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September 25, 2015

The Path Forward for Mike London

Look, you have to understand that I was ready to see Virginia move on from Mike London after the 2013 season.  (Really, I wanted to see us fire him after the Ball State loss on October 5, 2013, in which the team very clearly quit in the second half of a game they could have and should have won, but that's neither here nor there.)

It was inappropriate for Virginia to bring London back for the 2014 season.

It was downright negligent to bring him back for 2015.

Yet here he is, still "coaching" the Virginia football team.

But look, as done with him as I am (and you know, I'm really done), there is a path forward for Mike London; a way for him to save his job and begin the long, arduous process of winning back lost fans and supporters.

That path forward, I believe, MUST begin with a win over Boise State tonight.

I say that, because the path forward has to entail a bowl game this season, bare minimum.  Virginia isn't going to go 5-3 in the ACC, just isn't going to happen.  4-4 is the most optimistic I'm willing to be, and it's at least somewhat realistic given the fact that we finally have an actual quarterback.

So a win tonight, under the lights, to get to 2-2... and then it's a long bye week, a chance to completely reconfigure the offense from the so-called "power running" format into a spread-style look built around gunslinging Matt Johns, the top-shelf receiving talent of Canaan Severin and T.J. Thorpe, and the unique skills of tailback/slotback Taquan Mizzell, zippy freshman receiver David Eldridge, and electric freshman tailback/receiver Olamide Zaccheaus.



Win tonight, gel things during the bye week, go 4-4 in ACC play, get to - and win - a shitty bowl game, get to the offseason and shit-can Steve Fairchild (and replace him with Chris Beatty) and Larry Lewis... and... who knows?  Maybe this is some sort of workable Frankenstein's Monster of a coaching staff that can shamble forward.

(Of course, we also need to find a pass rush if we want 2015 to end with a winning record, but that's a topic for another day.)

Anyway, tonight is a big game.  Boise isn't the best matchup for us.  They have made a living winning this kind of game against power conference teams.  I'm scared of what their offense will do to our defense, just like I was scared of Notre Dame continuing to run the ball in the second half.  We do have the better quarterback in the matchup, we're playing at home, under the lights, and I like how our DBs match up with their receivers (but we gotta have a pass rush for that to matter).

Heart says we can win, head says naw.  Vegas says Boise -2.5, and that seems fair, almost generous.

Anyway, it's a big night game, nationally televised, and it's going to be fun.

Go Hoos.


33 comments:

  1. Wow a positive vibe from you towards Mike London - with Karma like this we're sure to win tonight.

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  2. It's 17 to nothing in the first quarter, jesus!!!!

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  3. 24 to 7, London shouldn't even be allowed back after half time. As we know that won't happen CL will see "enough fight" to retain him. Sad just sad.

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  4. What an embarrassment. Where is the Kickstarter to buy out the contact?!?

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  5. 39-14 well Fire Mike London. It's all over now.

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  6. Either fire London now or take the football program down to a lower division.....poorly coached team

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    1. Can't do that sorry but the Cavaliers won three national Championship this year. Baseball being the big one.

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    2. Baseball isn't fotball

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    3. Can't just lower the football team to one level and leave the rest at a higher level. Leaving the board would be a good option for a non-UVa fan.

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  7. If we score a few touchdowns in the second half and hold them to 29 we can win this thing. I love london he just needs better staff and get some better players next year.

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    1. He has had top 25 recruiting classes 3 of the last 4 years. He was allowed to restaff after the 2013 2-10 embarrassment. He is 24 and 41 at UVA. No....its time for his ass to go!!!

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  8. hmm..Jones is better than Lambert at QB so says the coaching staff at UVA... Lambert transfers to Georgia and is now starting QB.. This says it all for the coaching staff.. very indiscipline team

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  9. Embarrassing, as a UVa fan I am proud never embarrassed of my team always proud. That changes tonight, things should change tonight London sould be gone. At any other power five school he would be gone, the end!

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  10. You might as well paint the grass blue at Scott stadium, cuz Boise State ownes that shit!!! If Littlepaig had one shred of respect for UVA football, he would fire London tomorrow!!

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  11. You might as well paint the grass blue at Scott stadium, cuz Boise State ownes that shit!!! If Littlepaig had one shred of respect for UVA football, he would fire London tomorrow!!

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  12. If London had any respect for this program I will wake up tomorrow to read that he has resigned. The players are trying but they are poorly coached. When does basketball season start? Maybe Tony can coach a few games before his season starts. Can't believe he would do worse.

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    1. I totally agree with you !!! It was a mistake hiring him in the 1st place....Yeah, he won a national championship at Richmond but the players were all of Dave Clawsons recruit's before he got hired at Bowling Green !!!! Time to go !!!! Bring back the old salt ( George Welch)

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  13. Mike seems like a great guy, that why for some this is so hard. The players love him! He would probably be a great head recruiter, OK as a coordinator, he is a huge cheer leader for UVA football. Unfortunately that's all he is. As a head coach of a power 5 school he is completely out of his league. He has had 5 years to grow into this job, there are no players left from old coaches, this is entirely his team. So, its time to make a decision. Do we give him another 5 years to see if he can figure out how to coach D1 football? Or do we do what just about any other team in the country would do with a five year 24-41 coach, and dhom him the door? I fear that AD Craig Littlepaige has all his eggs in one basket, this is his hand picked guy, and he will stick with him till the bitter end. Sorry UVA fans the London error will continue.

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  14. If Littlepage doesn't fire London at the end of the yea,if not before, then the Board of Regents need to step in and fire Littlepage ...enough is enough !!!

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  15. I wonder if mikey and little are down low gay luvers. I think they might do the downlow during halftime.

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  16. Time to start making your coaching wishlists everybody. Memphis HC Justin Fuente at the top for me.

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  17. Doc Holiday, Mack Brown, Bill Cowher, Kirby Smart, it really needs to be someone not associated with the program

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    Replies
    1. Agree.. New blood from a far.....Bo Pelini or Jim Tressell ?

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    2. How about Jeff Brohm from WKU?

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    3. Just fire Mike London and start over

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  18. Time for The List, Part IV...

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    1. It's coming. I've been working on it for months.

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  19. Definitely need to clean house after the season because littlepage won't fire London now.

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  20. All the season ticket holders ought to boycott the remaining home games and hopefully with a stadium that is just filled with students for games will force Littlepage to fire London ASAP.... Don't blame the players as we do have good players, it has all to do with the poor coaching and poor fundamentals that they are teaching the players and more so with play calling.....

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  21. If I see another one yard loss up the middle with our power run game I might snap. Call Coastal Carolina and get Joe Moglia on the line.

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    1. Well its coming against Pittsburgh. I'm done, I may be the most loyal fan of all time. I have a Virginia tattoo, I love this school at the game it brings a tear to my eye to think what its become

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