Wahoo Wire

Part 1: What’s new? and Offense

Part 2: Defense and Special Teams

Part 3: Recruiting and the Future

Part 4: Players to Watch and 2010 Season Outlook

Part IV

Welcome to the fourth and final installment of the 2010 Virginia Football Preview, where I will finally give you a run-down of the players to watch and break down each and every game on this season’s schedule. Here’s to a great 2010 campaign and a bright future for Virginia football!

Players to Watch

There is no doubt that football is a team sport, but it would be foolish to say that teams do not depend on the play of certain individuals. If the ‘Hoos are going to contend in any way tomorrow and throughout the entire season, then it’s up to a few key individuals to shoulder the load and put the team on the back. Below is a list of five key players that I either see having breakout years or stepping their game up for the good of the team.

Mark Verica, QB

There’s no question that the quarterback position is the one that gets the most attention on any football team and rightly so. The quarterback is, if not nominally, the captain of the team, making sure everyone does his job. Verica, who actually is a team captain, will have to be just that each and every week if the Hoos are to succeed. As mentioned before, Verica has shown both flashes of brilliance and patches of dismal play throughout his time behind center. If he has the protection he needs and is able to establish his confidence with a few quick completions, we see Verica being able to carry the Hoos to a few big wins this season.

Ras-I Dowling, CB

The 2009 season wasn’t one of the best for Dowling in terms of statistics, but there’s no doubting that he is an insane athletic talent. Dowling, like Verica, is a team captain and has done a great job fostering the progression of the younger guys throughout the summer, and now it’s his time to show his worth on the field. Dowling anchors an impressive squad of defensive backs, and if he remains healthy, he should be the guy who locks down the opposition’s best wideout. Look for Dowling to have a great year and be rewarded with millions of dollars come the NFL draft.

Oday Aboushi, OT

Simply said, Aboushi is a physical beast who will play a vital role in the on-field success of the Hoos in this and years to come. At right tackle, Aboushi will be responsible for creating holes for the slew of Wahoo running backs and protecting Verica from the onslaught on defensive rushers. If he can perform up to the high standards that the staff has for him, then Oday will have a very productive year for Virginia.

Joe Torchia, TE

Torchia comes into the 2010 season fresh off bilateral shoulder surgery that left him sidelined for much of the spring. However, Joe has made a quick return to physical form and many think that the fourth-year ball-catcher will benefit from the new offensive that London and staff have implemented. If he’s able to hang on to passes, something that has seemed difficult for him throughout the summer months, then Torchia will play a huge role in Virginia’s offense this season.

LaRoy Reynolds, LB

Reynolds is one of the players that comes into the season at a different position, switching from safety to linebacker in order to better fit the newly installed 4-3 defense. With his experience at the safety position and linebacker knowledge from high school, LaRoy has both the soft hands to intercept passes and strength to bring down quarterbacks and running backs at will. Here at Wahoo Wire, we fully expect Reynolds to establish himself as a defensive stalwart for the Hoos and a playmaker for years to come.

2010 Season Outlook

Now, we’ll take a look at the 2010 schedule for the Virginia Football program and offer our thoughts on each game, picking an outcome for each and explaining our rationale behind it.

9/4 vs. Richmond

This is probably one of the most interesting games on the schedule this season despite the fact that UR is a FCS team, mainly because there is so much familiarity for both staffs. London came to Virginia from Richmond, his alma matter, bringing with him two other coaches from that program, while Latrell Scott, the head coach at Richmond, was a former coach for the Wahoos. While the Spiders have been successful over the last few seasons, they lost a number of starters from last year’s senior-laden squad, including all but one member of their offensive line. Because of this and the fact that Virginia is just a physically bigger and stronger team, we expect the Wahoos to win their first home opener in four years (and this is tough for me to say, as I grew up a Richmond fan and was there when they won the 2008 FCS National Championship game).

Final Verdict: Win, 17-10

9/11 at USC

Southern Cal comes into the 2010 season amidst a wide-ranging NCCA investigation and without the head coach that led them to an 83-19 record, including two FBS National Championship births. Yet, despite all the negative attention surrounding the program, USC is still USC and will have major playmakers on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. There’s just too much firepower out there in Los Angeles to think that U.Va. will stand a chance at competing against the Trojans this season.

Final Verdict: Loss, 7-42

9/25 vs. VMI

The Keydets will be the second FCS team that Virginia plays in the 2010 season, meaning that if they win both, only one will count to their bowl eligibility. In the 2009 season, VMI went an unimpressive 2-9 and many believe that 2010 won’t prove any more kind to the Keydets. Expect Virginia to prove too much for the in-state squad and for the Hoos to win by a considerable margin.

