The frustrating thing is that UVa is willing to put up a lot of money for a coach and staff, but never devotes the resources to develop a sustainable, winning program — whether it’s through admissions or earning opportunities, or facilities….
I don’t think admissions is a real issue. Through the years, both Coach Welsh and Coach Groh managed to get marginally qualified recruits past admissions only to lose many of them when they became academically ineligible. During Groh’s years, there were constant rants on The Sabre about recruiting Virginia prospects, especially those in the “757”, but when he did sign elite prospects from the Commonwealth, they typically were dismissed before making any significant contributions. Meanwhile, kids from Pennsylvania and New Jersey thrived. Simply put, while there are majors/programs less rigorous than others, there aren’t any real “gut” majors (rental property management, etc.) where weaker students can hide. Nor should there be any. If an athlete cannot compete in the classroom with the general student body, then they ought not be admitted. And, to be honest, Virginia’s football fortunes suffered a severe blow with the first round of conference expansion, and subsequent rounds have only made matters worse.
How long have you been holding out hope? UVA turned down a bid to the 1951 Orange Bowl as a pushback against the trappings of big-time football. Lost Art Gueppe as a coach soon thereafter. What George Welsh did was mighty anomalous.
If we go FCS in football, there will be no money to support any of the non-revs to the standard we’re accustomed to.
Fallacy that any of the football-derived revenue helps any non-football sport. Football is a fiscal behemoth that consumes every penny it generates and then some. Goes for UVA and basically every other P5 program.
Explain to me, like I’m 5, how a 2nd year coach has “his” roster unless pulling a Sanders.
My point is that those who didn’t “buy in” had the opportunity to be shown the door. Coaches had the opportunity to recruit transfers and HS players to replace those who suck. It’s that simple. It’s not all Elliot’s roster, but I just don’t get why people don’t view the recruiting and on field results as indicative of our coaching staff being horrendous. They literally don’t do anything well.
ESPN and the ACC allocate 80% of the TV contract to football and 20% to men’s basketball, so nothing to all the other sports.
Your call if you want to believe that any/every other sport at least breaks even based entirely on ticket sales and targeted donations (and if you want to include an allocation of general donations based on headcount or some other factor too).
The state of football in the commonwealth is beyond terrible. We’re approaching irreparable.
ODU looked good against Wake today for 3 quarters at least
I would rather have Colandrea develop and throw INTs each game with a small chance of him having a game with little mistakes than have Muskett in and consistently lose by 14-28 each game for the rest of the year but that is just my view.
Pretty sure we’d all prefer not to lose by 14 -28 each game but that’s one helluva thing to equate that result w/Muskett starting.
What gives us the best chance to beat VT while also preventing an upset by W&M? We’re not going bowling this year (if you want to be delusional about that, feel free to set yourself up for more disappointment). So the only meaningful goals to me are:
(1) Do not lose to the Fighting Mike Londons. Yes at this point that’s a concern. I’ve watched us lose to them before, it can happen. And if it does, the countdown on the Elliott era officially begins, even if it takes until the end of Year 4, he’s not coming back from that.
(2) Beat the Hokies and it will at least end the season on a high note and give us a small but meaningful shred of in state momentum for 2024.
After that, I don’t care if we beat BC but lose one of both of the two I mentioned. The differences between 1-11, 2-10, or 3-9 are all largely semantics, it’s a garbage season either way, it’s who we beat that matters more.
All good points. We need to show progress and be in games (I’m sorry, we were close through 3 quarters doesn’t count) as the season goes on. Your other absolutes are correct. Can’t lose to WM and must beat the Hokies. Still see 3-9 but worse is very possible.
Trying to be objective about this season so far, our offense does look more competent in both scheme and gameplan. It’s not perfect by any means and I still find us to be a bit too vanilla, but overall we look ‘fine’ in terms of route concepts and guys getting opportunities down the field to make plays. Our main overwhelming problem is we’re getting destroyed up front, which is something I don’t think the staff did a good enough job of addressing during the offseason albeit after we had an unlucky decommit from Daijon Parker who would be starting for us at RT right now.
The biggest thing I’m worried about is the regression on defense. Yes we’ve got some injuries, and losing Jackson/Cypress along with Johnson graduating has made an impact, but man we’re struggling with tackling. I still like what Rud has done as an X’s and O’s guy but having a bend-don’t-break defensive philosophy doesn’t work nearly as well when the other team is bouncing off defenders in the second level for extra yards. We’ve gotta be more fundamentally sound in that department.
I tend to agree. And because of what I pointed out I worry there is not a quick fix.
The offense is much improved and even has special moments. But I fear CTEs preferences and philosophy is too traditional and likely outdated. That said I do think that he has shown more as he’s gained more trust in his players so maybe there is a sliver of light.
I agree across the board on the defense. The bend don’t break philosophy isn’t my favorite i rather see the defense esp. The DB challenge the opposing team more. But you’re right none of it matters if they refuse to tackle
WICKS WITH HIS FIRST NFL TD!!!
Nice breaking of tackle to run in for the TD.
If Colandrea is everything this board has already anointed him to be, Elliott will easily come back from that if it happens.
One thing I will say for as bad as UVa is and they are bad they are not at the bottom for even the P5. There are aomw truly lost and listless programs out there.