“The tickets are flying like hotcakes!”

That’s the general sentiment ahead of No. 25 UVa’s matchup with Florida State on Saturday night (7:30 p.m., ACC Network). And frankly that’s the way it should be.

As I’ve said in this space in the past, there are plenty of reasons for fans to not only have jumped on the bandwagon heading into this season but to bring a bunch of friends with them in the process. Now, the Hoos are 2-0 on the year and are back in the Associated Press Top 25 in hopes of getting their first win as a ranked team at home since beating Duke in 2005.

So, yes, the crowd should be pretty big. But of course, life doesn’t always work like that. And in the realities of college sports in this day and age, that’s especially true. Going to games doesn’t seem to be as much of a focal point for fans these days and that’s true for many programs regardless of wins and losses, stadium sizes, or traditions.

UVa had more than 10,000 students at Friday night’s game against William & Mary, a big reason why Scott Stadium was filled with more fans than at any point last fall (45,250). Even if those final few hundred tickets are sold in the days before the matchup with the Noles this weekend, it’s unlikely that we venture into “Southern Cal in 2008” territory, the high-water mark at 64,947.

But among the venue’s top 10 crowds, it’s no accident that Florida State appears twice (sixth-most at 62,875 in 2003 and fourth-most at 63,106 in 2005). The other piece of connective tissue? Of those top 10 crowds, six came from games in 2004 or 2005, with two more in 2003. That’s the last time UVa was ranked continually and seeing sustained success on the field. The Cavaliers closed 2003 with three wins and were in the Associated Press Top 25 for all 12 games in 2004, finishing at No. 23 after losing to Fresno State in the MPC Computers Bowl. They were also ranked for part of the 2005 season before losing two of three to end the year, but winning the Music City Bowl.

The nuts and bolts here seem to make perfect sense: Play well and more people come to see your games. Play well consistently and beat good teams or teams with name recognition, and more will come.

“Yeah, one of my favorite things from Friday night was our student section,” Bronco Mendenahll said earlier this week. “I mean, it was jammed. It was so much fun. What a cool thing for college students to have a chance on a Friday night to go to a football game and see good football and winning football in an environment like that. I hope it’s just the beginning. I really do.

“It was noticeable to me,” he added. “I pay attention usually just before the game, and then they have to be pretty loud for me to notice during the game, and I noticed not only their section but the grass hill on the end. It just started looking like, ‘Hey, this is starting to take shape’.”

Mendenhall, his staff, his players, and certainly the athletics department as a whole all hope to see that trend continue not just this weekend but beyond.

“That was the home opener and it was a Friday night, and so I think that’s a strong draw in and of itself,” Mendenhall explained. “I would hope it’s just the beginning and that the community at large, the state, as well as our student section and the long-time fans that have been so loyal, I hope they’re optimistic and enjoying what’s happening and encourage their friends to come.”

AD Carla Williams and her staff should be commended for identifying and addressing as much of the situation as possible. Ticket deals have been available, the school has made important changes to the game-day experience, and clearly the administration has done what it could to help the product on the field as well (coaching hire, a revamped look in the locker room, etc).

But the product on the field is up to those who coach/play and in this chicken-and-egg situation, the Wahoos have started to show they will do their part. A bowl victory followed by a solid offseason and lead up to an ACC opener on the road in August plus the unequivocal beatdown of an in-state FCS opponent all imply potential.

So does that make Saturday a must-win?

Perhaps in some ways. Most Cavalier fans, if they’re being honest, understand that their fanbase can be a bit…fickle. Win Saturday night and many more will be on that aforementioned bandwagon. Lose? And, well...

Of course, a loss (thanks in part to the win at Pitt) wouldn’t doom UVa’s season or anything. The Hoos could realistically lose to FSU and still make a convincing run at the Coastal once the temperatures (finally) subside.

Like it or not, though, it’s Year 4 for Mendenhall and his regime. The program returned easily the division’s best QB and there are too many pieces in the right places for this team to not have more success than not.

There’s really no greater indicator of fan attendance than fan expectation and when fans expect their teams to be good, they’re more likely to go to games.

Whether Saturday night sells out or not, this is a big game. The Noles might not be the same sort of group that UVa finally vanquished in 1995 but it’s a talented, athletic team with name recognition.

This one matters.

And the fan support should respond in kind.

“It’s Florida State,” Mendenhall said simply, “ACC football, with a UVa team that seems to be on the right track.”

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