{mosimage} Ladies and gentlemen, who would've thought this? After getting thrashed by the Wyoming Cowboys in Laramie 23-3, the Virginia Cavaliers(7-1, 4-0 ACC) have rattled off seven straight wins, matching the longest winning streak in school history. Five of those wins have come by 5 points or less and it is safe to say that no other team in the country has matched the "Cardiac Cavaliers'" ability to pull out the close games. Al Groh's Cavaliers are currently sitting in a comfortable, but very unfamiliar position: first place in the ACC Coastal Division standings. There is something about that last phrase that just reads incredibly well. When you're a Virginia fan you realize that times like this don't come along very often and you learn to enjoy every last second of it. Let's take a look at the final few games on the slate for the ‘Hoos and see if the dream season will continue for Al Groh or if his Cavaliers will come crashing back down to earth.

Virginia should take care of business this weekend against N.C. State, but the biggest thing is that N.C. State appears to be catching fire at the most inopportune of times. They had their best performance of the year in their 34-20 win against ECU last weekend. N.C. State quarterback Daniel Evans threw for over 300 yards and the Wolfpack defense racked up 6 sacks! That's very impressive and this game kind of scares me to tell you the truth, because UVA has fallen victim over the years to the all-too-familiar "trap game". Virginia was coming off their second win over FSU in a decade in 2005 and then traveled into Chapel Hill, N.C. next week and layed an egg. The ‘Hoos ran an endless amount of stretch plays and lost 7-5 to a UNC team that posted just five wins that season. The UNC loss is easily one of the most embarrassing in UVA history. I don't care if it was on the road, that UNC team was terrible. Their quarterback was named Matt Baker, quick how many people on earth can tell me who the heck Matt Baker is?! That's what I thought, nobody. Anyways, back to the Wolfpack. In the end, N.C. State's rush defense is ranked 103rd in the nation and Mikell Simpson, Keith Payne, and Andrew Pearman(if he plays) are likely licking their chops. I look for the Cavaliers to pound the rock and pound it with authority against the Wolfpack and prevail on the road.

Injury report: Virginia's leading rusher, running back Cedric Peerman will likely not be able to play this weekend; he injured his foot against Middle Tennessee State and hasn't been back on the field since. Look for versatile fullback Rashawn Jackson to possibly make his return to the line-up this weekend as well. "I watched him run for a long time [Monday] night," Groh said, "and he certainly has progressed well beyond where he was last week. We'll just see what kind of load he can carry and then what kind of strength he has in there, so he doesn't go in there and run two or three plays and then [hurt his hamstring] all over again."

If quarterback Daniel Evans gets hot again he could very easily make this a close game, because if cornerback Chris Cook is out, Evans will to take a blowtorch to the Cavalier secondary. Vic Hall performed at a very high level against Maryland last Saturday(he held Darrius Heyward-Bey to 54 yards receiving on 4 catches), but it is my belief that Hall is a playmaker and he would be best-suited for the offensive side of the ball. It has been well-documented that Hall was one of the most decorated signal callers in Virginia High School football history. He set the Virginia High School record with 13, 770 yards of total offense in his career. He also led his team(Gretna High School) to back-to-back state titles. You cannot ignore those numbers and I realize that he is short(around 5'9), but Marques Hagans was around 5'9 and he was one of the best quarterbacks in Virginia football history by the time he wrapped up his career in Charlottesville.

Should Virginia play Hall at quarterback? It certainly wouldn't hurt to get Hall some reps in practice and get him acquainted with the offense, because I think Hall would be better suited to run Virginia's offense at this point than Peter Lalich. Let me make one thing clear, I think that Peter Lalich is going to be very good and will likely finish his career in Charlottesville as one of the best quarterbacks in Virginia football history. He has a tremendously high football IQ, is a natural leader, and is an ultra-accurate passer. That said, he's still a freshman still and is going to need to learn a number of things before he's ready to be a starter on the Division 1 level.

Simply put, there was no excuse for Virginia's coaches not to give Vic Hall reps at quarterback in the spring, when we had the likes of Scott Deke and Marc Verica running the Cavalier offense in the Spring Game. I know that the coaches were trying to get Vic ready to play cornerback, but it seems to me like we have a couple of other options that would be better than him(Mike Parker,and Ras-I Dowling) come to mind. Hall has struggled tremendously with making tackles in the open field(some of which isn't his fault because he is so small), and he's struggled in coverage numerous times(please see Uconn pass interference penalty). I know he's still young and learning the position, but I just feel like Hall doesn't have the natural instincts that a great cover corner should have on the collegiate level. It's not his fault either, because he's been playing offense his most life and for good reason--he is a playmaker and that is what he was born to do. At the very least, UVa could use him on more trick plays(Uconn game), line him up at WR and run sweeps with him and use his speed to attack the edges of the defense. Uva could bring him in on run specific plays as well, kind of like the way Florida employed Tim Tebow last year. At the very least, Vic Hall should have 6-7 touches a game on offense, because he's shown how dangerous he can be with the rock in his hands(Pitt, Uconn).

