Denial is the first stage of grief.
Like many Virginia football fans, I have spent the last few days denying there was a college football game in Atlanta Saturday afternoon. I’ve been reassuring myself that if it wasn’t on basic cable, it must not have happened.
But it’s time to wake up. That game happened. Georgia Tech did beat Virginia 56-20. Georgia Tech did score four touchdowns of 30 yards or more. Virginia did allow 461 yards of rushing to the Yellow Jackets, while the Cavalier offense mustered only 98 of their own. And Virginia did only score two of its touchdowns in garbage time against at least some of Georgia Tech’s second-string defenders.
All of that happened. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but sadly, we as fans must accept it, because although it was a small sample size, Saturday’s contest was a sobering realization of where Virginia’s season could head.
To move past the grief, we first must understand how it happened. One of the prevailing theories around Virginia’s performance is that the loss belongs more or less solely to the Cavalier defense. The defense has taken most of the heat this season but doesn’t deserve exclusive blame.
Virginia beat Penn State despite putting up just 17 points. Obviously, Nittany Lions kicker Sam Ficken missing four field goals had a strong part in the win, but you don’t force that many field goals without getting defensive stops.
And Georgia Tech runs a triple-option offense that is exceedingly difficult to prepare for and execute against. No doubt 461 rushing yards is a huge amount to give up, but even in last year’s upset of the Yellow Jackets, Virginia allowed 272 yards on the ground.
It’s time the offense took responsibility as an equal partner in Virginia’s shaky play this season.
Senior tailback Perry Jones was supposed to be the focal point of the offense, but one year after leading the team in rushing and coming in third in receiving yards, the Chesapeake native has mustered just more than 11 touches per game and is the Cavaliers’ third-leading rusher.
The offensive line has not met expectations either. Virginia has averaged just more than 100 yards rushing per game so far, after rolling up more than 160 per contest last season.
Graduating guard Austin Pasztor and center Anthony Mihota was a blow, but when the team needs one yard on fourth-and-goal, the rusher can’t get stopped in the backfield.
And yet it happened against the Yellow Jackets. Apart from ending a drive, plays like that are momentum killers as well. Although Virginia was down 28-7, Khalek Shepherd had just returned a kickoff all the way to the Georgia Tech 20, and capping off that drive would have given the Cavaliers a manageable two-score game in the second quarter.
Instead, they went back to the sidelines empty-handed, Georgia Tech scored once more before halftime and the game was over after two quarters.
Virginia’s stagnant offense also opened the door for Phillip Sims to take the reins in the fourth quarter. Although Sims’ two touchdowns came against second-stringers, Rocco’s two interceptions fueled fans calling for a switch, perpetuating a quarterback controversy no team wants.
With an underwhelming running game, nagging questions about the quarterback and a demoralized defense, the big question is: What happens next?
The main answer is that the days of “games we should win” are in the past. Nothing can be taken for granted anymore.
After losing cornerback Chase Minnifield and safeties Rodney McLeod and Corey Mosley, the secondary is the most depleted portion of Virginia’s defense. Any team with an experienced, accurate quarterback has the potential to take Virginia down. TCU, Duke, Wake Forest, North Carolina State and North Carolina all fit that bill, with Duke’s Sean Renfree and N.C. State’s Mike Glennon looking to score another win over the Cavaliers.
Miami looks vulnerable this year, but they will be seeking revenge after two straight years of televised upsets by Virginia.
North Carolina is the only remaining team on the schedule with a losing record thus far, but Bryn Renner is a solid quarterback, and the Thursday night ESPN atmosphere will put pressure on Virginia to perform at home. Virginia seems to get up for televised games, but we can’t expect John-Kevin Dolce to crush Jacory Harris, Perry Jones to throw a TD pass, or kickers to miss game-winning field goals every time the Cavaliers are on TV.
Pittsburgh exposed Virginia Tech as overrated this year, but the Hokies also downed Georgia Tech and remain a class ahead of Virginia in football — at least for the moment.
Louisiana Tech and Maryland currently look like the only “sure thing” games on the schedule, but you might not know that Louisiana Tech puts up more than 600 yards of total offense per game — nearly 300 of it on the ground — making the Bulldogs exactly the kind of explosive offense Virginia struggles to stop.
And Maryland … well, wacky stuff tends to happen in rivalry games.
Am I saying Virginia will lose all of its remaining games? Of course not. That is highly unlikely. If I had another column this week I could rationalize ways we could win all our remaining games, but wouldn’t that just be the third stage of grief— bargaining — at work?
But the best way to avoid grief is to see it coming, and it’s time we accepted there are no “sure things” anymore in 2012.
Read More
McCabe Millon ‘is ready for’ the pressure
By Michael Liebermann | 6 hours agoA whole new role awaits the star attackman.
Wrestling enters John Paul Jones Arena hoping for a turnaround
By Ryan Weiner | 19 hours agoThe season's coolest event could double as a big moment in the season's trajectory.
Women’s sports are finally getting the recognition they deserve
By Cierra Lyles | 20 hours agoAttendance at women's sporting events is at an all-time high.
