From the Upper Deck: Boise State Comes to Town

The Hoos got in the win column with their victory over the Tribe of William and Mary.  Let's take a look at some of the keys to the game for Friday night.

Bring the energy - That's right.  I said Friday night.  Scott Stadium should be rocking and if the last two years are any indication, the Hoos will be ready to play.  It seems as if they are able to get up for big games in big moments, and with a national TV audience looking on and a brand name football program in town, we hope to see the team we saw against Notre Dame and not the one that showed up against William and Mary. Something Virginia has going for them is Boise State's history in true road games.  In their program's history, the Broncos are 3-13 in games played in their opponent's home stadium when the crowd is over 45,000.  The last of those wins came in 2008.  Let's just hope the announced crowd isn't 44,999.

Make Boise State sustain drives - Honestly, this is just another way to say avoid big plays, but until the defense proves they can keep plays in front of them, this will be a point of emphasis. The big play gave William and Mary a chance last week, and a team like Boise State can score in bunches after putting up 52 against Idaho State last week. Going back to the first point, nothing is more deflating to an energetic crowd than a score that takes less than ten seconds.

Unleash T.J. Thorpe - If the Hoo's defense can avoid the big play, and the offense can create the big play, Virginia will be in business.  Enter T.J. Thorpe.  The undisputed star of training camp, Thorpe has the ability to blow the top off a defense.  That should leave plenty of room underneath for Matt Johns to play pitch and catch with Canaan Severin.  The two combined provide an offensive spark that hasn't been seen for a very long time in Charlottesville.  There is plenty to be excited about, so let's see if the Hoos can make it happen.