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Thursday Night Lights


10:20 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN UNC, goodbye bowl hopes.


10:11 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN UNC. Virginia has less than 12 minutes to scrabble to catch up.



9:55 p.m. — UNC defense stymies Virginia, score remains at 20-13.

9:50 p.m. — Virginia offense takes the field.



9:34 p.m. — U.Va. field goal takes score to 20-13 in UNC’s favor


9:33 p.m. — U.Va. gets an early break in the second half, forcing a turnover.

9:28 p.m. — Sims starts second half.



9:05 p.m. — At the half, London is giving nothing away about the QB pick in the second half. “We’ll look at it closely,” he said. “We want to see who’s hot and who’s playing efficiently enough.”

9:04 p.m. — “We’ve just got to have that bend but not break mentality,” London said about the UVA defense at the end of the second quarter.


8:55 p.m. — With less than two minutes left in the second quarter, Sims needs to turn this around, but instead throws an incomplete pass.


8:43 p.m. — And Rocco throws an interception. UNC TD, 20-10.


8:37 p.m. — Moore misses a potential UNC field goal.



8:27 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN U.Va.


8:18 p.m. — Sophomore Philip Sims, an Alabama transfer, in for Rocco, gains much-needed first down for Virginia.



8:02 p.m. — Virginia takes the field goal to grab three points, score at 7-3 with less than a minute to go in the first quarter.

8:00 p.m. — London does not look happy with that call. Unnecessary roughness on U.Va. resulting in a 15-yard penalty.

7:58 p.m. — For those of you watching the game from the comfort of your own home tune into see U.Va.‘s Glee Club.


7:54 p.m. — First down Cavaliers.


7:47 p.m. — TD North Carolina to make the score 7-0.


7:44 p.m. — The first time these two teams met was in 1892, making tonight’s game the 177th time the Tar Heels have met the Cavaliers in competitive play.



7:36 p.m. — Junior Michael Rocco takes the field. Coach Mike London has said again and again he’s committed to the “random” quarterback rotation that has developed in the last few games.


7.24 p.m. — Fireworks blaze in Scott Stadium. Hoos excited?


7:21 p.m. — Cavalier fans ready for tonight’s must-win game. The team cannot afford to lose another match if it wants to make it to a bowl this season.


Sims, if healthy, will start Saturday against Duke

Virginia coach Mike London hinted on his weekly radio show Monday that sophomore quarterback Philip Sims will receive snaps with the first team this week and earn his first start Saturday against Duke—provided he recovers from a lower leg injury suffered in last week’s 44-38 loss to Louisiana Tech.

The move follows another dicey performance from incumbent starter junior Michael Rocco last Saturday. Rocco finished 14 of 23 for 278 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions, going just 1 of 6 after his first pick bounced off the hands of sophomore receiver Dominique Terrell. Despite suffering the lower leg injury in relief of Rocco, Sims went 10 of 17 for 166 yards and two touchdowns to spearhead a Virginia rally from a 44-24 rally.

A transfer from Alabama, Sims is now 28 of 46 for 340 yards, 5 touchdowns and zero interceptions in his first season as a Cavalier. He hails from Chesapeake, Va. and graduated Oscar Smith High School as Virginia’s all-time leader in passing yards (10,725) and touchdowns (119).

Long donates $300,000 to practice facility

The Virginia Athletic Department announced today that former All-American defensive end Chris Long has donated $300,000 to the Virginia Athletics Foundation for the construction of the George Welsh Indoor Practice Facility.

The contribution will defray some of the approximately $14.5 million expected in expenses for the new state-of-the-art facility, which will host practices for the football program and every other field team at Virginia. According to the press release revealing Long’s gift, the project is scheduled for completion next spring.

Long, who attended St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville for high school, currently competes for the NFL’s St. Louis Rams. After a strong first three years as a Cavalier, Long exploded onto the national consciousness in 2007 after a dominant senior campaign. In addition to his 14 sacks, unanimous First Team All-America selection and ACC Defensive Player of the Year award, Long became the first active Virginia player to have his jersey retired when the team honored him November 24, 2007. He is the son of Hall of Fame lineman and longtime Fox NFL analyst Howie Long.

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