Virginia is not doing well. At all. At the half, Georgia Tech is up 35-7 on a Virginia defense that is still hanging out at Boylan Heights in Charlottesville, Virginia. UVa's secondaries are, almost as to be expected, looking young and inexperienced out there, while Georgia Tech seems like they've had months of rest and preparation for this game.
That is kind of interesting, because one of the points of focus of Virginia throughout spring practice and even through fall camp was on Georgia Tech's triple offense. But to Virginia's credit, Georgia Tech has been more than just the triple option today. The Jackets came out big on their first possession of the game with a 70 yard pass from Tevin Washington to Zach Laskey. They followed that with a two-play, 80 yard drive for a touchdown.
So, in just 48 seconds of possession, Georgia Tech was already up 14-0 on the Cavaliers. Interestingly, this notwithstanding, Georgia Tech leads the time of possession in the first half, 15:25 to Virginia's 14:35.
Fans on Twitter are calling for Michael Rocco to step out and for Phillip Sims to come in to save the day.
Rocco has indeed fallen short on several key plays, including an underthrown pass to Perry Jones that could very well have resulted in a touchdown had Rocco hit the mark. Instead, the play was reviewed and, somehow, the play stood as a catch.
Is it time for Sims to come in? While Sims had one or two sharp plays against Richmond and Penn State (the latter under controversy whether Sims should have come in at all), it's unclear whether he's enough to change the momentum of this game.
The bottom line is this: Michael Rocco is not the sole cause of the current 35-7 disaster that's unfolding before our very eyes. If Virginia's defense doesn't show up to play in the second half, it won't matter whether it's Rocco, Sims, Watford, Tebow, Brees, or the Almighty Himself who calls the plays. Alright, maybe He Almighty.