Virginia Tech-Virginia pregame

– Chris Lang

Chilly day at Scott Stadium. Andy and Nathan both promised to buy me copious amount of beer if I took care of the blogging duties today. Being that I like the occasional barley pop, I took them up on the offer.

The Hokies are decked out in all white today … white tops, white pants. Not sure how much I like that look. It’s much better, though, than the all-orange unis the Hokies sported at times in the 1990s.

Some pre-game notes:

* As Andy just noted, Virginia’s security folks did a nice job this year of keeping the vandals off the field. So there was no “T” added to the “V” at midfield, like there was in 2005. The Hokies, of course, blew the Cavs off the field that year, winning 52-14. So this could be a good omen for the Cavaliers.

* Some lopsided matchups to watch:

In Virginia’s favor — The Cavaliers’ defensive front against Virginia Tech’s offensive line. Chris Long is in a different class than anyone Tech can throw at him up front. He enters the game with 12 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, and this is while continually facing tricked-up schemes to stop him. If Tech’s offensive line can find a way to keep Long off Sean Glennon/Tyrod Taylor, that’ll be a huge boost to the Hokies’ chances.

In Virginia Tech’s favor — The Hokies’ secondary against Virginia’s wide receivers. The fact that Maurice Covington leads Virginia’s receiving corps with 19 receptions doesn’t bode well for UVa. Tech’s defensive backs are aggressive, athletic and ball-hawking. Jameel Sewell has made most of his hay throwing to his tight ends and tailbacks this season, and that probably won’t change much today. If a Virginia receiver can find a way to have a breakout game, that’s a huge boost to the Cavs’ chances.

* Senior day announcements are going on as I type, and the reception for Long is pretty impressive.  Even the Virginia Tech fans are applauding. Long’s No. 91 jersey will be retired at the end of the year, they just announced.

* Loud chants of “Let’s Go Hokies” going up through the stands now. Not much countering from UVa fans. Interesting.

Oh … look! Mojo’s back from rehab!

Actually, maybe he’s still in rehab. He looks like he’s in bad shape. Mojo still says that he thinks Tech wins 20-14 today. Take heart UVa fans. The monkey has not made many correct predictions this season.

Last note: I’ll be here throughout posting from the game. If you have comments or questions or just want to bash me for being a bumbling idiot, shoot an e-mail to clang@newsadvance.com, and I’ll try to answer as much as I can.

First you get de sugar … then you get de women … then you get de power

– Andy Bitter

I came to a very important decision while walking barefoot through the waves of the Atlantic on Miami’s sunny coastline yesterday: I’m never coming back.

That’s right, I’m staying. Thanks to the News & Advance for buying my plane ride down here. I won’t be using the return ticket. I’ve decided to live in a small hut near the beach and make a living by selling “rare” seashells to naïve children and running a suntan lotion application industry (female clientele only, naturally).

 But seriously, kudos to ACC commissioner John Swofford for getting Miami in the conference. This is the trip of trips on the ACC beat. South Beach is perfect, stunningly beautiful and unbelievably gaudy in its excess all at once.

This was my second trip to Miami, so I did it right this time. I got a place right on South Beach, a Clarion hotel called The Dolores.

I made the reservation online and the picture from the street made it look like a backdrop for pretty much every scene in “Scarface,” which is not a compliment. I figured this was either going to be a steal for what I paid or I would at some point during the night be killed by someone using a chainsaw. There was no middle ground. Fortunately, it was the former. It’s a small studio room but plenty comfortable and high-tech. There’s wireless Internet, a flat-panel TV on the wall and a remote control to work the air conditioning unit. Plus, you’re right in the middle of everything on South Beach. I’d definitely recommend it. (And thus ends the Expedia.com portion of this blog post)

Props to the fine people of Avis for hooking me up with a red Mitsubishi Eclipse convertible for my trip. It’s like driving a Transformer.  

There have been very few times where I’ve gotten to ride in a car like this. My friend’s parents had a convertible that they rarely drove with the top down (it’s not an ideal car for Minnesota winters). Another family on the block where I grew up inexplicably had a Dune Buggy, which is really, really weird now that I think about it. Anyway, they used to give rides to everybody in the neighborhood.

