pitt? Duke? Miami? UNC? We shall see. I'm still worried about the offense. It needs a lot of work. However, Saturday was a nice step in this critical season for London.
Proving me wrong
Now, if there is a group of players that can prove me wrong and change my mind, it will be this one. It already did so Saturday since I predicted a 31-17 Louisville win. I'll be predicting a BYU win for this Saturday, too, so the guys will get another chance. There is something different about this team than the last couple years. The leadership is palpable. The Daily Progress' Andrew Ramspacher reported Monday night that Coley called a players-only meeting for Sunday, a rather surprising thing for a team coming off a significant upset. When the players entered the room, the team captains had put up wipe boards around the room that had "2 and 1" written on them, emphasizing the fact that Virginia started 2012 and 2013 at 2-1 but those years did not end up successful. The players are aware of the past and are trying their best not to repeat that and not to be complacent at 2-1 and a nice upset under their belts.
The passion and togetherness on this team is evident in the players' actions and words. I already mentioned Parks' passion after picking up the win-clinching yards. Right after Lambert's final kneel down, Matt Johns and Watford were out there with Lambert and they were all in their personal huddle hugging, which was great to see after all that the Virginia QB unit has gone through the past couple seasons. After the game in the locker room, the senior middle linebacker, Coley, was on the floor crying with players coming by to congratulate him. London was on the verge of tears during the on-field interview after the game and in the news conference afterwards. The win meant a lot to this team that has been through a lot, but it seems to have its eyes set on the bigger picture and owns a perspective that has been made more clear through failure.
One of the post-game videos I watched was an interview with Frye, whose field goals were all from at least 35 yards out. Frye is from Bristol, Va., and strikes me as a down home boy who you might
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| K Ian Frye |
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