Virginia
Five Takeaways from Virginia Football’s 24-19 Upset over Pittsburgh
In need of a win, Virginia football (5-4, 3-3 ACC) responded off the bye with a massive 24-19 upset over the No. 18 Pittsburgh Panthers (7-2, 3-2 ACC) to propel the Cavaliers back into bowl contention as the Hoos now need only one more victory to reach the illustrious six-win mark for bowl eligibility.
For a recap of the game: Virginia Football Claws Back to Upset Pittsburgh on the Road 24-19
With that said, here’s five takeaways from Virginia’s thrilling upset over the Pittsburgh:
Jonas Sanker is an NFL Caliber Safety
The Cavaliers leading tackler and leader of the defense put the football world on watch on Saturday night. Sanker single-handedly was the spark that allowed the Cavaliers to come back and defeat Pittsburgh on the road. His block on the field goal was magnificent before the interception on the ensuing Pittsburgh drive injected life into the Cavaliers. Sanker stepped up when his team needed him most and will be a future role player in an NFL franchise. Sanker also added five total tackles on the night, four solo.
Virginia Has a Shot to Become Bowl Eligible
An unlikely and unpredictable path to five wins for the Cavaliers puts them one game away from bowl eligibility. After the demoralizing loss to North Carolina, many thought the season was over for the Hoos; Saturday night’s win demonstrated this team’s resilience and fortitude even during tough times. Further, this win shows why Tony Elliott should and will be the future of this football program. The Hoos must find one more win between Notre Dame, SMU, or Virginia Tech. Although this will be difficult, this win inspires confidence that one more regular season win is possible.
The Virginia Rushing Attack was Stellar
The source of the Virginia offense on Saturday night started on the ground. Xavier Brown led the Hoos with 68 yards rushing and one touchdown, while Kobe Pace rattled off 52 yards and a touchdown. The duo was used in rotation, creating a two-headed monster that dominated the Pittsburgh defense all night long. Colandrea also utilized his legs, which was, for the majority of the night, more effective than throwing the ball. The sophomore quarterback scrambled for 40 yards on the ground as the Cavaliers had 170 yards rushing, an impressive performance.
Cavaliers Beat Themselves in the First Half
Virginia could’ve and should have won this game by more than five points, but mistakes, primarily in the first half, allowed this contest to be much closer than it should have been. The Malachi Fields bobbled ball that resulted in an interception robbed Virginia of a touchdown before Colandrea threw an interception right at a Pittsburgh linebacker, giving the Panthers excellent field position. Daniel Sparks, although he had a 66-yard bomb in the second half, had a 16-yard punt earlier in the game. Corey Thomas Jr., who had the game-sealing interception, also had a pass interference that continued a Pittsburgh drive on the verge of collapse on third and long. Virginia was fortunate to have left Pittsburgh with a victory, as mistakes like these are usually on the stat sheet of the losing team.
Colandrea Shows Poise in the Clutch
Colandrea did not play his best football game on Saturday night, but despite this, at the end of the game, the sophomore delivered a masterful drive that lasted eight minutes and 26 seconds and ended in a Will Bettridge field goal. Colandrea showed incredible poise, slowly leading the team down the field, being mindful of the clock, and reading what the defense gave him. The drive included a 16-yard rush from Colandrea, a 25-yard pass to Tyree, and a 12-yard pass to Pace as Colandrea played smart and conservative football, allowing Virginia to seal the victory over Pitt.
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CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia has plenty of state symbols, be it the black bear as the state animal, the cardinal as the state bird or the rhododendron as the state flower, but did you know that the Mountain State also has its own official gun?
The Hall Flintlock Model 1819 was first manufactured in Harpers Ferry by John H. Hall in 1811 and was adopted by the United States Army in 1819, making it the first breech-loading rifle ever adopted by a country’s military.
