Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
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BY BRAD FRANKLIN A FTER GOING 2-10 IN 2013 and needing to see improved production across the board, the Virginia foot- ball team made strides in 2014 that the Cavaliers are hoping carries over into the New Year. Though they weren't able to qualify for a bowl game, the Wahoos more than doubled their win total from the previous season on their way to a 5-7 record. Among those seven defeats, five were decided by eight points or less. "When I look back on the season, I think there was a lot to build off of," head coach Mike Lon- don said. "But we have a lot of work to do and a lot that we can still improve on. There are a number of areas where execution was not up to the standard, and I'm confident that we'll be able to address that this spring." The campaign started off with promise when, despite a series of second-quarter turnovers, the Cavaliers provided No. 10 UCLA a spirited chal- lenge before falling 28-20 in the season opener. The Hoos followed that with a decisive 45-13 win over Richmond, and then beat ACC newcomer Louisville 23-21 in the league opener for both teams. Despite a 41-33 loss at BYU the following week, the Cavaliers kept their momentum and won their next two games — another 45-13 vic- tory, this time over Kent State, and then a 24-19 win over Pitt where UVa held the ACC's Player of the Year, James Conner, to just 83 rushing yards in a season during which he averaged 139.6 per game (sixth nationally). Things didn't go so well coming out of the team's first bye week, though. The Cavaliers fell 20-13 at Duke in mid-October and followed that with a heartbreaking 28-27 setback at home to UNC. Over the following two weeks, UVa played the conference's best two teams and lost at Geor- gia Tech (35-10) and then at Florida State (34-20), though the outcome in Tallahassee gave plenty of folks in Charlottesville reason for optimism. Perhaps the one game during the year where the Cavaliers played their best football was in a 30-13 win against Miami in the home finale, when they held running back Duke Johnson in check while dominating in several facets. The Wahoos finished the year with a disappointing 24-20 loss in Blacksburg, despite leading Virginia Tech late in the fourth quarter. "I was very proud of the effort of our guys this past season," London said. "I really believe in these guys and this coaching staff and where this team is headed. There's no question, watching the MAKING STRIDES Football Program Eyes Continued Improvement