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Chris Long had another outstanding day in the orange and blue on Saturday. |
Virginia defensive end Chris Long turned in another strong performance for the Hoos on Saturday, creating havoc in the backfield for the Blue Devils on numerous occasions. The senior star registered 8 tackles including 2 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss in the game.
“For anybody who doesn’t have a definition in their mind as to what an All-American is, just watch him play,” UVa coach Al Groh said before listing off the coaches’ game report. “Yesterday, he was in on 11 tackles, had 2 tackles for loss, 2 caused penalties, had 2 sacks – those are All-American and Outland Trophy numbers.”
The outing against the Blue Devils boosted his season stats. Long has 15 tackles in two games; he has 4 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss.
It’s a sign that Long is starting to finish those plays that were of the ‘close but no cigar’ variety earlier in his career. Coming into the season, Long had posted 7 sacks and 24 TFLs in his career including 2 sacks and 12 TFLs in 2006; he had 21 quarterback hurries last season to boot (and 47 in his career) but seemed to just miss out on several big plays.
So far in 2007, he’s finishing plays. Need an example? Look no further than a late Duke drive from Saturday. The Blue Devils trailed 24-13 with 3:55 to play and needed to drive in a hurry. Long took full advantage of the pass-rushing situation with three consecutive plays. On second down, Long burst through for a 5-yard sack to set up 3rd-and-15. After the visitors took a timeout, Long was at it again as he forced a Devils’ holding penalty. The Cavalier star quickly ended the drive on fourth down when he bull-rushed the offensive lineman, tossed him aside, and chased down Thaddeus Lewis’ escape attempt.
Two sacks and one hold in three plays. Those are the Outland Trophy (given annually to the nation’s best interior offensive or defensive linemen by the Football Writers Association of America) style plays that Groh referenced. Long said the results were good, but that he has to be better.
“The results were good, but technique-wise though, it could have been a lot better,” Long said. “I’m happy with the results – we win, we hold them, that’s awesome – but no matter what you can always get better.”
In terms of technique, that may be where Long has improved the most. He had a variety of pass-rushing moves last year and the mechanics on those moves were generally very strong. However, once he beat the offensive lineman, his technique seemed to falter just a bit at times. It looks like Long has worked on improving his footwork once he beats his blocker(s) and takes shorter, quicker steps near the quarterback. That’s contributing to his ability to finish off those near misses of yesteryear this season.
Whatever it is, it’s helping the Cavs and that’s Long’s main goal.
“I don’t know what it is, just being conscious of it. It certainly haunts you when you try to sleep at night when you’ve got 45 hurries and 2 sacks,” Long said with a chuckle. “You just want to help your team out. What hurts you the most is just missing a play and watching it go for some yards so you just want to help your team out.”
In Focus Video Highlights
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WCAV (Channel 19 Charlottesville) provides in-focus video from Virginia’s 24-13 win over Duke. WCAV videographer Marc Davis focused exclusively on Chris Long throughout the game. Long did not disappoint, recording an outstanding afternoon on the field. At 6-4, 284, the Charlottesville native simply dominated the Blue Devils for most of the day. In the end, he accumulated 8 tackles including 2.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks.
View Video Highlights (Internet Explorer Preferred)
In Focus Analysis
The first thing that strikes the observer about Chris Long is his passion for the game. From staying late after practice to diligent film study, Long doesn’t simply rely on talent to excel, he relies on preparation and excellent work habits. But make no mistake, the talent is evident. Long is very versatile and can rapidly change direction in space or traffic to confront a runner in the gap. He also has the ability track down a ball carrier from the backside. Because of that versatility, Virginia will line him up anywhere on the defensive front to take on the tackle, the guard, or the center.
Long has great burst off the line of scrimmage and is equally adept at beating slow defenders with pure speed but has the physical skills to beat stronger defenders and double teams with good balance and control of his speed. He uses his strong hands well to shed off blockers when doubled. He is an instinctive pass rusher that recognizes blocking schemes well and reads the flow of the play very quickly. ~ The Sabre’s Greg Waters
In Focus Photos
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In-focus photos provided by Michael Ingalls. Click each thumbnail to open larger image. Images copyright © TheSabre.com.
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