Well, if you can’t get Miami’s most popular vehicle — the stretch Hummer, which is all over the place down here and I’m guessing gets 1 city block to the gallon — I’d suggest the Eclipse convertible. After about 10 minutes of trying to figure out how to get the top down, it became the perfect car for Miami. The sun beating down on your head, the wind through your hair, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” on the radio (everything else was unintelligible Salsa music) — you can’t beat it. I had a pretty good idea of how to navigate the roads of South Beach because of my affinity for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. I thought about stealing a few cars or possibly joining a Haitian gang but decided against it.

I spent about two hours on the beach once I got in, probably scaring several beachgoers with my paleness. Here’s a visual approximation:

 

The nightlife in South Beach is unlike anywhere else. There’s an endless number of bars and restaurants on Ocean Drive. The outdoor seating extends past the sidewalk, so you pretty much walk through each place.

Some observations:

– Happy hour apparently goes from 4 p.m. to midnight. And the drinks are still $4. It’s not cheap to go out down here. I think I spent all of last month’s mileage check.

– It must be Miami law to hire the most attractive, non-American female to be your hostess. Every one of them looked like they were plucked straight from a modeling agency, right down to the exotic tinge of a an Eastern European accent.

– The Versace residence (and, morbidly, the place where he was killed) has a constant stream of tourists taking pictures. I’ll admit it, I was one of them. I’d post it if I could figure out how to get the photos off of my phone.

– I counted three guys on the street who had snakes around their necks, just for the sake of having snakes around their necks, apparently. They weren’t taking money. They weren’t selling stuff. They weren’t walking up and down the street. They were just camped out with big freakin’ snakes around their necks, like 15-footers. Now, I have an irrational fear of snakes. And by irrational, I mean intense and crippling. Every time I saw one of these snake guys, I avoided them by going about a city block out of the way.

I went to a couple places last night and had a good time. Went to Wet Willie’s for a while and later a place called Finnegan’s Way, which had an outdoor bar and a nice view. Unfortunately, the Clevelander is closed for a year while it undergoes renovations. That was disappointing. I went there the last time I was here and it’s a great atmosphere. It’s like you’re just lounging around the pool with a six pack. Very relaxing.

Anyway, you know when you wake up and it feels like there’s a railroad spike lodged in your forehead. It felt like about five of those today, so I’ll wrap this post up.

Apparently, there is a football game I was sent down here to cover as well, a pretty historic one, since it’s the last Miami is playing in the Orange Bowl. I think I’ll dress appropriately for the event. Here’s my ensemble (the one on the left):

OK, maybe not exactly like that. I’ll be wearing socks.

Halftime: Virginia 10, Wake Forest 6

– Andy Bitter 

– It’s one thing to avoid giving up a big return on a kickoff. It’s another thing to concede half the field in doing so. Virginia kicked high and short in the first half, avoiding Wake Forest kick returner Kevin Marion, the nation’s leader, at all costs. Wake started its first two drives at its 40 and 47 and place-kicker Chris Gould was very animated with his displeasure on the sidelines. We’ll see if UVa continues this strategy in the second half.

– The Deacons use the new personal protector punt formation, with three players back to block just in front of the punter and the rest of the team spread out along the line of scrimmage. Maybe Virginia should try. Alphonso Smith blocked a Ryan Weigand punt in the second quarter when the Cavaliers were lined up in the old, regular punt formation.

It’s the second punt Weigand has had blocked this year. The first was due to a bad snap. Everything seemed fine on this one … except the blocking.

– The Cavaliers had four drops in the first half. All four would have been for first downs. In a game where the margin is going to be slim, that could be huge.

– UVa scored before the half when Maurice Covington caught a long pass and three Wake Forest defenders inexplicably looked at each other as he ran by for a touchdown. I’d say it was a nice two-minute drive, but the Cavaliers looked pretty incompetent doing it, with a holding penalty and some bad clock management.

Still, it’s a credit to them to be ahead after a first half in which they had a punt blocked and watched Wake Forest start possessions in Cavalier territory twice.

