The turning of the calendar from October to November brings familiar rhetoric from Virginia football coach Al Groh.
"What happens in November is going to determine how the thing all writes out," Groh said. "Whether you're 8-0 and you think you've really got a chance to do something magical or you're trying to play your way into a certain circumstance."
With the Cavaliers sitting at 4-3 overall (2-3 ACC) and squarely on the "bubble" for a postseason bowl invite, every remaining game holds immense significance. And while Temple (0-9) this Saturday might not present the stiffest of challenges, all of Virginia's final three games are conference matchups against teams with superior records.
But while Groh preaches year in and year out that November is the time of the season to excel, results from past years fail to show any improvement in play by Virginia compared to September and October.
Despite the coach's pleas, wins have been harder to come by for Virginia in November than in any other month. Over the past three seasons, the Cavaliers have gone 2-2 each November. Last year, with the conference title and a top-10 ranking on the line, Virginia lost 31-21 to a reeling Miami team and again two weeks later at Virginia Tech, despite outplaying the Hokies for much of the first half.
November 2003 played out much the same. The Cavaliers went on the road for the first two weeks of the month and lost 51-37 at N.C. State and 27-17 at Maryland before rallying for home wins against Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech. November 2002 saw the Cavaliers sandwich two home victories over N.C. State and Maryland in between two road losses at Penn State and Virginia Tech.
If any silver lining can be gleaned from this mediocre statistic, it's the fact that over the past three years in the month known for Thanksgiving, Virginia has been gluttonous at home, feasting on opponents at will while carving up a 5-1 record. With three of its four 2005 November games held in the friendly confines of Scott Stadium
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