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Why isn't our team speed better

When I watch most other teams in football and then us, we look slow as dirt. Even Tech looks a step quicker when we play them. Are we not recruiting enough speed or is our SC program missing something where our guys get slower over time? Quin looks slower than last year.

Speed has been a problem since late under Groh and London which I don't get because a lot of these guys had decent times coming out of HS.

This is just another example of the whole program needs to be stripped down with the next coach because many problems go past just coaching and SC needs to be overhauled for football as well because guys are get bigger, but slower at Uva it seems.

Could UVA do the absolute stupidest thing and bring London back to avoid buying him out

So in a dicussion with a friend of mine whose dad is in the money circle that I went to Uva with keeps trying to convince me that some people on the money side of things because of the money going to baseball and basketball refuse to buy out another coach because of what we did with our last two basketball coaches and Groh. That is about as crazy as crazy can be but at same time our upper heads dealing with football are so incapable of making the right decision that even in my heart I feel 99% London is gone, but that 1% trust of stupidity still sits here having heard it before. I believe it possibly because the way the people in charge of football have dealt with this program has been an absolute joke. This firing will be more than just a fired coach because if we don't do a complete reboot with who cares about running the football program. We will get a sub par coach that will keep us at the bottom of the ACC for at least another decade. How on earth could a decision be made last season to not only bring him back but to announce it before the Virginia Tech game when these are the same people who made genius hires in baseball and basketball? At this point I know it sounds like turning our backs on the kids, but we might have to start emptying Scott Stadium and making it look like the University of Miami on a Saturday to really embarrass the football program and they still might be drinking margaritas with the smile. The only reason I refuse to give up my season tickets I bought since college is because the ones I don't use which have been many in the last few years I give to special needs kids who otherwise couldn't go to the games and that's the only reason I continue to buy tickets because otherwise I wouldn't give UVA a dollar out of my pocket until changes are made.
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Stats for today's game

The stats were almost identical' Both teams made 16 first downs with 7 by rushing and 9 by passing. Pitt gained 141 yards rushing, and UVA gained 139. Pitt gained 209 yards passing, and UVA gained 220. Pitt had 5 penalties for 40 yards, and UVA had 4 for 22 yards. So what was the difference in the final score? I Believe that there were two obvious problems. First 74 of our yards rushing were on one play, and that play did not lead to a touchdown. Second, and related to the first, UVA had 2 opportunities in the red zone, which resulted in 2 field goals' Pitt had 4 opportunities which ended in 2 touchdowns and 1 field goal.

Tough Loss for the Redskins

This will be two INTs in Kirk Cousin's column, but this was all his WRs that gift wrapped both INTs. The Garcon juggling a catch, then tips it up to a DB standing right beside him. Grant with poor route runs/slip/fall that leads to an easy pick; game over.

Cousins is doomed with this core group of green 1st/2nd year practice squad promoted WRs. When your original number #2 veteran in Andre Roberts is demoted for a first year rookie that was suppose to just be a practice squad guy speaks volumes of the receivers on this team. Garcon has had a knack for tipping balls up for INTS; although not as bad as butter fingers Roberts that accounted for Cousins 1/3 of his INTS last year. Roberts was demoted last week for dropping catches in his hands at critical times, wide open that would have been easy TDs.

It doesn't help the 20 something Offensive Coordinator and Gruden are dysfunctional to repeat the same mistakes from last year to bring in Roberts on the last series that hadn't been in the game and then go to Grant that has shown to run poor routes, has several slips and falls, especially last year and drops balls that hit him in the hands during critical times. Crowder seems to be the surest of hands, even above Garcon that disappears for segments. Typical bad luck, Matt Jones was out because of a toe injury issue in the last series.

We as fans can thank Reed and D jax for being NO SHOWS. I would cut Reed and get a RELIABLE TE that can string at least 6 or 7 games of productivity and can stay on the field. This guy has ridiculously shown he can't stay on the field beyond two games since arriving. Lots of his bumps are of his own doing and not playing smart. He constantly gets big gains from other WR/RBs called back because of just boneheaded penalties away from the ball and after the run or receiver has gone by. Morris had a 19 yard gain called back because Reed decides he would throw a player to the ground after the play was by him and whistled dead. Morris simply walked by Reed rolling his eyes and shaking his head at Reed in disguise!
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How would you split the roster for the Blue/White scrimmage?

