Following Saturday's 31-17 loss to Virginia Tech, one has to wonder why the Virginia football team's offensive unit even takes the field in the first half of play. For the second consecutive game, the Cavaliers bumbled, stumbled and fumbled their way to a sizeable first-half deficit, which proved insurmountable this time around.
Virginia's second drive of the game set the stage for the rest of the first half. With Hokies' linebacker Ben Taylor draped around his waist, Virginia quarterback Bryson Spinner neglected to protect the ball and fumbled it away to the Cavaliers' own 18-yard line. After Virginia Tech scored on that possession, wide receiver Tavon Mason decided to give the Hokies another shot at the end zone by allowing the ball to pop out of his hands and into a pile of would-be tacklers on the ensuing kickoff. Not to be outdone, Spinner teased Virginia fans with an eight-play, 52-yard drive to the Hokie 21-yard line before throwing an ill-advised pass up the middle with a Virginia Tech lineman wrapped around his legs to Virginia Tech free safety Willie Pile. Running back Alvin Pearman finally closed the curtain on Virginia's comedy of first-half errors by dropping a Virginia Tech punt to give the Hokies the ball on the Cavaliers' 15-yard line. By halftime, Virginia Tech had scored 24 points off Virginia turnovers and led the Cavaliers, 31-0.
"We just shot ourselves in the foot," senior running back Antwoine Womack said.
When the second half began, those Virginia fans still watching the game likely had visions of the Cavaliers' second-half comeback against Georgia Tech dancing through their heads. Indeed, the Cavaliers indulged these fantasies by turning a Virginia Tech turnover into seven points. Eight plays after safety Chris Williams intercepted a Grant Noel pass, Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub scored on a 2-yard quarterback sneak to put the Cavaliers on the board seven minutes past the break.
But if it took a hook and ladder to climb out of last week's 17-7 hole, nothing less than a rocket pack could have blasted the Cavaliers past the Hokies and their 31-point lead.
After the final whistle sounded, one is left to wonder at what could have been. The Virginia defense played admirably all day. Sure, it surrendered 31 points, but Virginia's offensive turnovers kept the defense on the field for a prolonged period of time and gave the Hokies outstanding field position. Three Virginia Tech scoring drives went 18 yards or less and resulted in 17 points.
|
Without those three turnovers deep in Virginia's own territory, even a rather pedestrian Cavaliers' offensive effort could have won the game. Indeed, the Cavaliers played an impressive second half only if one compares it to their dismal first half. After mustering only 49 yards passing before the break, Virginia tacked on an encouraging yet unimpressive 212 after. The running game continued to sputter and the Cavaliers actually lost a total of 19 yards rushing in the second half to finish with 8 yards on the ground. But take Virginia's three own-zone turnovers away and the game becomes a 17-14 celebration in Charlottesville.
Virginia coach Al Groh has made a difference in his inaugural season. From opening conference play with a 26-24 upset over Clemson on Sept. 22 to guiding the Cavaliers to a comeback victory over Georgia Tech, Groh has shown that the Cavaliers are capable of winning in the waning moments of a game. But if the Cavaliers wanted to return to national prominence, Groh must make sure that the team shows up to play for 60 minutes of the game, not just 30.
The Cavaliers always should be battling the team on the opposite sideline, never their first-half doppelgangers.
Read More
Football lands three additional transfers
By Peter Kriebel | YesterdayOne common trait that stands out with this most recent batch of transfers is size.
Men’s basketball suffers road drubbing versus California
By Emory Huffman | YesterdayVirginia submitted another rudderless performance.
