Author: trent-thurston

-Virginia (0-3) is averaging 2.3 yards per run. Our first four opponents (including North Carolina) have a 13-2 record.

-The Hoos’ leading receiver is Kris Burd (12 receptions) yet he has only 133 yards receiving.

-Virginia has won 6 of the last 7 and 9 of the last 11 in the UNC series including a 16-13 OT game last here in Charlottesville.

-Carolina has a tight-end (Ed Barham) from Bacon’s Castle (Surry County), Virginia on their roster. WTF? Including Barham, the Tar Heels have 8 players from Virginia on their team.

-Virginia first year Dominique Wallace’s season ending foot injury is the same injury that both Cedric Peerman and Wali Lundy suffered during their careers at Virginia.

-Al Groh mentioned in his Monday press conference that (at this point) Vic Hall will not need season and career ending surgery on his ailing hip.

-UNC leads in the all-time series 56-53-4 which dates back to 1892. This match-up is the South’s oldest rivalry and Saturday’s game will be the 114th in the rivalry’s rich history.

-Virginia’s second year punter Jimmy Howell is 2nd in the ACC in punting average (42.6) and is 1st in the ACC in net punting (38.53).

-Al Groh was legendary linebacker/ DE Lawrence Taylor’s position coach at North Carolina in the 70’s.

What are you thoughts on this game? Can Virginia turn their season around? Will Al Groh pull out all the stops on Saturday to try and save his job?

We knew it was bound to happen as the Hoos have started 0-3 and rumors of Al Groh’s future here in Charlottesville are negative to say the least. Apparently, Virginia has lost their first commitment for next season. Tyler Brosius has de-committed from UVA and committed to coach Tom O’Brien and NC State. At this point it’s still just a rumor, but my sources say it’s all but certain to happen very soon. Brosius (Tuscola High School) is a pro-style highly recruited QB from the western North Carolina town of Waynesville.

In my opinion this will not be the last commitment to come off the board for the Hoos.
 

As Virginia (0-3) progresses through what might be their worst football season of the modern era, something tells me deep down inside that Al Groh will not be back next season.

So, now that we are in the midst of the bye week in our season, it’s time for a coaching candidate discussion. Here are my top choices not including the four I wrote about last week. I’ve also included their current salaries. Please make your choices known by making a comment.

1- Chris Peterson Head Coach-Boise State University $850,000 per year.
Peterson’s record in his first three years at BSU is 38-4. He’s a west coast guy, but has an excellent offensive football mind. He does more with less, although it does scare he me a bit that he recruits a different caliber student-athlete than we typically have here at UVA.

2- Charlie Strong Defensive Coordinator- Florida Gators $310,000 per year
Strong was the first African-American coordinator in SEC history. Amazing to me that it took until 1999 for the SEC to have a black coordinator. Charlie is an excellent recruiter and has been at Florida since 2002. Enough said as we all know the success the Gators have enjoyed during his tenure.

3- Troy Calhoun Head Coach- United States Air Force Academy $725,000 per year.
Coach Calhoun played college football for the legendary Fisher DeBerry at Air Force. Calhoun is a disciplined coach with a offensive mind-set. George Welsh came to Virginia from the Naval Academy and that worked out pretty damn well.

4- Kevin Wilson Offensive Coordinator- University of Oklahoma $385,000 per year.
In college Coach Wilson walked-on to the to North Carolina football team and is one of the top assistants in all of college football. I have a special place in my football-heart for walk-ons. Oklahoma runs an exciting offense and under his tutelage the 2008 OU team had the most prolific offense in the history of college football. Our current offense here in Charlottesville is not exactly what I would call prolific.

5- Jon Tenuta Defensive Coordinator – Notre Dame Fighting Irish Salary is unknown. I’m guessing around $500,000.
Tenuta played college football here at Virginia. He’s one of the brightest defensive-minds in college football. A perfect fit here in Charlottesville. Tenuta has got to be sick and tired of living in South Bend, Indiana! Come home Jon and fix your Alma mater’s football program.  Go Hoos.