Plenty of depth to make 2 balanced squads. 16 players on the roster...13 scholarship, 3 walk-on. How would you divide them? I'll go...

PG - Perrantes
SG - Hall
C - Nichols
SF - Nolte
PF - Gill
Bench - Salt, J. Jones, Kirven

PG - Thompson
SG - Brogdon
C - Tobey
SF - Shayok
PF - Wilkins
Bench - Diakite, Reuter, Bartley

Two definite starters on both sides. First group a little more experienced, second group a little more athletic.

1-11 might be right

I really thought after the Notre Dame game maybe this team had a shot to win five or six games, but enough's enough of bad coaching, playing 10 yards off the ball on a soft cushion to let them throw 6 yard passes on 3rd and 5. Players are not getting better, our time management game in and game out might be the worst not only in college football but I've seen high school programs with better management. Was going to wait patiently till the end of the year but if we lose to Syracuse next week it's time for London to go. No point to sugarcoat it or make these kids suffer any longer because the writing is on the wall.
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Coaching change needed NOW not later.

I think when our kids play well it is in spite of mike London not because of him. Watching the game yesterday I believe we have more talent than Pitt does but as always the coach found a way to lose the game for the team. That is crazy to say isn't it? But all of the delay of games because they don't send the call in until 10 sec on the play clock, crazy amount of discipline penalties, and stupid clock management time out calls. THAT IS COACHING! These kids have to much talent and I do believe with the right coach could play with most of the teams in the country as shown in there tough schedule this year. There should be a coaching change now not later if nothing more than for the kids sake.
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Typical Virginia Football Game

1. Be behind the eight ball schedule wise turning a road game you would like to win into a must win to keep your bowl hopes alive - Check

2. Get behind early due to bonehead plays and coaching so you have to play the rest of the game from behind - Check

3. Make inexplicable bonehead coaching error - this time by not calling timeout to avoid a delay of game when you had 3rd and goal at the 6, and then failing to call a timeout on the next play when you could tell the players could not get lined up. Check

4. Play good football to keep game close so your long suffering fans cannot turn off the TV and enjoy a beautiful Saturday. Check

5. Make a huge play leading your long suffering fans asking can this team really overcome a 13 point deficit by scoring 2 touchdowns and making a defensive stop. Check

6. Crushing those hopes with an importune special teams blunder, this time a blocked extra point. Check

7. Having two huge 50/50 calls go against you on the final drive. Check

8. Lose another game that you could have won. Check.

To me, this was simply a typical Mike London football game.

Michigan

We could be a small version of them next year

Talent already in the team, but bad coaching

Not saying we will win 9 next year like they will this season, but good coaching can turn a team around quick

People thought it would take Jim H 2-3 years, but this is a 9 win team now with losses that might only be Utah, OSU and Mich St. Beat teams you are supposed too. We would be 3-1 this year with better coaching

It's tragic

These kids deserve so much more, far better coaching, much better leadership. It is profoundly disturbing that this administration is not just content but endorsing such poor teaching, such garbage leadership such incompetent playcalling.

This group of young men, with proper coaching, would be contending for the ACC coastal championship. Instead, our administration is so enamored with CML that they have sacrificed these young men's chance for success and future, all for the sake of a "nice guy".

That is tragic and inexcusable.

QB Controversy?

What do you all think? Are we going to be seeing more of Brewer? Johns has two years left. I'd like to stick with him but can understand if we decide to open it up a little the next couple games. Also noticed that Turtle is enjoying retweeting comments from anyone on the internet who thinks that he should be starting, which is annoying. Someone on staff should probably tell him to cut that out.

WAR ROOM-- 10.9.15

The WAR ROOM is back and this special edition is full of hoops recruiting scoop! The Wahoos have one scholarship in 2017 but that doesn't necessarily mean they're in a position to use it just yet. We'll give you the latest on the thought process in terms of UVa's need in that class and how that impacts things, which sets the table in terms of where recruiting goes as the calendar moves forward. We'll also touch base on a host of recruits that have been visited lately by the staff and give you a sense of where things stand in a few of those recruitments. We'll also focus on a few players that will likely be coming into town soon for the team's annual fall underclassmen event.


As always, what's said in the War Room, stays in the War Room. Let's go!


