This year head coach Al Groh watched his team with five first team All-ACC members, two first team All-Americans(Heath Miller and Elton Brown), and one second team All-American (Ahmad Brooks) finish with an 8-4 overall record and blow leads in two of those games(VT, Fresno State). The most talented team in the ACC was no match for the curse.

How else do you explain Virginia's football team blowing a 28-0 halftime lead to Clemson in 1991 and losing 29-28? How else do you explain the loss to Michigan in the Pigskin Classic in 1995 with Virginia watching a 17 point second half lead evaporate against the Wolverines at the Big House, losing 18-17 at the buzzer? What's the matter, still not sold on the idea that outside forces are controlling Virginia's athletic destiny?

Then look no further than the 1999 football season, when the Cavaliers lost to the lowly Duke Blue Devils 24-17 in double overtime. Duke got miraculously lucky to force overtime in that game. Woops! It wasn't luck, it was the curse! What was I thinking?

The Blue Devils were putting together a late drive to try and tie the game up at 17-apiece and were inside the Virginia 10-yard line. With the clock winding down, it appeared as if Virginia had the game in the bag after linebacker Byron Thweat forced a fumble by Letavious Wilks, but it was picked up by Duke wideout Scottie Montgomery. He then heaved the ball across the field to a wide open Richmond Flowers for the tying touchdown with six seconds left. The curse knows no limits.

After Duke threw a touchdown pass in the second overtime, Virginia looked as if it had answered after Dan Ellis threw a touchdown pass to Ahmad Hawkins, but the catch was ruled out of bounds. Sorry Ahmad, natural ability is great, but you're messing with a curse here buddy. Dan Ellis then threw an interception to end the game for the 'Hoos and ensured one of the more painful losses in Virginia football history. Clearly, the Duke loss demonstrates the control the curse has over Virginia athletics. How else do you explain losing to Duke in football?

Creating a curse is a good thing, because that way Virginia fans don't have to blame the coaches, players, or officials for their misery, they can just point to the "Curse of the Silverswords."