After battling the elements and Richmond Saturday, Virginia emerged victorious against both and will now take their 1-0 record down south to play Wake Forest Saturday. The Cavaliers are riding high after putting up 497 yards on offense, a total they did not hit once in 2023, en route to their 34-13 victory. This all was driven by an outstanding performance from sophomore quarterback Anthony Colandrea, who threw for 297 yards and two touchdowns plus a rushing touchdown — and most importantly, there were zero turnovers on his part. The Virginia signal-caller will be the key in this upcoming game. If Colandrea plays like he did against Richmond, a Cavalier win is likely.
Meanwhile, the Demon Deacons are also coming off of a blowout win in which they beat North Carolina A&T Aug. 29 by 32 points. They were led by a very balanced offense that put up over 500 yards. The two teams have not met since 2021, when Wake Forest won 37-17 in Charlottesville. The Demon Deacons have won each of the last five matchups, and will look to extend that streak to six Saturday.
One thing to watch in this opening ACC matchup will be the duel of the quarterbacks — Colandrea versus Wake Forest senior quarterback Hank Bachmeier, who could not be more different. Bachmeier is on his third collegiate team, having previously played at Boise State and Louisiana Tech. He is also in his sixth season and heavily relies on his arm strength and pocket presence to run an offense full of long throws.
Aside from this battle of the quarterbacks, something to watch in this matchup will be how teams react in high-pressure situations like third downs, fourth downs and goal-line plays. The Demon Deacons were 7-11 on third downs last week and converted their only fourth down attempt. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers were just 3-11 on third downs and 1-3 on fourth downs. These situations are often where game-changing plays are made.
These scenarios are also where turnovers are prominent, although neither Virginia nor Wake Forest committed an egregious amount of penalties in their first game. Whichever team capitalizes in these big moments will be in prime position to capture a win.
Another matchup of note will be the Demon Deacon defensive line against the Cavalier offensive line. The trenches have always been a concern for Virginia, although they only allowed two sacks in their week one matchup. That being said, the Wake Forest front seven is significantly better than what they faced in their previous game. Senior defensive linemen Jasheen Davis and Kevin Pointer are critical pieces of the Demon Deacon front that played well in week one. Expect them to give a good fight again in week two and cause problems for the Cavaliers if their offensive line does not hold strong.
Therefore, the key to winning the game for Virginia has to be protecting Colandrea. He displayed what he can do when given time to throw in week one. The Cavalier passing attack was lethal, as nine different receivers caught passes — several of which went for first downs. Senior receiver Malachi Fields is incredible and can create problems for any defensive unit if given the ball. Additionally, if week one was any show of the future, then the depth of the receiver room is also unquestionably elite.
Giving Colandrea more time also opens up his rushing capabilities, which are far better when he is not forced to escape every other play and can truly keep a defense on their toes. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry last week when the offensive line gave him time, a mark significantly better than the 3.1 yards per carry he averaged in 2023, when the offensive line was a bit shakier.
Virginia will look to go 2-0 for the first time since 2021 Saturday, but it will not be easy. The Cavaliers only won one game on the road last year, and Wake Forest is favored to win as of now. That being said, if Virginia can carry their week one momentum on the road with them, a win certainly is not out of reach. The game starts at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
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