Are you ready for some football?
When the Cavaliers take the field against Clemson Thursday night in ESPN's nationally-televised broadcast, there will be even more at stake than avenging an overtime loss that derailed Virginia's aspirations to contend for the conference title last year. The game will also provide the 'Hoos a chance to assert themselves on the national stage in their first game since breaking the top-10 earlier this week.
"We see it as our debut to show the country what we can do," junior co-captain Brennan Schmidt said.
What better venue to demonstrate its status as a legitimate BCS challenger than this one? As Al Groh said, "Thursday night really kicks off the football weekend." A win in Thursday's national spotlight will help Virginia prove its mettle and provide a springboard of momentum into its contest at Florida State the following Saturday, which just so happens to be another night game airing on ESPN.
With a 4-0 record and a 33.5 point average margin of victory, the No. 10 Cavaliers have certainly not gone unnoticed, but critics can easily point to Virginia's weak early season schedule as a major reason for the success. Virginia's first four opponents have a cumulative record of just 7-13, but should that diminish the authoritative way the Cavs have dispatched each team with relative ease?
On paper, Clemson and its 1-3 record might suggest that the Tigers will be another pushover, but don't be fooled by their slow start. Clemson ranked 15th in the preseason and trailed Florida State only 24-22 late in the third quarter two weeks ago in Tallahassee.Virginia can easily be dubbed a surprise for the way it has ascended to the upper echelon of teams in the nation. The last time Virginia was a surprise -- two years ago when the Cavaliers unexpectedly grabbed second place in the ACC -- it did so meekly from a statistical point of view. In 2002, Virginia finished 9-5 but had the eighth-ranked defense and the ninth-best offense. And that was back when the ACC only had nine teams.
This year is different. I can't remember a time when Virginia had compiled such gaudy stats. The Cavaliers are ranked fourth in the nation in scoring offense (45.5 points per game), fifth in rushing offense (284.0 yards per game), seventh in total offense (500.5 ypg) and, yes, even fourth in kick returning (33.5 yards per return).
Thursday night could be a milestone game for this program. It's one thing to be a regionally broadcast game on ESPN2, as was the case for Virginia's opener at Temple, but it's another thing altogether to be televised on a national network when there's no alternate game competing for viewers. Groh called it a "powerful way to get exposure for your University," and players and fans alike are eager for the game.
"I think that atmosphere is going to be exciting," said quarterback Marques Hagans, whose 182.9 passer rating is fourth best in the country.
Senior All-America candidate Elton Brown dispelled the concern that the national attention might in any way be detrimental.
"I don't think you can be over-hyped or over-excited," he said.
This is college football at its finest. When asked even just this past summer about home football games in Charlottesville, I raved about our tradition and about how much fun the gameday experience was, but I always had to qualify my statements with "for Virginia" or "for a second-tier program like ours."
No longer is such a restriction necessary. Earlier this season, a scouting friend of Groh's described the Scott Stadium atmosphere as one of the best he's seen in college football, and Thursday should be our best demonstration of support yet.
From the Wahoo Walk (the team's march through tailgating fans en route to the stadium) to an overwhelming Sea of Orange, Virginia football is standing in the threshold that separates college football's powerhouses from the wanna-bes. Thursday's game is to show that we belong with the best.
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