Virginia-Wake Forest pre-game

– Andy Bitter

Good morning from the Scott Stadium press box. It’s early, it’s cold (thank god the outdoor press box has space heaters) and it’s the biggest game Virginia has played all year. Yes, Al Groh will tell you each of them are important, but none have been against a team as good as Wake Forest, which, for some reason, people are still selling short. I got in a discussion with who I believe was a radio or TV guy from Lincoln Financial about how Virginia never seems to win the big games, and to a degree I agree (and no, I don’t consider Tire Bowls and Music City Bowls big games).I won’t even consider later year, since the phrases “Virginia” and “big game” didn’t necessarily go hand-in-hand for a team that finished 5-7.

But coming down the stretch in 2005, the Cavaliers lost back-to-back games to Virginia Tech and Miami to finish the regular season. In 2004, they lost to Miami and Virginia Tech, the two ranked teams they played in November.

Those are the kind of big wins that get programs over the hump and, of late, the Cavaliers seem lacking in that department.

Today would certainly qualify as a big game. Wake Forest may not have the name recognition, but it is as good as the ACC has to offer (apologies to BC, which I think is a bit overrated).

If the Cavaliers can win today, I will take them seriously as ACC title contenders. If not, I’d be wary that this Virginia team will wind up like most of its predecessors, finishing with eight wins and bound for a second-tier bowl once again.

Here are some other pre-game thoughts:

– Wake Forest leads the ACC in scoring (32.2 ppg in conference games) but is sixth in total offense, averaging 353 yards a game. In fact, the Deacons have topped 400 yards once this season (same as UVa).

It goes to show you how valuable those non-offensive touchdowns are. Wake has nine of them this year. Last week, the Deacons returned a kick and an interception for a touchdown. Jameel Sewell had better be very careful with the ball.

– It must be fall. The hill on the north side of the stadium is completely brown.

– Except for Cedric Peerman, who is still on crutches, the rest of Virginia’s injured starters from the last few weeks are in uniform.

– They’re playing Europe’s “The Final Countdown” as pre-game music (side note: it’s also my cell phone ring.) Somewhere, Gob Bluth weeps as he’s rides a Segway.

– Prediction: A lot of people are sleeping on Wake Forest. I’m not one of them. I think Sewell makes at least one mistake that leads to a defensive touchdown. That’s Wake’s M.O. When the Deacons do that, they normally win. Virginia is a 1½-point favorite, but I’ll take Wake by a 23-20 final.

Halftime: N.C. State 20, Virginia 17

– So much for my prediction.These teams almost outscored what I thought would happen in the first half. Neither team is playing good pass defense. Though the quarterbacks aren’t nearly of the same quality, it resembles the 51-37 game in 2003, when Philip Rivers out-dueled Matt Schaub.

– Jameel Sewell is keeping both teams in the game. He has two crucial interceptions but has thrown for 217 yards and two touchdowns. His career high is 234, set in the Maryland game this year and last year.

– UVa’s wideouts exist! Maurice Covington has three catches for 45 yards. Cary Koch made a heck of a grab on a touchdown. And even Chris Gorham got in on the action.

– The shovel pass is the best play in Virginia’s arsenal. Mikell Simpson goes for 12 yards every time the Cavaliers run it. He scored a touchdown on the play today.

– Chris Cook is in uniform but not playing. Virginia sure could use him. Other than a few good plays by Ras-I Dowling, UVa’s secondary is getting torched. N.C. State QB Daniel Evans has 195 passing yards and two touchdowns. On the second one, Vic Hall and Jamaal Jackson had a mix-up, leaving the Wolfpack receiver wide open for the score.

– Total number of chicken wings consumed: 10. I would have had more, but I had to blog.

Virginia-N.C. State pre-game

– Andy Bitter

It’s a perfect day for football here in Raleigh. I have covered dozens of basketball games at the nearby RBC Center but never a football game at the adjacent Carter-Finley Stadium and I must say I’m quite impressed. The press box amenities are as nice as I’ve seen, the food was great (note to SIDs: you can’t go wrong with chicken wings) and the stadium seems like it’s just the right size for a good college football crowd.The only gripe might be that the press box is a bit high up. It seems like we’re hovering over the field. That’s why they invented binoculars, though.

On to the game:

– I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: The Cavaliers could win all of their remaining games and it would not surprise me. And they could lose all of their remaining games and it would not surprise me. It’s impressive how they’ve been able to pull out all of these close wins, but sooner or later it seems like it’s going to catch up with them. Then again, sometime teams like this just get on a roll. Look at Wake Forest last year.

