University of Virginia Library

The New Spirit

Our reaction to the Purdue game is one of
intense pride. It's been a long time since the
Cavaliers have been quite so "in the public
eye" as they were in this game (how often
does any team have the privilege of sharing an
opener with the number one team in the
nation?), and they certainly performed
respectably. Any team which can march the
length of the field to a near score on the
season's first series of downs against the
number one team in the nation is a team to
watch; any team which can compile more
yards on the ground than the number one
team in the nation is not a team to be sneezed
at; any team which can dump the quarterback
of the number one team in the nation eight
times while never letting its own quarterback
be caught behind the line is a team to sit up
and take notice of; any team whose overall
game statistics compare so well with those of
the number one team in the nation is a team
to admire.

We are indeed proud of that team. For the
first time in years it looks as if the Cavaliers of
U. Va. will provide their fans with a lot more
than amusement-to-drink-by on Saturday
afternoons. For the first time in years it
appears that the Cavaliers of U. Va. are a team
that opponents will look ahead to rather than
overlook for stronger ones; for the first time
in years the Cavaliers of U. Va. should be a
real A.C.C. power.

No one in the University believes that the
score of 44-6 is in any way representative of
the Cavaliers' performance against Purdue
(even if it were, it would be nothing to be
embarrassed about - after all, Purdue was
picked number one, and its bench was two
rows thick); further, no one in the University
believes that the score of 44-6 is in any way
representative of what's to come.

The University community has a lot of
faith in its team this year, perhaps more so
than it has had in a number of years. We hope
this team will not let us down as have so many
of its bungling predecessors; we do not really
fear that it will, for it certainly seems to be
well out of its predecessors' class. We only
hope that it will live up to all everyone hopes
for it; similarly, we hope everyone will
demonstrate the "new" spirit of football at
the University to the team so that it will know
for sure that it does, indeed, have everyone's
whole-hearted support. If the team is
convinced of that and performs in a manner
pursuant thereto, 9-1 is not only a possibility,
it's a probability.