Live Blog: College Football Saturday
October 4, 2008 by chrisgraham
Moderated by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
Join The Augusta Free Press today for our College Football Saturday live blog. We’ll be discussing throughout the day the Virginia Tech-Western Kentucky, James Madison-Hofstra and Virginia-Maryland games.
AFP editor Chris Graham will be in the press box in Scott Stadium for the 7 p.m. ‘Hoos-Terps game.
(Yes, you can feel sorry for me now.)
I’m here, with about 10 or 12 of my close friends. Seriously, did they cancel the game and not let anybody know?
We’ve got a much better band than we have a football team.
What no sea of orange in support of Al Groh?
Sadly, Brian, there is something of a sea of orange. I don’t know what happened to the Blue Crew. The kids chickened out. Maybe they brought signs with them.
The last time I came to a night game here, man, what a night. Pitt game, last September. Virginia led 27-0 after one en route to a 44-14 shellacking. At least we get another shellacking …
Somdev Devvarman and Chris Long are raising the Power of Orange flag.
Actually a surprisingly decent and lively crowd here at kickoff.
The upper deck behind the end zone is quite empty, upon further review.
4th and 1 MD at 32
They’re going to go. They have to. This is four-down territory.
Incomplete pass, turnover on downs.
In other action …
What the hell happened in the FSU-Miami game?
It was 24-3 FSU at the half, and I’m looking up at the TV in the press box, and it’s 34-32 FSU in the fourth.
I have not seen Verica at QB. I don’t have ESPNU, and thus have not seen the team play since the UR game.
FSU TD puts that one away …
Jay W. will be happy to hear that we lined up in an I formation on two of the three snaps heading into that first down.
OK, so the Verica kid has a helluva arm …
UVa. 7, Md. 0, 2:41/1st
All set up by the establishment of an effective running game. The play action had the entire Maryland D biting.
Officially …
3 plays, 63 yards, 1:08
51-yard pass from Verica to Ogletree
Scott Stadium is a-rockin’
Tight ends and FBs,and we’re opening up running holes. Strange how that works, ain’t it?
I am very torn. I want the team to win because it’s not the kids fault who coaches them, but I want Groh to lose so we can speed up the process of getting him the hell out of C’ville.
When I saw an I-formation I choked on my dinner. Fist time I’ve seen that formation since 2000.
And they just gave the ball to Rasean Jackson. Something’s up here. Looks like somebody wants to keep their job.
And there we just threw the play-action to the tight end. George is coaching this team.
Jackson actually was the the featured back for most of the Duke game that you didn’t see.
Why wasn’t that kid starting from day one?
Told you that Verica was the best athlete we had at QB. He still has a long, long way to go as a QB though.
Verica made that play all on his lonesome. We’ve always had QBs who could play that way. Except when they made Toke the QB this year.
Oh, well …
UVa. 14, Md. 0, 10:14/2nd
Groh Jr. and Sr. must have been catching a contact high from being around Lalich is my only guess as to why.
He threw a pretty good ball on that long one in the first. Did you see that one? Did the TV replay do it justice? He hit Ogletree in stride 50 yards downfield.
Had they scrapped the four- and five-receiver junk offense by the UConn. or Duke games?
The D is what’s getting me. They’re not getting anything going.
That series was brought about by a bad checkoff by Verica on first down. He misread the Maryland D and threw the ball into coverage. Setting us up with second-and-long, and then third-and-long.
Um, Jay, WTF?
We’re screwing up this Fire-Groh thing big time.
Before we get too excited, I remember that we led Md. 20-0 at the half here two years ago and lost 28-26.
Speaking of screwing up …
The band is on the field getting ready for halftime, so there was nobody to play music for “The Good Ol’ Song.”
Thank you Mike Brown for muffing a punt at the two point yard line on that day.
I will say I don’t really care if we win the rest of our games I still don’t think Al Groh is a good representative for the University.
Anyway I’ll need an update on what you eat at halftime.
UVa. is in the locker room, and Md. is not yet.
Game is not on TV here … what is score 14-0?
UVa. 21, Md. 0, half
Eclaires and oatmeal cookies.
Nobody can figure out what the hell is going on.
So Maryland loses to Middle Tennessee State and it appears Virginia but beats Clemson and 4-1 California (who admittedly were playing at 9 a.m. Pacific time)?
What a mercurial bunch.
Cuh-lassic! That has to be the worst onside kick of all friggin’ time!
Fridge was admitting there that he didn’t think his team could win this game straight up.
Dink … and it’s good.
UVa. 24, Md. 0, 11:34/3rd
Brian - I talked to a Maryland beat reporter at halftime. He said they looked better against Middle Tennessee than they’re looking tonight.
Maryland seems to think that all it has to do is run the ball into the line to win this game. Um, hello, you guys are losing.
Whoa, Nellie, it’s a fumble! UVa. recovers. First and 10, UVa. 40.
Quite easy football. Get four, five yards on first down, four, five yards on second down, four, five yards on third down.
The guy who says “And that’s another Cavalier first down!” needs a breather.
TD Cedric Peerman - the rout is on.
UVa. 31, Md. 0, 5:21/3rd
We’ve scored 31 tonight. We’d scored 36 points in four games to date.
Update - Vandy 14, Auburn 13, final.
Lit him up!
Chris Long on the sidelines looks like he wants to tackle somebody.
When Chris Long says, Get up and cheer, you get up and cheer.
I think I’ve ventured into some sort of alternate dimension where UVa can actually play good football. Is there a door back to my own reality?
And through the end of three, it’s …
UVa. 31, Maryland 0.
No, Jay, for we are now in Bizarro World, where down is up, up is down, McCain is Obama, Obama is McCain, and Virginia football can actually block and tackle.
I’m extremely happy for the kids on the team. They get to enjoy themselves for the first time this year.
I still think a Ryder truck should camp outside of the Groh residence though.
The moon will rise in the morning and set at night, and spinach will taste good, and eclaires will taste like spinach. And in this Bizarro World, Al Groh is a genius. I, of course, miss the Old World, but it will be nevermore.
Esay football, man, easy football. Third and two is easy football.
Stats through three
First Downs - UVa. 22, Md. 8
Marc Verica - 21-26, 214 yards, 2 TD
Cedric Peerman - 17 carries, 110 yards, 1 TD, 7 rec., 23 yards
Kevin Ogletree - 5 rec., 100 yards, 2 TD
FG partially blocked … Md. ball.
Today’s attendance - 50,727
The first Don Sutton Permanent Wave of the night breaks out in Scott Stadium.
May Skip Carey rest in peace.
I have not seen a Wave at a UVa. game since the Temple beatdown in 2005. Pity Maryland.
I was doing a status check there. Only Jay W. would know that reference.
I’ll wrap here by saying the 31-0 score doesn’t surprise me. I fully expected Maryland to win by at least that margin.
G’night.
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