– Cornerback Chris Cook (Heritage) is in uniform for the first time in three weeks. He sprained his left knee against Middle Tennessee. Though UVa’s secondary did pretty well in his absence, his return gives them a pretty good boost.

– Tight end Tom Santi (ankle) supposedly made the trip, but he’s not on the field with the other tight ends in pre-game warm-ups. (Edit: He is now on the field. Must have been putting some last-second tape on his ankle).

– I wonder what Tom O’Brien thinks about leaving Boston College now? It obviously was a move up in salary and to a region that prizes college football more (does anyone in Boston even know there is an undefeated college football team in town?). But he was in Chestnut Hill for 10 years and finally got it to the point where it was going to be on the national stage, and then he leaves. That’s got to hurt to see those BCS rankings every week.

– Prediction: I’ll go with the Cavaliers in a close one (do they know any other way?) 23-19.

Halftime: Virginia 14, Connecticut 6

– Andy Bitter

– Virginia’s wideouts are not good. It’s one thing not to be getting open, but to actively drop passes and turn them into interceptions, that’s just submarining your offense. Chris Gorham had a Jameel Sewell pass go right through his hands, bouncing up in the air for an interception on UVa’s first drive. You can’t blame Sewell for that one.

– Big defensive stop after Andrew Pearman gave UConn the ball at the UVa 13 on a fumbled kickoff. The Huskies went three-and-out and had to kick a field goal. Being down 6-0 is not nearly as damaging as 10-0.

– Keith Payne is a load. It’s hard to imagine one defender bringing down the 6-foot-3, 234-pound back. Payne bowled in from 1-yard out to score in the first quarter. It didn’t look like anyone was going to stop him.

– The Cavaliers have to be more careful with the ball. They had an interception, two fumbles and a muffed punt in the first half. They lost possession on two of them.

– It’s a who’s who of former UVa players on the sideline. Among the many: Alvin Pearman, Marquis Weeks, Kai Parham and Deyon Williams.

 – Finally a little offense for Vic Hall. He lined up as a tailback in the shotgun, took a handoff from Sewell, rolled right and completed a 35-yard pass to Chris Gorham. It was a bit underthrown, but I believe Hall took a decent shot right as he released it. It’s UVa’s longest play of the game.

Virginia-UConn pre-game

– Andy Bitter

It’s finally fall here in Charlottesville. About time. I’ve been getting sick of these 90-degree football games. It’s about perfect out right now. High 60s, sunny. Hopefully the game will be just as good. Here are some pre-game notes:

– Cedric Peerman and Chris Cook are not in uniform. Peerman, who injured his right foot against Middle Tennessee, is still on crutches. Cook, who sprained his left knee in the same game, is in a walking boot.

– Ras-I Dowling, Trey Womack and Mike Parker have taken turns at cornerback with the first-team defense during warm-ups. One of them to start opposite Vic Hall at cornerback (UVa left that spot vacant on its pre-game lineup on the Jumbotron) and all of them will probably see time today.

 – Andrew Pearman was working with the first-team offense and will start, according to the pre-game introductions. Keith Payne snaps behind Peter Lalich on the second-team offense. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Payne get the majority of carries, though. He’s rugged enough to take the pounding that comes along with 20-plus carries. Pearman, at 5-foot-10, 168 pounds, is a nice receiver and change of pace back, but I don’t see him having enough durability to be a featured back in the mold of Peerman.

-- UConn quarterback Tyler Lorenzen is a bid dude. He’s listed at 6-foot-5, 226 pounds and he looks every bit of it. He’s also left-handed, not that that matters much. But the last lefty the Cavaliers played — Wyoming’s Karsten Sween — carved them apart.

– The Huskies (5-0) are one of 11 unbeaten teams remaining in Division I-A but they are the only one not ranked. I, for one, am skeptical of their success. Here’s the bad call that allowed them to beat Temple in the final seconds earlier this year. Not to dog Temple, but if you’re really that good, you shouldn’t need a gift from the officials to win that game. Of course, you probably shouldn’t need a last-second field goal to beat Middle Tennessee either.

– Prediction time: I don’t think UConn is as good as its record, but the Huskies do play good some pretty good defense. I think UVa will be affected by not having Peerman, but Pearman and Payne will do well enough to get the job done. I’ll take Virginia in a close, somewhat low-scoring affair, 23-16.

