Bowling (no Burgers), 10th Frame: THE OFFENSE

No more frills.  Just gritting the teeth and rolling into the 10th, trying to close this game out in style, drunk rednecks and their buttcracks be damned...

Strikes

• I hate Colin Cowherd, but I enjoy his show and I generally agree with just about everything he has to say when it comes to sports.  One thing I heard him say (he says it a lot, actually) that has really stuck with me is: "Quarterback + Weapons = Wins."  The stripped-down, cool, simplistic genius of that statement really resonates with me.  And in the world of modern football, it is just about almost completely true.  So this year, UVA has Sims/Rocco + PJ/KP/Smith/Jennings/Terrell/McGee (and a few other role players with impact potential.)  That's above-average quarterbacking, with an arsenal of nice weapons.  Wins, here we come.
• That's right, I just said "above-average quarterbacking."  If Mike Rocco wins the job, he gives us experience and quiet productivity on a trajectory to surprisingly break the school's all-time passing record.  If Phillip Sims wins the job, he gives us the best pure talent under center that we've had since Shawn Moore... and maybe even ever.  So either way, I think "above-average quarterbacking" is a correct statement, even if a potential QB controversy might threaten the harmony of the situation.
• As for the weapons, one of the most important things about this year's team that I didn't really touch on during the 5th Frame is the plus-plus-plus receiving ability of our running backs, and especially of our starter at the position, Perry Jones.  Did you know that PJ is our top returning receiver?  His 48 catches for 506 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air were all second on the team behind Kris Burd in 2011.  This year in training camp, the offense is flashing some two-back looks, with Jones flexing out to the slot.  Perry Jones gives us so much versatility, he truly is a supreme weapon for the offense.
• Our two starting tackles - Oday Aboushi and Morgan Moses - basically ensure an effective offensive line.
• The incredible depth of talent in our backfield - Jones, Kevin Parks, Clifton Richardson, and the best 4th string back in football, Khalek Shepherd - basically ensures a productive, reliable, and at times explosive rushing attack.  And these guys also pitch in quite a bit with the passing game.
• The receivers need to step up, but there are numbers here.  All we need to do is see two of Tim Smith, Darius Jennings, Dominique Terrell, Miles Gooch, and/or Canaan Severin step up as solid, reliable starters, and the passing game will be effective.
• Bill Lazor is a very, very good offensive coordinator.  That needs to be said, clearly and concisely.  I have limitless faith in the scheming, playcalling, and overall design of the offense.  Lazor just straight up delivers the goods.
• Add it all up, and we have the makings of a very good offense in 2012.

Gutters

• Of course, it's not all unicorns and rainbows on the offensive side of the ball.
• Will the tight ends give us anything this season?  I'm underwhelmed by Colter Phillips, Paul Freedman, and Jeremiah Mathis.  Jake McGee is my great white hope, and he's not practicing right now for whatever reason (injury or whatever.)  Not that we need good tight end play in order to have a good offense... but if we're putting them on the field, they need to produce something, good blocking at the very least.  There needs to be a point to having a tight end, otherwise just go four-wide... which might be the long-term plan, anyway.
• The interior of the offensive line is shuffled and will need to gel.  Right now it looks like Cody Wallace, Luke Bowanko, and Sean Cascarano are with the first unit, but who knows how it will ultimately shake out in training camp?  In any case, I think it's a dicey prospect to assume that we'll be running up the middle with much success this season, given the smaller stature of our backs and the unsettled interior line.  This formula coupled with pedestrian tight end play could make short yardage and goal line situations a bit of an adventure.
• Placekicking could be a problem this season, if none of the million kickers we have on the roster takes the reins and rides hard.
• That's about all I got.  I'm maybe a little bit too confident in our offense this season.

Score for the Frame:
Good quarterback play, good running game, great coordinator.  The only shortcomings are potentially mediocre output from a position group whose impact is clearly being minimalized systemically, a question mark on the interior o-line, and the idiot kickers.  None of those three issues is going to be enough to derail this unit, and I'm pretty freaking bullish on the O's ability to move the ball and score points this season.  First roll, on the strength of Bill Lazor: STRIKE.  Second roll, on the back of QB + Weapons = Wins, STRIKE.  Third and final roll, with the few small question marks looming, is a crappy 5-pin hit to end the game.  Damn, we missed our turkey in the 10th by just that much, but it was still a great frame.

Score Thru 10 Frames: 149

The Game:

| 7/ | 7- | 33 | 8/ | X | 9/ | 8- | X | 81 |XX5| 149

What does this even mean?  I really have no idea.

I will say this: back when I was a league bowler, a 149 was a pretty solid game for me.  If I bowled this game in league play, we'd usually win... say... 7 out of 12 games.  Do with that information what you will.