Dear Old U.Va.

London, Payne Lead Hoos over Spiders

Sunday, September 05 2010 by Tiki

For at least one day, it seems all is right in the world of Virginia football.  It seems as though it has been a long time coming.  There was a change at the top of the program, with new head coach Mike London taking the helm.  There has been the installation of completely new offensive and defensive systems.  There was a fair amount of overhaul on the roster itself, with some new names, some old names, and some positions changes.  The hype surround this opening game was tremendous, as much as we’ve witnessed in years. 

Once the players were on the field, all of that was forgotten.  It was time to play football.  The Hoos would come out ready.  So would the Richmond Spiders.  The fans, it seemed, were ready as well. 

The first play from scrimmage was a telling one, as sophomore RB Perry Jones scampered 38 yards down the right side.  After another 5 yard run, QB Marc Verica used some play action to hit WR Kris Burd for 21 yards.  Senior RB Keith Payne would finish off the drive on 2 rushes, pushing his way into the endzone for the first of his 4 TDs on the day.  The drive seemed almost too easy.  It provided a look at the new emphasis on power rushing, with a dose of play action passing. 

The rest of the first quarter was fairly uneventful.  A fumble from senior WR Dontrelle Inman was surrounded by a couple of short Richmond drives.  The fumble was poor, obviously, but it came from Inman making a play.  He made two defenders miss, and was hit from behind.  Sure, he needs to work on holding the ball better, but this is the kind of turnover you can live with.  After a Virginia 3 and out, Richmond had one of the stranger plays you’ll see.  RB Kendall Gaskins took a handoff and went into the line.  He was stopped, but managed to find his way through the pile and stay on his feet.  He came out of the pile, and outran the defense for a 70 yard TD run.  It was a fluky play, but it was exactly what the Spiders needed to get back into the game.

The first drive of the second quarter was much like the first drive of the game.  Maybe not as easy, but it was a good combination of Verica passes, along with runs by Jones and Payne.  And it finished off with a 2 yard TD pass to Kris Burd.  Virginia would miss 2 long FG attempts, one each by Chris Hinkebein and Robert Randolph.  Hinkebein’s was long enough, but never even sniffed the goalposts.  Randolph’s was right on target, but fell a few yards short.  It will be interesting to see what happens later this year if we are in a similar situation again.

The half ended 14-10, with the Hoos holding a 281-186 advantage in total yards, and a time of possession advantage of over 4 minutes.  The score, frankly, was not indicative of the way the game was going.  The two missed FGs, along with the long, fluky TD for the Spiders, made many Wahoo fans very nervous.

The second half opened with a Richmond drive that lasted over 4 minutes and produced 3 points.  The big play of the drive was a 32 yard pass and run from QB Aaron Corp to Gaskins.  It was another somewhat fluky play as Corp was forced out of the pocket, and on the broken play found his RB open over the middle of the field.  A good play by Corp, without a doubt, but the Hoos defense was out of position as players chased after Corp. 

With the score 14-13, I was having flashbacks to last years opener against William & Mary.  To put it simply, I was terrified.  We had been the better team, without a doubt, and yet led by just a single point.  At this point, the Payne train entered the station.  If you don’t know Payne’s story, here is a condensed version.  Payne, was a much hyped prospect out of Oakton HS.  He had some moments early in his career, but never seemed to get a chance to really make his mark.  His frustrations grew to the point where he left the program on the eve of the 2009 season.  He was upset with his position on the depth, and perhaps with an offensive system that really did not suit his running style.  After the regime change, Payne asked Mike London if he could return.  London allowed him, provided he met certain requirements.  Payne did what was asked of him, and earned his spot back.  Still, he had to prove to himself, his teammates and the fans, that it was the right decision.  Anyway who saw this next drive, knows that it was. 

After a 13 yard carry from Perry Jones, Payne carried the ball (and, it seemed, the entire Spiders defense) 3 times in succession, picking up 43 yards.  Those runs seemed to really fire up the crowd and the Virginia sideline.  And maybe, just a little bit, it put some doubt into the minds of the Spiders. 

The rest of the third quarter provided little excitement, and ended with the Hoos holding a 21-13 lead. 

The fourth quarter, however, would belong to Payne and Verica.  The quarter opened with Payne carrying defenders again, this time for 13 yards.  Verica then hit Burd on a 51 yard bomb, and Payne finished off the drive with an 8 yard TD.  After a Chase Minnifield interception and long return, Verica and Payne again combined on a TD drive.  Verica hit on 3 passes for 30 yards, and Payne provided final yard, his 4th TD. 

The final score was perhaps not indicative of how close the game was for the most part.  After all, it was a one possession game in the 4th quarter.  However, the Hoos amassed 488 total yards, and gave up just 333.  The rest of the stats are similar.  The Hoos were the better team in just about every facet of the game.

The game provided an interesting perspective on the team as a whole.  From the opening run from Perry Jones, who had limited playing time last year as a true freshman, to the 4 TDs from Payne, who missed all of last year after leaving the program.  There was Verica, returning to the starting role that he held in 2008, after spending most of 2009 holding a clipboard.  There was sophomore Laroy Reynolds leading the team with 8 tackles (including 3 for loss) in his first game as a LB after coverting from safety.  And there was senior LB Darnell Carter, who had missed the 2008 season due to academics, making an impact with a sack and 2 TFLs.  And there was Minnifield and Burd, players who had big roles a year ago.  Newcomers, veterans, holdovers from the previous regime, and second chances.  That, in a nutshell, is the 2010 Virginia football program.

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