The Hoos try to bounce back Saturday from an absolutely humiliating loss last weekend coming at the hands of William and Mary. The game will also be the 2009 season debut for head coach Gary Pattersons’ No. 17 TCU, a team which has won its last 6 season openers. TCU and Virginia are meeting for just the second time in their history, with the Cavaliers winning the first game 20-10 in the formerly fabulous Poulan Weed-Eater Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana.
The Horned Frogs (yes, that really is their nickname) come into the season as the pre-season favorite to win the regular season title in the top-heavy Mountain West Conference. That’s right Hoos fans, the same Mountain West conference that has provided us with memorable losses to BYU, Colorado State and Wyoming all in the past 9 years.
TCU is a wicked-fast, strong, and very well-coached team that over the last four seasons has won 11 games three different times, and 10 games 5 out of the last 7 seasons. Yikes!
Their defense is led by 6-3, 257 pound Sr. DE Jerry Hughes, who had 15 sacks in 2008. On the offensive side of the ball, three-year starter Andy Dalton will lead a very balanced attack from his quarterback position.
Virginia made it through the William and Mary game in pretty good shape injury-wise, but rumor has it that last week’s starting QB and punt returner Vic Hall will not play due to a hip injury. In order for the Hoos to have a chance in this one we will have to win the turnover battle and play with much more intensity and pride than we did last week.
Either Quarterback Jameel Sewell or last week’s #3 QB Marc Verica is going to have to step up and run the show and make better decisions while under pressure. Can one of these student-athletes distinguish themselves as the go-to guy? Is Virginia going to even try to run the ball against a much superior defense than what we saw in Charlottesville last week? Will Groh pull out all the stops with reverses and fake punts and risk even more failure?
Las Vegas has this game as an 11-point spread for TCU giving Virginia much more pre-game credit than I thought they would after the debacle last week. But for those Wahoos thinking about staying home Saturday, I remind you that the weather is going to be splendid; one of those days sundresses was invented for. The season is not over and everyone in Virginia’s locker room knows Al Groh’s butt is on the hottest of hot seats. Now let’s see if they can play as a team and win one for the man that brought these kids to Charlottesville!
Prediction: Hoos 13- TCU 45 Please make a comment, ask me a question! Here are a couple I’ve got for you: Will the stands be full Saturday? Will the Boo-birds come out if we struggle? Can we win this game?