Continuing to focus forward

Before we get to some of the prospects that UVa has visited recently, we thought it would be a good idea to touch base one again on methodology. About a month ago, we said that in looking ahead, the staff was in a little bit of limbo (the good kind) as far as the direction with which to use its one scholarship in 2017. A lot of that came from the fact that it wasn't clear as exactly what the need in that class will be from a personnel standpoint.

In talking to sources this week, that remains the case. Tony Bennett and his staff are looking at guards and bigs alike in that class, though we still get the vibe that the most likely scenario remains taking a point guard. We can't say, though, how long that vibe will last. One thing to keep in mind as things move forward is that because of the previous reading of the tea leaves, the staff has a good handle on the point guards in 2017. But when it comes to big men, the feeling is that they're probably in the exact opposite position.

So over the next few months, don't be surprised to see various staff members out on the road simply touching base with bigs in that class and watching them strictly from the scouting standpoint. It could be a while before they ID a target and make any sort of push.

Recent visits

Over the past week and a half or so, the staff has been out on the road visiting prospects over several classes. The guy we heard that Bennett went to see personally is Michael Okauru, a 6-foot-3 guard from Raleigh (NC) Ravenscroft. Word we've heard is that Bennett really loved what he saw and there's some thought that he's a kid who could really blow up in the not too distant future. At this point UVa has not offered but there is some momentum in that direction. Either way, we hear Okauru really likes the Cavaliers and what he's been hearing from the staff.

Of course, the most likely recruit for UVa to get with that 2017 scholarship is probably still four-star Rivals150 point guard Matt Coleman, though Texas has made a nice push here. Virginia's staff made the trip out to Oak Hill this week to check in on the Virginia legacy and word continues to be that he's very receptive to the Cavaliers. Again, though, he's in absolutely no rush to make a decision. As we outlined above, Virginia is in no real rush to use its one scholarship in 2017 so Coleman's pace might fit the Hoos well here. It's growing harder to say with any certainty just what will happen in his recruitment, especially given the fact that he clearly wants to go somewhere where he's needed and UVa is a little on the fence about needing a PG. We don't expect the Cavaliers to fade from his list or anything like that but it's something to keep an eye on moving forward, as is the interest level from Duke and North Carolina. His recruitment, simply put, will be a marathon.

Virginia also made stops to see 2018 guys like 6-foot-6 forward Jarius Hamilton of Charlotte and 6-foot-4 guard Nate Hinton from Gastonia (NC), and 2019 elite forward Wendell Moore. On Moore, he's going to be one of the most highly recruited guys in his class and word is, after being visited by UVa and Duke, he'll be in Lexington this weekend to see Kentucky after taking a visit to Tennessee. UVa also checked in on four-star 2017 point guard Lavar Batts, which is one name to keep in mind going forward, and 2019 Columbia (SC) forward Christian Brown.

We've heard the staff will likely be out early next week in the Baltimore/DC area checking in on a variety of prospects.

Upcoming underclassmen event

In the past, UVa has tried to line up one event in the fall for underclassmen to come on Grounds for a visit that usually included roughly 15-20 prospects. Often times, that event included guys that the staff may have seen a couple of months earlier at Elite Camp. The thinking with this event was to have those guys that the staff liked return to Charlottesville but this time getting to experience a football game as well as a team practice.

While it still sounds like that event is a go, the specifics of it could be changing. Word we've heard is that Bennett and his staff are looking at possibly tweaking it, so that instead of having so many prospects in town at once they instead get four or five guys. This way, they're able to do much of the same work but on a more personal scale. A change like this says a lot about the maturation of the recruiting process for UVa but also too about the pending demand from recruits. Simply put: Virginia is becoming a place that kids want to go and see, so the staff might have to start making choices so as to maximize time with guys they're genuinely interested in.

At this point, we've heard a few names for this fall event which, given that the final Saturday of the month is Halloween (and closed scrimmages coming up against VCU and Vanderbilt), it lining up to be next weekend for the Syracuse game. (We also believe the Cavaliers will bring some prospects in when the football team is on the road but the hoops team is holding its open Blue-White scrimmage the following weekend).

Okauru is a guy we've heard will likely get an invite, along with Hamilton, four-star 2018 guard Rechon Black from Concord (NC), and a couple of players we've talked about in the past: 2018 shooting guard Myles Dread from Washington (DC) Gonzaga and 2018 four-star point guard Darius Garland from Nashville.

That is it for this week, and as always, what's said here, stays here!
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