and they got 2 ints with one being a pick 6.
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That’s fair. Duke and Syracuse have played way above what they were expected to be (frustrating as a fan since Duke’s program was in a much worse state than us last year and also have a first year head coach and Dino Barbers was a dead man walking before they hired Anae).
Of course even takes during a season sometimes age poorly and I really do hope my lack of optimism ages like milk when we are 9-3 but as a fan with my limited perspective and a prisoner of the moment and what I can only see its hard to see that optimism.
@IAmBallHawk There are several things that are issues or need to be improved on. But from your perspective as a former player and someone who is around the program, what is the one issue that needs to be addressed that the players and staff have most control of? What is that thing that can be rectified in the near future to at least salvage this season? (not long term)
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Penalties and mental errors can improve. Players have the most control of those aspects and improve those weekly IMO.
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Amen to that!. Those are things you (the player) can control. Dialing back the penalties would be a massive step forward for the offense. A false start is a killer for a team struggling to find rhythm. I put the drops in the mental error category as well, more of a lapse of concentration than a lack of skill. Do you agree?
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yes drops are mental
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Updating this. UVa is #84
- Miami - 76
- UNC - 26
- Pitt - 80
- CC - 45 (shouldn’t they have dropped with ODU beatdown, or was there a bye week?)
- VPI - 91
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The biggest shock to me is the drop that Miami and Pitt took as the season progressed. Also kinda crazy to look at all those games and think they could be wins, but they could lose every one. The margins are thin with this group.
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Also, I don’t know which of the computer rankings is the gold standard these days (UVa alum Wes Colley?), but here’s Massey’s composite:
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What can the coaches do to help with those errors and mental mistakes that lead to penalties? Or is it solely on the players to buy in or let the game slow down a bit in their heads?
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those aspects come down to the players at the end of the day. We can practice situations all day everyday in practice but the individual player has to transition those teachings inside the stadium.
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Do you consider eliminating those errors and creating that accountability part of a teams culture? Always believed players who are bought are more dialed in and don’t have the lapse of thoughts, and they hold each other more accountable which can be more beneficial than any coach barking at you.
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so if you look at the penalties, majority come from the offensive line and that’s just lack of play experience. Those guys just have to continue to get the game reps so that their minds will slow down and lock in. The culture is very important but as you said the players essential control the culture with their trust. A coach will always bark at a player when they make mistakes, especially the position coaches. As much as people say that Tony yells at his players, I always remind them that he has to raise his voice due to the environment. He isn’t using curse words when he is correcting them so it’s not as bad as it looks. It’s loud on that field so it never bothered me when a coach would bark. I could barely hear them anyway hahaha
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Ha you shoulda played in some of the empty houses I played in. Coach sounds a lot louder with 2k in the stands than 45k
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Using those current Massey ratings (they’re as good as anything I guess)…
UVA has lost to: 15, 18, 43, 61
UVA has beaten: 83, 85, & unranked Richmond
UVA is rated 78, meaning thus far we’ve beat the teams we were supposed to and lost to the teams we were were supposed to. (We even played to form in only narrowly beating #83 and #85.)
Remaining on the schedule: 31 (UNC), 54 (Coastal), 62 (Pitt), 91 (Miami), 112 (VPI).
So… expect 2 more wins.
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Make the players enjoy being on the team…
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I always enjoy it when someone makes me do anything…
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I’m expecting 2 more wins in the next 4, just so we can predictably have our hearts broken at Lane Stadium.
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Make was the wrong word lol create an environment which the players enjoy. From what I’ve seen this year I don’t think Elliott can do that until a few upperclassmen move on. Whether we want to assign blame to the staff or the players the fit just isn’t right.
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