Backup QB among three leaving UVa. football program
Virginia head football coach Mike London announced today three members of the 2011 team are no longer with the program. Quarterback Ross Metheny, defensive end Thompson Brown and wide receiver Kevin Royal will not be with the team when it begins spring practice March 19.
Metheny is planning on completing his undergraduate degree this summer and will enroll at another University in the fall to complete his final two seasons of eligibility. Brown has informed the Cavalier coaching staff he no longer wishes to play college football but will remain enrolled at Virginia as an undergraduate student. Royal has been dismissed from the team. Read more
UVa. announces 2012 football schedule
The Atlantic Coast Conference released the 2012 football schedules for the league’s 12 schools today. Virginia’s slate features 12 regular-season games, including seven home contests and a Thursday night appearance on ESPN. Starting times for all contests and the home game designated for Homecomings will be announced at a later date.
“Our schedule will be a great test for our football team,” said Virginia coach Mike London. “I like the way the schedule lays out and the balance between home games and road games. Our fans played a key factor in our success a year ago, and with this schedule, we’re going to need everyone behind us in even greater numbers at home and on the road.” Read more
Scott German: Special teams lay an egg in Chick-fil-A Bowl
Turnovers and string of special-teams miscues put Virginia in the HOV lane to disaster in the 2011 Chick-fil-A Bowl against an Auburn University team that knew exactly how to convert those mistakes into quick points. The end result was a 43-24 drubbing at the hands of the defending national champions Saturday night in the Atlanta Georgia Dome.
Virginia was able to leave Atlanta with some confidence as the Cavaliers put up impressive numbers on offense, including 435 yards against an Auburn defense that at times this season had been thin. Sophomore quarterback Michael Rocco finished off a successful year with 312 yards passing and two touchdowns . Virginia’s running game, which had been virtually shutdown in its previous two games (Florida State University, Virginia Tech), ground out 125 yards against the Tigers. Read more
Chris Graham: ‘Special’ teams, yeah, sure
No, since you ask, Virginia’s special teams weren’t exactly all that special Saturday night.
Consider: Auburn recovered an onside kick that led to a touchdown that fueled a game-changing 14-point second-quarter swing. The Tigers also blocked two Virginia punts, setting up a touchdown and a third-quarter safety that snuffed out a brief UVa. rally. The second of the blocked punts, the one that iced it, came after a UVa. punt returner lost an Auburn kick in the Georgia Dome ceiling, allowing the Tigers to pin Virginia at its own 6.
Virginia also gave up field position on a 62-yard return on the ensuing free kick that led to an Auburn field goal and at least three points on a botched fake-field-goal attempt that the Tigers followed up with a quick-strike TD drive.
That is by conservative estimates a 22-point swing all told. The final margin in the Chick-fil-A Bowl – 19 points. Read more
Auburn smacks down UVa. in Chick-fil-A
Auburn rode a 21-point second quarter to a 28-17 halftime lead, and the Tigers dominated on special teams en route to a 43-24 win over Virginia in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Virginia (8-5) scored first on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Michael Rocco to Kris Burd at the 8:05 mark of the first quarter to give the Cavs a 7-0 lead. Auburn (8-5) tied the game at 7 on a three-yard run by Kiehl Frazier following the first of two blocked punts.
A second Rocco-to-Burd touchdown, this time from six yards out, made it 14-7 UVa. at the 12:59 mark in the second. Auburn answered quickly, marching 85 yards on six plays capped by a three-yard Onterio McCalebb touchdown run to tie the game at 14.
Auburn then executed a successful onside kick and got a one-yard TD run by Frazier five plays later to go up 21-14 with 10;33 to go before the half. Read more
London gets two-year contract extension
The University of Virginia announced a contract extension for second-year head football coach Mike London today. The two-year addition will extend London’s contract through 2016. London’s annual compensation increases to $2.1 million. The extension includes a longevity bonus that London can earn effective Jan. 15, 2015.
The extension also includes additional compensation for the assistant football coaches on the Cavalier staff.
“Mike London and his staff are a great fit for the University of Virginia,” said Virginia athletics director Craig Littlepage. “Commitment and continuity on the staff are major components of building a program. We want to keep the program’s momentum moving and this extension will help achieve that.” Read more
Chick-fil-A Bowl sells out
For the 15th consecutive year, a capacity crowd will be on hand to watch the nation’s oldest ACC vs. SEC rivalry bowl game. Chick-fil-A Bowl officials today announced the game between No. 25 Auburn and Virginia is sold out.
The Chick-fil-A Bowl’s string of sellouts is the second-longest among all bowls in the country, behind only the Rose Bowl.
“This is really a testament to the extremely high level of support that we’ve received by local fans, and ACC and SEC team fans who continue to embrace our game,” said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO. “Atlanta is passionate about college football and is a hotbed for both conferences, making our annual match-up a perfect fit.” Read more