Virginia-Middle Tennessee pre-game

– Andy Bitter

Well, game time is nearing and I’d estimate the stadium here in Murfreesboro is about 6 percent full. Maybe it’s a late arriving crowd.

– Left tackle Eugene Monroe is in uniform. He was last week and didn’t play. I’m guessing the Cavaliers will do something similar to what they did last week. Have him ready if they need him. If not, rest him. The way the first quarter plays out might decide if he gets on the field or not.

– Mismatch of tonight: Cedric Peerman leads the ACC with 137 rushing yards a game. Middle Tennessee is giving up 209 a game on the ground, 109th out of 119 Division I teams. Prediction: With Virginia wanting to control the clock and keep the ball out of electric quarterback Dwight Dasher’s hands, Al Groh feeds Peerman all night and he approaches 200 yards.

– You would expect the quarterback rotation to go back into effect for this game. Peter Lalich didn’t get any snaps against Pittsburgh, largely because Jameel Sewell was playing so well. I can’t imagine Groh letting Lalich go two games in a row without leading at least one drive.

– Press box food: Barbecue. Let’s just say Tennessee knows how to do it right.

– Remember, Virginia has lost its last three games to non-BCS conference opponents (Wyoming, East Carolina, Western Michigan).

– Also remember, Middle Tennessee won the Sun Belt last year and went to a bowl game for the first time since going D-I. The Blue Raiders won’t be intimidated by playing a BCS conference school.

– A lot’s been made of Middle Tennessee’s offense due to its performance at Louisville, when it kept pace in a 58-42 loss, and its 47-6 pounding of Florida International (you know, that team from across the ocean). But Louisville has clearly been exposed as a fraud. And FIU is 0-5, having been outscored 210-28.

 – As far as a prediction, I think Virginia will win. Middle Tennessee won’t be able to stop UVa’s running game, though I do think the Blue Raiders will be able to score some points. Final: Virginia 38, Middle Tennessee 24

Not just any fair … a World’s Fair!

– Andy Bitter

There are things in life I’d rather do than make an eight-hour drive across Southwest Virginia and most of Tennessee. However, my efforts were rewarded when I passed through Knoxville and caught a glimpse of this sucker:

Yes, folks. That’s the Sunsphere, a relic from the 1982 World’s Fair (not just any fair … a World’s Fair!) made famous by The Simpsons “Bart on the Road” episode. Sadly, I did not stop to inquire if discount wigs were indeed being sold at the top.

{Side note: That episode includes one of my favorite Martin lines, when he’s at a stock exchange with his dad on Take Your Child to Work Day. Given some money to work with, he starts yelling “Soy! Soy!”, prompting other investors to start doing the same. Ahh, The Simpsons. What happened to that show? It’s terrible now. Side note over.}

Here’s the thing: I did not know the Sunsphere actually existed. I thought it was some creation of The Simpsons writers. But no, it exists. And it is gaudy. It makes you wonder why a city like Knoxville would keep this eyesore standing. Maybe Knoxville is hoping to garner the 2010 World’s Fair bid, which I would put on par with getting to host an Olympics. Maybe a hair less glamorous.

Stayed in Nashville last night for the second time in my life and enjoyed it. Nearly every bar on Broadway Street featured a live band and nearly every live band featured a music set that was 90 percent country (the other 10 percent, I believe, was Western). Seriously, how many songs can there be about tractors, whiskey and the phrase “honky tonk”? Apparently an endless number. Still, it was enjoyable. 

We ended up at The Stage, which had a band who’s lead singer was actually from Charlottesville. The bar had a mural on its wall of several famous country singers, though the only ones I could identify were Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. (I’m sure Conway Twitty was one of them. Wasn’t he famous? That sounds right.)

ANYWAY, Murfreesboro seems like a nice town. Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium (yes, that’s the actual name, folks. Only in Tennessee) is tiny, with a capacity of 30,788. I believe the biggest crowd in school history is around 27,000. They haven’t opened up the gates yet, so I don’t know what they’re expecting tonight. It’s pretty muggy, so I can’t imagine it will be a huge crowd.

I’ll try to update again before the game and maybe at halftime. It’s tricky with these night games and looming deadlines.