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The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Virginia Edition

What went right, what went wrong, and everything in between Vs UVA. Plus team grades.

By Jerry Steinberg

First and foremost, our prayers and thoughts are with Herb Waters.

ESPN reported that Waters was moving his extremities,  But his injury was severe or scary enough that he was apparently immobilized and Duke Johnson was brought to tears.

We will bring you up to speed on anything additional we hear.

As for the game...

The Good:

  • Virginia's opening drive was stopped single-handed by Denzel Perryman, who destroyed two blockers to blow up a screen pass on third down.  Great individual effort. It felt like DP was in on about a million stops and forced like 4 fumbles (too bad half of them weren't counted) tonight.  Best player on the field, despite an awful team effort.
  • Brad Kaaya sure does throw a pretty deep ball,  or as ESPN's Brad Tessitore called it,

  • Rare to put an opposing team in the good section, but Canaan Severin's one handed 2nd quarter TD gets props.
  • Clive Walford played this game like it was his last.  His effort on the RAC was impressive, and he saved 4 points running down a UVA defender after the blocked FG.
  • Duke showed some real leadership (not to mention anger) after another UM drive was stopped in the second half. The way his team was playing it was much needed.


The Bad:

  • Get well soon DB!

  • What Cam said:

  • Too many mistakes overall.   Missed assignments on crossing patterns and lack of contain on outside runs. Blown protections leading to big hits on your future star QB, fumbles, piss poor execution on FGs.....two costly penalties and a TO squandered in the first three minutes of the second half..  and on and on and on..
  • I know Virginia has a good front seven, but the play of the offensive line tonight made the debacle in the season opener against Louisville look like the 2001 'Canes.  Art Kehoe's group played with no spirit or focus tonight.

The Ugly:

  • Second quarter forced fumble by Denzel Perryman was followed up with another fumble by UVA JUST ONE PLAY LATER, 0-2 by the refs blowing both calls, deep in Miami territory.  Both were clear fumbles.

  • Eli Harold (second in ACC in TFL) pushes Kaaya in the face and head and it's not targeting? Big break for UVA (again).
  • Let me beat a dead horse.  Face mask on an offensive player.?  That never gets called, does it?  Well Clive Walford was called for one in the third quarter.  Nice work again ACC refs.  4th and 1 spot when Duke Johnson burrowed into the pile,  I bet you can guess how that one went.  Weird unsportsmanlike conduct against Jamal Carter for......???

Team Grades:

Offense:

The 'Canes pretty much stopped themselves on their opening two drives. A critical false start by Ereck Flowers short circuited another drive where Miami was going for it on 4th and 1.

The pass protection by what has been a pretty good O line this year was terrible.

Walford saves a complete F here.

grades


Defense:

Miami's pass rush is non existent when they don't blitz.  Some of the traction that gained against UNC, Va Tech, and the first half Vs FSU was lost in the first half tonight.

Great third quarter INT by Carter, who started in place of the injured Bush.

Only Perryman's efforts save another failing grade.

grades


Special teams:

Off sides on the opening kick off is not good.   Another blocked kick is worse.  The left side of the line on the second quarter blocked FG was atrocious, Sunny Odogwu especially.

Off sides and running into the kicker on the same play?   There aren't enough superlatives for that one.

grades


Coaching:

When UM got screwed out of two forced fumbles (one potentially returned for a TD) Al Golden could be heard on a crowd microphone dropping F Bombs.  Good for you coach.

What's not good is a team lacking concentration.  What's not good is another half where the other team dominates T.O.P and Duke Johnson only has 6 carries.

What's really not good is another blocked kick.  Especially after last week where a blocked XP put Miami in a TD or lose scenario on their last drive.

What's totally atrocious is a team that lacked discipline and for the first time in a while, effort.

1-4 on the road at night is not getting it done.

I've recently defended this staff for the progress of the team.  But tonight was a regression that is indefensible.

grades