CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -In a case of extremes, Virginia has gone from the bottom of the ACC – and near the bottom of major college football – to the top of the league’s Coastal Division title.
The Cavaliers (5-3, 3-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) hope to take another step forward Saturday against Miami, a team on a three-game winning streak and with revenge on its mind.
“I’m sure that they are anxious to turn the tables,” Cavaliers coach Al Groh said Tuesday of the Hurricanes (5-3, 2-2), embarrassed by a 48-0 victory by Virginia last season in the final home game at the storied Orange Bowl.
“I’m sure it’s going to be on their mind,” linebacker Clint Sintim said. “It was the last game in the Orange Bowl. I’m sure they’re going to be fired up and prepared to come down here and try to stick it to us.”
This time around, there’s more at stake than sentimentality.
ir own destiny in the race for the division’s berth in the ACC title game.
It’s gratifying, Sintim said, but not time to celebrate yet.
“The season’s nowhere near over,” he said, noting that the Cavaliers still have to play Miami, Wake Forest, Clemson and Virginia Tech.
The Hurricanes and Hokies each have two losses in the division.
Miami can take charge, too, with its fourth victory in a row, and the Hurricanes are showing signs of getting back to being a dominant program.
In spite of playing with one of the youngest teams in the country, Miami will arrive ranked 15th nationally in overall defense, allowing just 283 yards per game, and 38th with a scoring average of 30.5 points.
And, as always, Groh said, with a dizzying amount of athleticism and speed, “particularly at the skill positions.”
“What they lack in polish at this early stage of their career, they’ve got raw speed.”
Most of the youth is responsible for what the Hurricanes have done on offense, with freshmen accounting for 50.2 percent of the team’s total yards, and first- and second-year players accounting for 80 percent.
The youth, coach Randy Shannon said this week, is why last year’s loss won’t be a big topic this week as Miami prepares to visit Charlottesville.
of the guys were in high school trying to win state championships and playoff games. Revenge sometimes can hurt you, because it is all built-up inside of you. You have to make sure you go into the game with a fresh mind.”
It’s the approach both teams have used after slow starts, and one that will find one of them sitting pretty at the final gun on Saturday.
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