Some sad news to report today as former UVA great Bob Kowalkowski has passed away in Michigan.  As a standout lineman at Virginia he was a two-time All-American, and in his senior campaign (1966), he was an Academic All-American.  A talented and very tough offensive lineman, Bob played the game as it is supposed to be played, with passion. Only 65 years old when he passed, Bob played most of his NFL career in Detroit and was very active in the community.  He was well known all over Michigan for his charity work.  My close friend Judge Louis Lerner sent me the following email today about his friend Bob.

During the days that followed Ko’s career at Virginia he would return for the Alumni Football Game.  The then current players would quake in their boots as Bob who played O’line for the Lions would line up on the defensive line just so he could deliver some shots to the neophytes.

I once was describing Bob to my son Patrick and Patrick said "Oh, he’s the kind of guy who did not suffer fools gladly."  I replied, "No, he’s the kind of guy who did not suffer fools."

Al Groh had Ko back as a Guest Coach a few years back and he still gave off an ominous presence.  In the Alumni Locker Room after the game, men who played with him and those that played against him in the aforesaid Alumni games approached him with much trepidation.  It was fun to watch. He was a man.  He’s here no more. God Rest his Soul. -Judge Louie Lerner

Today, Hoos football fans everywhere got more more bad new by way of Dr. David Diduch’s dreaded Monday Injury Report. First year tailback Dominique Wallace is out for the year with a foot injury that will require surgery. Also, safety Matt Leemhuis has a season ending clavicle injury that will not require surgery. I have had 6 surgeries as a result of playing football and lacrosse and know exactly how awful these guys must feel. Best of luck to you both and get better soon.

Also today, the ACC announced the North Carolina-Virginia game is set for Noon and will be televised by RAYCOM (NBC29). Hoos-Heels is the South’s oldest football rivalry and there is no team I want to beat more than Carolina. Anyone else find it odd that all four of Virginia’s first 4 games are on TV? Perhaps the sign of some impending doom? Twisted network executives with an odd sense of humor? My early line of this game is Carolina 37-Hoos 27.

On an completely different topic, sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if I had been born in Los Angeles, Tuscaloosa or Gainesville. Go Hoos!

Never in my 38 years of following the Hoos (0-3) has there been a team more in need of a week off from losing.  Jameel Sewell played the best game of his career against Southern Mississippi on Saturday throwing for 312 yards in the loss.  Early in the game Sewell looked like the player he was in 2006. Confident, agile and throwing the ball with a very nice touch. Sewell’s 69 yard TD thrown to Tim Smith, was one of the most beautiful throws I have ever seen.

At tailback we got a peek into the future with Torrey Mack and Dominique Wallace both getting meaningful touches throughout the game.  Filing in for the injured Mikell Simpson, both of these guys showed why the coaching staff was so high on them coming into the season.  The wide receivers, collectively, played their best game of the 2009 campaign.

On the defensive side of the ball the play calling had more rhythm and the linebackers looked much more aggressive.  Steve Greer continued his outstanding play at linebacker as did Corey Mosley at his safety position.  I also thought linebacker Darren Childs played the best game of his career. Chase Minnifield (10 tackles) showed a new-found toughness at the corner, and delivered the blow of the game while knocking unconscious Southern Mississippi wide receiver Johdrick Morris.  The hit certainly drew the anger of the USM fans as well as their coaching staff and later Chase was hammered on a punt return out-of-bounds by Southern Mississippi in what certainly looked like an angry, retaliatory hit.

I don’t think anything short of Virginia finishing with 9 straight wins can save Al Groh’s job, but the Hoos played a much better game Saturday than they have since beating highly favored Georgia Tech last season. Sadly for all Hoos fans, that fun-filled day in October was also the last time Virginia won a game.

