Greg’s Game Report 2011: Southern Miss

Mike London’s team came up short against USM.

Throughout the first four games of the season typically at least one operation, offense, defense or special teams has performed at a minimum, above average. For the first time this season, however, all three operations suffered numerous breakdowns and execution failures against Southern Mississippi and no unit graded out with a championship level grade.

Special teams were a nightmare as the operation bungled a PAT, allowed USM to covert a fourth-and-23 from its own end zone on a fake punt and exhibited poor execution and decision making in the punt return game. The Cavalier offense was inconsistent: 77% of UVa’s 374 yards were tallied on four drives while six of Virginia’s 13 gradable drives concluded in four plays or less. The dropped passes that plagued the team last week against UNC reappeared as five different players dropped key balls. The defense was exceptional against a running game that was averaging 4.73 YPC and 188 yards per game. In fact, UVa defenders were good for about 70 plays – the other seven killed the Hoos as big plays and big conversions on third and fourth down doomed the Cavaliers.

...