So ... It's gonna rain Saturday.
All.
Day.
Long.
Gonna screw up attendance. And tailgates. And yada yada yada.
But how will it impact the game?
How it HURTS us: They lost their bad-ass cornerback for the year. Which means they're putting in a guy that's not as good. And hasn't played as much. Which SHOULD help Dez, Tutu, or Seth, depending on how those defensive assignments are drawn up. We have the chance to hit some big plays against the new guy, and with our guys in space, that could be really good for us. But the rain could equalize things. If it's harder to throw the ball, that negates the advantage we could have. I was hoping we could get up big on them, and make UVA chase us --- like we did with Wake Forest. UVA isn't equipped to play a game like that, the way Wake is. So ... the rain taking this away obviously hurts.
How it HELPS us: All my life I've heard quarterbacks of all stripes say "Rain doesn't hurt a QB. WIND hurts a QB." Which would be good, if true. I don't totally buy that. Water can be slippery, and if the ball slips while you're throwing it, well .. that's not a good thing. BUT ... let's play along with that line of thinking. Assuming the QB's accuracy isn't effected by the rain ... then the advantage could grow even more for our wideouts ... The turf gets wet, it gets slippery. The offense knows where it is going, and the defense has to react. We get a step or two on the defensive back, and the QB can deliver the ball, we should have a field day taking advantage of the UVA secondary.
Defensively -- pro's and con's: Obviously, on D, if the rain makes us one dimensional, it makes them one dimensional (you would assume). The dual threat of Perkins is diminished somewhat, so containing him is easier to do, because you can focus on just his running threat. However, they know where they're going on each play, and we are reacting ... so the chance he breaks one long run is possible because of the slippery turf and having to react on each play.
All things considered, I think the weather hurts us more than helps us. I think it makes it turns the game into a slug fest, versus a track meet. And I think our chance of winning go up dramatically, if we can force a track meet.
Just my two cents.
All.
Day.
Long.
Gonna screw up attendance. And tailgates. And yada yada yada.
But how will it impact the game?
How it HURTS us: They lost their bad-ass cornerback for the year. Which means they're putting in a guy that's not as good. And hasn't played as much. Which SHOULD help Dez, Tutu, or Seth, depending on how those defensive assignments are drawn up. We have the chance to hit some big plays against the new guy, and with our guys in space, that could be really good for us. But the rain could equalize things. If it's harder to throw the ball, that negates the advantage we could have. I was hoping we could get up big on them, and make UVA chase us --- like we did with Wake Forest. UVA isn't equipped to play a game like that, the way Wake is. So ... the rain taking this away obviously hurts.
How it HELPS us: All my life I've heard quarterbacks of all stripes say "Rain doesn't hurt a QB. WIND hurts a QB." Which would be good, if true. I don't totally buy that. Water can be slippery, and if the ball slips while you're throwing it, well .. that's not a good thing. BUT ... let's play along with that line of thinking. Assuming the QB's accuracy isn't effected by the rain ... then the advantage could grow even more for our wideouts ... The turf gets wet, it gets slippery. The offense knows where it is going, and the defense has to react. We get a step or two on the defensive back, and the QB can deliver the ball, we should have a field day taking advantage of the UVA secondary.
Defensively -- pro's and con's: Obviously, on D, if the rain makes us one dimensional, it makes them one dimensional (you would assume). The dual threat of Perkins is diminished somewhat, so containing him is easier to do, because you can focus on just his running threat. However, they know where they're going on each play, and we are reacting ... so the chance he breaks one long run is possible because of the slippery turf and having to react on each play.
All things considered, I think the weather hurts us more than helps us. I think it makes it turns the game into a slug fest, versus a track meet. And I think our chance of winning go up dramatically, if we can force a track meet.
Just my two cents.