Virginia Versus Southern Mississippi Pre-Game Update

As I was perusing the Internet this morning I found some interesting UVA and USM factoids.

*UVA has not had a 200 yard rushing performance since 2004 where Alvin Pearman had 223 yards against Duke.

*UVA has not had a four sack game by one player since Jamie Sharper had it against UNC in 1996.

*UVA has scored ZERO points in the third quarter this season.

*Southern Mississippi has 57 first downs in the first two games and Virginia has only 19.

*Southern Miss has averaged 507.5 yards per game in the first two games and Virginia has averaged only 222.5 yards per game.

My prediction is Southern Mississippi 30 Virginia 13. Go Hoos.

UVA-Southern Miss In-Game Update

UVA is up 27-10 against Southern Miss in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The first half has been a very hard-hitting and smash-mouth contest. Virginia’s Chase Minnifield laid a "Ray Lewis" type of hit on a USM receiver in the second quarter that drew the ire of the Southern Miss crowd as well as their coaches and players.

Jameel Sewell has been on fire so far in the first half and Virginia has dominated the game on every level. Sewell is the leading rusher for the Hoos and is 15/22 for 197 yards and 2 TD’s.

UVA-Southern Miss Final

After being up 27-10 at the half UVA fell to Southern Mississippi 37-34 . It was a a tale of two halves as Southern Mississippi came back in the second half and won their eighth straight contest. Encouraged by Virginia’s penalties and turnovers USM dominated the second half and won the game.

Jameel Sewell finished the game 24/46 for 312 yards (career high) and threw for two touchdowns and one interception in his best performance since his return from academic suspension. Sewell also led Virginia in rushing attempts with 23 runs for 23 yards.

Southern Mississippi in front of 31,170 fans came back with a vengeance in the second half and outscored Virginia 27-7 in the second half. The Golden Eagles won the game on a 57 yard run by Tony Harrison. The PAT was blocked by Matt Conrath to allow Virginia to be behind by only a field goal. Sewell looked completely out of sorts on the last two unsuccessful Virginia drives as USM was able to hold off the Hoos.

Virginia heads in to the bye week 0-3 and the vultures are multiplying. I have to give major props to the Wahoos for playing yard today with their backs to the wall playing in a very hostile environment.

For the past ten seasons Virginia Basketball has been waiting for a "Cash for Clunkers" program or a GM-type of a bailout. Well, we might just have returned from also-ran status with the addition of shiny, new-car smell coach Tony Bennett.

Can Coach Bennett rebuild this program to the Ralph Sampson days? So far the 2006 National Coach of the Year has been hitting the recruiting trail like a man on fire. Virginia has secured 2010 verbal commitments from two three-star recruits and two four-star recruits: shooting guard K.T. Harrell (Montgomery, Alabama); shooting guard Joe Harris (Chelan, Washington); power forward James Johnson (Wildomar, California); and power forward Will Regan (Buffalo, New York). All four of these guys were very heavily recruited and can flat out play ball, and Bennett is not done filling this class yet. The official signing day is not until November, but man, this is a fantastic class being assembled by Coach Bennett.

The Hoos open the regular season Monday, November 30, at the John Paul Jones Arena against Longwood. Both of former coach Dave Leitao’s recruits honored their commitments to attend UVA this Fall; Tristan Spurlock and Jontel Evans will be expected to step in right away and start contributing to help out returning and budding superstar Sylven Landesburg.

Now can Virginia make the NCAA tournament in 2009-2010? I think they can if the freshmen coming in are as good as advertised, and Assane Sene can stay healthy and continue his progression at center.

What do y’all think? Would you rather have had Tubby Smith instead of Tony Bennett? Maybe at first, but now that we have him I think we might have found a diamond in the rough.  Can we win 20 games in his first season?  Sure, why not.  I know it’s a bit early for hoops talk, but I needed to get my head out of the toilet from all the emotional disturbance football has given me already in only the first two weeks. Go Hoos.