Al Groh's best statement is when he was talking to the team about how these last 4 games will mark how truly special this season will be. In my opinion, this season is always going to be special, regardless of if the Cavaliers lose 3 of the next 4(which could easily happen), because this 7-game winning streak has been one in which the Cavaliers have had nearly every call go their way, every bounce roll their way. If the Cavaliers were able to win out and go to the ACC title game, then that would make this team one of the best Virginia football teams I have ever seen in my life. They are certainly not the most talented, but Al Groh has noted, this team has tremendous character and has a knack for pulling out the close games.

This season is eerily reminiscient of the 2002 season, in which the Cavaliers performed the unexpected and had nearly every bounce roll their way. That was a magical season and the 2007 campaign is shaping up to be just as magical. Before the season started I said 8 wins would be a very good season for the Cavaliers and that number will likely be reached this weekend against N.C. State. The final kick of the Cavaliers schedule is never easy and they finish with two of the best teams in the ACC(Wake, VT) and a dangerous Miami team on the road.


Anyways I will have more analysis on the final three games as they come along, my initial read is:

Wake: I don't like Virginia's chances against an immensely talented quarterback like Riley Skinner(2006 ACC POY), because T.J. Yates(UNC) is the only good quarterback the Virginia defense has faced all season long. I'd look for Skinner to have a huge day and Virginia is going to need to play their best football to win, because Wake is one of the best-coached teams in the ACC. They always come to play and they will always make you earn your victories.

at Miami: Miami is a team that is having a horrendous season, by their standards at least. They are a team that has been highly consistent (thrashing a talented Texas A and M team at home), but then they decide to go up to UNC and get manhandled in the first half against UNC(they ended up losing 33-27). If the Hurricanes come to play, they can be a pretty tough team to beat. Once you add in the fact that Virginia football has never won a game in the state of Florida in school history (I think the Cavs are 0-18 in the Sunshine State, something ridiculous like that).

Virginia Tech: the Hokies are probably, at least on the defensive side of the ball, the most talented team in the ACC. The problem is, it took them three games into the season to wake up, because they didn't start playing like they should have been playing until the Ohio game.

I think they are one of the few defenses in the ACC that will force Jameel Sewell to throw deep. Sewell is excellent at hitting the shorter passes, the shovel passes, the swing passes, the screens, etc. but cannot throw a deep ball to save his life. One poster on a Virginia message board astutely noted that he over strides when he plants his foot to throw the ball, which causes his ball to sail when he throws it deep. I agree with that analysis. I don't like Virginia's chances against the Hokies at home, especially if they can stop the run and the shorter passes and force Jameel Sewell to attack the defense vertically. The Hokies could also have one of their biggest playmakers back on the field in linebacker Vince Hall, who is without question one of the best linebackers in college football. I was in the stands for the Ohio-VT game and watched Hall rack up 14 tackles in that game, which is flat out amazing. The Virginia Tech defense didn't allow Ohio to gain a single first down the entire second half! Hall and Xavier Adibi combined for 25 tackles that game and the two form the best linebacking duo in college football, in my opinion. Hall suffered a broken wrist against Duke and had surgery on October 7^th. It sounds like he will return for the Hokies November 10^th contest against FSU. If the 'Hoos want to pull out that one, they are going to have to figure out how to move the rock against that tenacious Hokie defense. I'm not so sure they can, but the way Mikell Simpson played in the Maryland game(271 all-purpose yards) makes me think that if he plays like that, nobody will be able to stop him. The game will be played at home for the Cavaliers and it is a rivalry game, so anything can happen.

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Personal Foul said:

	Great article Wade. I think Hall and Adibi have beaten out Karlos Dansby and Dontarrius Thomas as in the college f-ball archives. I gotta say though, I'm still a little bitter about Virginia's romp over Pitt in the 2003 Continental Tire Bowl!
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October 26, 2007
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Lloyds Apple said:

It's gotta be tough to be a Pitt fans these days. Personally, I liked Walt Harris and not Porn 'Stash Jr. As for Virginia, I plead ignorance up until recently. I know they've had some good recruiting classes and Cavalier fans seem to buy into what Al Groh is doing. In a way, I like teams that win close games every week. Teams that always win big are destined to stumble (Oklahoma). Are you predicting a 9-3 season?

