I'm still not sure Virginia knows what hit them on Saturday down in South Florida. One second the Hoos are up 10-3, the next they're walking away 17-52. At the end of the day, Virginia was just outrun, out-talented, out-play-called, and ultimately, outscored by the No. 16 Miami Hurricanes. I think the statistic that sums this all up is the total yards line: Miami's Graig Cooper, 152. Virginia's Offense: 149.
Washington Post Staff Writer summarizes it best:
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Virginia's Patch Duda and Raynard Horne sprinted hard after Miami's Thearon Collier, their eyes trained on his jersey and nothing else, both in perfect position to keep the speedy kick returner from turning the corner and heading up field. And then came a pair of Hurricanes sprinting full-tilt and, one right after the other, Duda and Horne got laid out with two of the most bone-crunching blocks you will see. Just like that, Collier broke free down the right sideline, returning a punt 60 yards for a touchdown late in the first quarter. Just like that, the previously sleepy Miami crowd of 48,350 woke up. Just like that, the Hurricanes were off and running. And they didn't stop. |
No, they didn't.
For Virginia, it was an all-too-familiar story. Virginia's offense only put up 7 points on the board, when Rashawn Jackson, who had a great game altogether, broke a few tackles and, 34 yards later, crossed the plane into the endzone. Our other touchdown came from a Virginia blocked punt, recovered and returned 20 yards by Bill Shautz for the touchdown. The other three points came off an interception by Ras-I Dowling followed by a 49 yard return. Three downs and 2 yards later, Virginia was forced to take the field goal. This was the first time Virginia had blocked two punts in the same game since 1996 against NC State.
Our defense is good -- and for that you have to credit Al Groh, as Defensive Coordinator -- but they are being hung out to dry out there. The offense needs to step up its game if Virginia is to have any sort of respectable November. By the way, we haven't won a November game since 2007.
There's really not much more to say about this contest that you can't read straight off of VirginiaSports.com.
"It's a lot hotter down here than it is in Virginia, so that broke a lot of people's bodies down," said CB Ras-I Dowling. "But fatigue is not the cause of the loss."
By the way, this was Al Groh's 125th game coached in the ACC, which ranks 4th in league history.