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Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution -
Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution
All of this information is listed in Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, which was introduced and passed during the 2013 West Virginia Legislative session, and officially recognizes the Model 1819 as the official firearm of the State of West Virginia.
On top of being created in West Virginia, the resolution also points out that the rifle saw use during the Civil War, an event that directly led to West Virginia’s statehood.
While having an officially recognized state firearm may seem far-fetched, West Virginia is not the only state that has one. As a matter of fact, a fifth of the states in the country have officially designated a state firearm, including West Virginia’s neighbors in Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In this world of college football, with the transfer portal and recruiting battles, bad blood is present more than ever before between head coaches.
That’s not the case between the Virginia Tech head coach and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, however. In fact, Franklin revealed at ACC Kickoff on Thursday that the two are actually close friends, dating back to their time at the Nike trip that various coaches take over the summer.
“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”
The long-time Penn State head coach is making the move to the ACC after being fired from the Nittany Lions in October. 12 seasons of being with the program had Franklin hold a 44-21 record against top 10 opponents, an impressive record for a new conference foe of Swinney’s.
But when that trip comes around, there’s a camaraderie between Swinney and Franklin and both of their wives. In fact, the two hang out with each other instead of the other coaches at times. It simply comes to an “edgy” time in college athletics that raises tempers.
“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin said. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”
On Swinney’s end, there are a few who could immediately come to mind among Clemson fans. Perhaps the most recent would be Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who played the most significant role in the tampering of former linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
It’s a select list of coaches who make the good side of the Tigers’ head coach, and Franklin is certainly on that list. On the other hand, Hokies’ head coach has Swinney on his own shortlist.
“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” he said.
The two will see that close relationship face off at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. Clemson will host the Hokies on Oct. 24 in what could be a potential title-eliminator for the ACC Championship.
Of course, the last game that we’ve seen the Tigers play in was against Franklin’s former team in Penn State at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. That game ended in a 22-10 contest that saw a foundation of Franklin players end Clemson’s season in disappointment.
Swinney will see many of those players once again in October, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, in that contest. The anticipated Hokie starter recorded 260 yards and two passing touchdowns on the Tigers in the Bronx that day.
Although friends become foes, another ACC coach has given Swinney his flowers for what he’s been able to do for the conference. In the upcoming moments, Franklin will look to prepare his team to prove itself on one of the biggest stages in the ACC, while Swinney looks to put his team back at the top of a conference he’s dominated for over 15 years.
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MARTINSVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Extreme drought conditions in parts of Virginia have prompted an emergency drought warning for a wide swath of the region, including Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties, along with the cities of Danville, Roanoke, Salem and Martinsville.
The governor has warned that if conditions worsen, she will activate mandatory nonessential water-use restrictions.
In Martinsville, city leaders have issued a voluntary water conservation notice and are urging residents and businesses to cut back where they can. The request comes as local businesses that rely heavily on water say the drought is already affecting day-to-day operations.
SEE ALSO: Botetourt County residents adjust daily routines as voluntary water restriction continues
John Hughes, owner of John’s Car Wash, said the dry conditions have hit his business hard in recent weeks. “For the last 3 weeks, it’s been hitting pretty hard. We done three yesterday and haven’t done anything today with the drought and hot weather. Yeah, I’m really concerned about it,” Hughes said.
Restaurants are also feeling the strain. David Kitzmiller, an owner of Be Wiched, said water is essential for routine tasks such as washing dishes and preparing some menu items.
“We use a lot of water for washing dishes and some of our recipes if they limit us in anyway defiently can’t produce and its a scary aspect,” Kitzmiller said.
Kitzmiller added that cutting back is not always realistic for businesses that must meet sanitation needs. “Not really feasible for a business that depends solely relies on water to wash their dishes, so that can’t definitely be an impact there,” he said.
City leaders emphasized that the conservation request is voluntary for now, but they are encouraging everyone to do their part by taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet when it is not in use, washing only full loads of laundry, and limiting outdoor watering whenever possible.
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