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October 26, 2007
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wpeery said:

Jason, I swear we think alike on so many different things in college football and it is very funny that you mention Karlos Dansby and Dontarrious Thomas--those two are my favorite linebacking duo in college football history. I'm not sure if I would say that Adibi and Hall have passed Thomas and Dansby, but they certainly deserved to be mentioned in the same company as one of the best linebacker duos in college football history. Karlos Dansby is one of my favorite football players of all-time and I absolutely loved watching him play at Auburn. Thomas is up there too, but Dansby is in a league of his own in terms of my favorites. A 'man-crush" is well in effect! Haha. Jesse--putting me on the spot there! Let me start by saying I will never be a huge Al Groh fan, because of the way he allowed the best quarterback on the Virginia roster last season to walk out the door, Kevin McCabe. Groh went with a more unproven quarterback with a high ceiling instead of a more proven quarterback who gave the Cavaliers the best chance of winning in the present. I don't think I will ever forgive him for that decision. Many UVA fans on the message boards, you can just tell they are searching for reasons to try and get Al Groh fired. The only way Al Groh could get canned this season is if UVA lost every single one of their six remaining games on the slate(which isn't very likely). The Virginai Tech game is looking more and more winnable, because VT's offense is absolutely atrocious with Sean Glennon at the helm. If he is the starting QB in the game, I will pick UVA without a doubt. His decision making is terrible and add to the fact that he has really bad accuracy issues, then you have one of the worst quarterbacks in Division 1 football(please join elite company along side Ohio's Brad Bower). I like Virginia to win the N.C. State game this weekend and that is the only game left on the slate that I would chalk up for the Cavaliers and I also like them to win their bowl game because of Al Groh's suprising success with the bowl games to give the Cavaliers a 9-4 finish on the season, which in my opinion would be remarkably good for the Cavaliiers. I can easily see many fans whining, but trust me, Virginia fans have no reason to whine after this 7-game winning streak. Nearly every bounce has gone their way and nearly every call has gone their way(including the two calls late in the Maryland game) but I could easily see a ref blowing either one of those. I was happy to see both calls were legitimate, good calls, for once. Some Cavalier fans might call me pessimistic at this point, but I say I'm just realistic about this Virginia squad. I could see this team running the table the rest of the way(of couse that is in my wildest dreams), but then I wake up and realize that Virginia has won five games by 5 points or less this season. If the lucky streak were to continue at this alarming pace, they could go down as one of the luckiest college football teams in the history of the game(right up there beside the 2002 luckeyes, the luckiest college football team of all-time, in my opinion). I just think at some point, the Cavaliers' luck is going to run out. My heart tells me no, but my mind tells me yes. I think when Virginia faces defenses that actually game-plan well for QB Jameel Sewell and force him to attack the field vertically, they will lose. Take away the short stuff and the Cavaliers running game and you will likely beat them, because I can't see them moving the football with Jameel Sewell's deep ball(which is one of the worst in college football). Sorry I went so in-depth about that, so to answer your question Jesse, I'm thinking a 9-4 record for the Cavaliers, which would be very fitting because it would be so close to the 9-5 record in 2002 that the Cavaliers posted, a season of tremendous fortune. 2007 is shaping up to be very much the same. I certainly wouldn't complain with that finish at all.

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October 26, 2007
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Personal Foul said:

Porn stash Jr ! Haha! Madden might've started a trend with that one. Walt Harris couldn't recruit to save his life but the team was winning in those years somehow. He pulled Larry Fitzgerald, Tyler Palko and Antonio Bryant but Pitt had only one lineman drafted from a Harris team in his entire tenure - amazing. Wannstedt will pull it together though, he has recruited like a champ. Pitt's recruiting classes were ranked in the top 20 the last two years wheras I think Harris had only one his entire career. Again, amazing.

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October 26, 2007
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Lloyds Apple said:

Wade- Yeah the Luckeyes, who had a RECORD 14 NFL PLAYERS DRAFTED the next season. Don't get me started, they had one of the best defenses of my lifetime that year. Of course, when Clarrett was injured the O left a lot to be desired. Miami grabbed, held and got their knee's bent in half in that game. Seriously, their O-Line could do nothing against OSU's front four, except hope and pray the ref's ignored holding all night, which they pretty much did. I could go on, but OSU won, so I won't. Only Tressel could have won a championship with that team, utilizing the best defense and ST (Mike Nugent) to perfection. It would piss me off too if my team did not play to win for the Seniors. I think we can call this the "Charlie Weis approach." Still, Groh is doing alright and should stick around. Fans are always looking for the next best thing, but hell, look at Tony Dungy leaving the Bucs. Or Frank Solich. Then again, look at Urban Meyer at UF. Personally, I (generally speaking) think a coach should be given 2-3 years more than what I hear other fans say because the coaching carousel creates a bad stigma with college teams. Loyalty with recruits, coaches and fans is basically non-existent. Contracts should mean something....Billy Donovan! PF- Yeah, Fitzgerald was a great in college, for sure. Too bad he did not hang around college for another year. I liked Harris for his stategery (thanks Bush). He always overachieved. I guess I'll leave the verdict open for PS2 and he is a true PITT guy. We'll see. The Big East is getting pretty damn competitive these days, for sure.

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October 27, 2007
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wpeery said:

	Virginia doesn't have any official Chris Long websites, but this is the best fan site on thesabre.com that I could find. It has some great video--keeps track of all of his stats and everything. Just in case you are interested, here is the link to the site: http://www.thesabre.com/chrislong/
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October 30, 2007
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