Final Verdict: Win, 35-3

10/2 vs. Florida State

FSU starts the 2010 season as the 20^th ranked program in the country according to the Associated Press and should remain in the polls throughout the year. That being said, it’ll be tough for the Wahoos to pull of an upset over the Seminoles without perfect play in all facets of the game. We expect the game to be closer than most think, but ultimately going to ‘Noles when all is said and done.

Final Verdict: Loss, 17-24

10/9 at Georgia Tech

Like Florida State, the Yellow Jackets enter the season with the 16^th ranking in the nation, fueled by an improved passing game in the form of quarterback Joshua Nesbitt. When the Hoos visit Atlanta, expect them to be fired up to play, as they’ll be facing former Head Coach Al Groh, who was hired as Georgia Tech’s defensive coordinator after being ousted from Charlottesviile. If there’s ever a chance for a major upset this season, this might be it. Yet, even though we see the Hoos playing their old coach close, we don’t think they have it in them to come away with such a big win.

Final Verdict: Loss, 10-17

10/16 vs. North Carolina

Another impressive ACC team, the Tar Heels, enter the season with a national ranking amidst an on-going investigation from the NCAA. Much to Butch Davis’ chagrin, the investigation has been drawn out and has loomed over Chapel Hill for much of the summer and appears to be here to stay. Combine that with the fact that Virginia has only lost to UNC one time since 2002 and you have pretty favorable odds for the Wahoos. Expect U.Va. to come away with another ACC win in this one.

Final Verdict: Win, 24-17

10/23 vs. Eastern Michigan

EMU comes into the 2010 season having lost 21 of their last 24 wins, including a winless 2009 campaign. Unfortunately, this year doesn’t look too promising for the Eagles either, as they are undersized and less athletic than your traditional FBS team. The Hoos should have a field day with Eastern Michigan and run up the score against this sub-par team.

Final Verdict: Win, 42-3

10/30 vs. Miami

Randy Shannon and his staff have elevated “The U” to new heights since a mediocre stint in the mid-2000s and have the ‘Canes ready to play in the 2010 season. Behind stellar quarterback play from junion Jacory Harris, the Hurricanes blasted Florida A&M 45-0 on Thursday night and should remain a national powerhouse throughout 2010. Don’t expect the Hoos to put up much of a fight against a superiorly talented Miami team.

Final Verdict: Loss, 13-35

11/6 at Duke

The Hoos have lost to the Blue Devils twice in the last two seasons, which is unacceptable to most throughout the program. While many have the Cavaliers finishing behind Duke in the final ACC standings, we at Wahoo Wire beg to differ; we see the Hoos reestablishing themselves against the Blue Devils and returning to Charlottesville with a win. Neither team has particularly stellar players, but we think our guys can get it done.

Final Verdict: Win, 21-14

11/13 vs. Maryland

Ralph Friedgen, Head Coach of Maryland, is on the hot seat this season and at any sign of failure, he could lose his job. Like Virginia, Maryland is in sort of a rebuilding mode and is without the star players that it’s accustomed to having. The Hoos managed to get one of their wins last season against the Terps, and we see much of the same happening this year.

Final Verdict: Win, 28-13

11/20 at Boston College

Boston College may not be the same program that it was when it had Matt Ryan under center, but it’s still a talented ACC program. Fueled by the return of linebacker Mark Herzlich, the Eagles enter the 2010 season with high hopes of conference contention and rightfully so. While the Hoos could hang with them, we expect the Eagles to pull away in the end, ultimately handing Virginia another loss.

Final Verdict: Loss, 7-21

11/27 at Virginia Tech

Although we’d love to say that the Hoos stand a fighting chance against arch-nemesis Virginia Tech, it’s a little too farfetched to do so. The Hokies are once again a national powerhouse, ranked 10^th nationally before their big matchup against the Broncos from Boise State. If the Hokies can get past BSU, they have a fighting chance at a national championship birth. While it would be awesome for the Wahoos to spoil these chances in the final week of the season, it’s not going to happen. The Hokies are literally going to run all over us with running backs Darren Evans and Ryan Williams. It’s just the sad truth.

Final Verdict: Loss, 10-42

All in all, we our beloved Cavaliers going 6-6, a far better record than last year’s campaign and a step in the right direction for the program. Despite our best efforts at accurate predictions, there are still so many unknowns this season. Thus, we could be completely wrong in either direction.

Thanks for following the 2010 Virginia Football Preview. Stay tuned throughout the season for more analysis and remember, GO HOOS!