Somewhere, Peter Lalich is singing.
31-3 is just as bad as it sounds. Snap Duke’s streak of 25 straight ACC losses and I shiver uncontrollably. Duke wins by its largest margin of victory against an ACC team since Sept. 3, 1994 — someone get me some oxygen.
So, now that we are all in agreement, let me throw you a real screwball: It wasn’t as bad as it seemed.
Before you throw down the paper in disgust, first answer me: Did you really watch the game? Did you actually flip on ESPNU, or did you just put up Gametracker during the Miami-North Carolina game? If you did catch a glimpse of Durham, did you actually give the game your undivided attention, or were you more interested in your beer and wings?
Yes, I know: Who cares? It’s Duke! Well, it’s not quite Duke as we once knew it. The Blue Devils are 3-1, and — get ready — they could make a bowl game. Virginia was the first team they beat in conference since Nov. 13, 2004, sure, but it won’t be the last this season.
So, remembering this is not the 1-11 Duke team of a year ago, try to keep an open mind as I reveal to you why in 2008 Virginia won’t replace Duke as the 1-11 team in the ACC.
First, tear your eyes away from the score for a moment to take a look at the stats. Virginia had more passing yards (194-174) and rushing yards (110-84), and even picked up one more first down (17-16).
The numbers don’t read into the score until you get to turnovers. Sophomore quarterback Marc Verica threw four picks, three of them in the fourth quarter; Virginia fumbled twice and recovered neither. On back-to-back possessions to begin the fourth quarter, Verica threw an interception in the red zone and another that was returned for a touchdown.
It wasn’t a listless offense that hurt Virginia; it was what amounts to Virginia’s third-string quarterback — Verica following Lalich, who followed Jameel Sewell — having growing pains. And if you’re complaining about that, then stop being a fan.
What about, you say, a defense that gave up 31 points. To Duke! Unforgivable, right?
Here is where I’m glad to be in print media, rather than just shouting my opinion to anyone who will listen, because now you’ll probably want to just hit me. The defense gets high marks.
No, this isn’t a satire column. Consider this: The score was 3-3 until the Virginia offense started treating the ball like a foreign object in the second half, giving Duke not only one of its touchdowns on an interception return but also ridiculous field position.
And that isn’t even the key piece of information. Really pay attention now, because you may have missed this little tidbit: On Duke’s first play of its first drive of the second half, not one, but two of Virginia’s studs on defense — senior outside linebacker Clint Sintim and sophomore cornerback Ras-I Dowling — went down with cramps. Both, incidentally, were having sensational games to that point; Sintim was unstoppable in the pass rush, already racking up two sacks. Dowling, meanwhile, had made two interceptions while holding Duke wideout Eron Riley, who came into the game averaging 77.3 receiving yards per game, without a catch.
Remove arguably Virginia’s two biggest playmakers on defense and turn the ball over time and again — and guess what happens? The Duke offense goes nuts. Virginia’s pass rush was all of a sudden contained; a true freshman running back, Jay Hollingsworth, ran over the front seven; and Riley was found uncovered at the line on a quick snap for a 30-yard touchdown after, according to Al Groh, his defense “failed to see him.”
Throw in a pick-six from Verica, and before Sintim and Dowling return, it’s 24-3.
So, as you stare at the score, try to understand that this was not a total team collapse. Saturday was simply the perfect storm. The Cavs were down to their third quarterback, hampered by unexpected personnel losses both before and during the game and playing in a hostile environment against a resurrected Duke team that has a chance to be bowl-eligible. Verica will do better, and Virginia will win again before the year is out.
Having said all that, let me be clear: This is as bad as it gets. It’s the grime of the grime, the bottom of the bottom-most barrel. Virginia got hammered. By Duke. 25 games. 1994.
I need oxygen again. But maybe not so much this time; the air just got a little bit cleaner.
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