Virginia kicked off this season bucking recent norms in all the right ways. However, Saturday was a depressing return to frustration for Cavalier football. A squandered halftime lead, a minus-four turnover differential and a flat second half headlined the rough day. The Cavaliers (2-1, 1-0 ACC) look to bounce back on the road at Coastal Carolina for a 2 p.m. Saturday kickoff. The Chanticleers (3-0, 0-0 SBC), are coming off a 28-20 road victory over Temple and will present interesting challenges for Coach Tony Elliott and company.
Coastal Carolina totaled 184 rushing yards against Temple — and that was considered a bad day for them. The Chanticleers average 251 rushing yards per game, the most in the SBC by a wide margin — while Virginia averages 132 yards per game. Coastal Carolina offensive coordinator Travis Trickett calls run plays 70.2 percent of the time, the seventh-highest clip in the FBS. Running such a one-dimensional scheme presents a tradeoff — yes, it is predictable, but such repetition lends itself to sound fundamentals. To reduce some of that predictability, the Chanticleers diversify their run game with designed quarterback runs.
Sophomore quarterback Ethan Vasko has carried the ball 34 times and is second on the team in rushing yards with 190. On the few plays in which Vasko does pass the ball, he is an aggressive decision maker, averaging 12 air yards per attempt, per PFF. Virginia has struggled relative to the rest of the ACC in run defense, ranking 12th in rushing yards allowed. Power Four or not, Coastal Carolina’s run game will present challenges, and the Cavaliers must have a plan.
Virginia will likely deploy stacked boxes to try and counter the Chanticleer run game. This means the game will come down to the Virginia cornerbacks’ ability to win their one-on-one matchups — a challenge they should be up for after facing senior receiver Tai Felton and junior receiver Donavon Greene in back-to-back weeks. The Cavalier defense is yet to nab an interception and they will have to be opportunistic to get one against this run-first offense.
Getting back on track
Following his week one performance against Richmond, sophomore quarterback Anthony Colandrea harped on the importance of being a “point guard,” and distributing the ball to his playmakers. But in the two weeks since, he has been overly aggressive and committed five turnovers. To his credit, Colandrea gritted out a win against Wake Forest, but last week against Maryland, he melted down. He was visibly frustrated, and his play suggested that he was rattled by early struggles. Colandrea’s game is confidence-dependent — delightful to watch when he is riding high but cringe-inducing when he is down on himself. Facing a weaker opponent, Colandrea must get back to controlled, rhythmic play and trust his playmakers to do their jobs.
Senior wide receiver Malachi Fields hit his first speed bump of the season last week. Virginia’s leading receiver was held to four catches for 36 yards and lost a costly fumble in the fourth quarter. After posting back-to-back 100-yard games to open the year, Fields will look to get back on course. The offense runs through Fields, so it is no wonder his quiet day coincided with the unit’s worst game of the season. And despite his strong production, Fields has yet to score a touchdown this season. Look for that to change on Saturday.
The Cavaliers’ red zone offense cost them the game against the Terrapins, converting just one of four trips to the redzone into touchdowns. This failure can be attributed to the team’s inability to grind out tough yards on the ground. Having a strong power run game is essential when the field gets condensed, but the Cavaliers repeatedly got stuffed on short-yardage situations. Struggles against Maryland are somewhat understandable, but if they reoccur versus Coastal Carolina, Virginia has a problem.
The Injury Report
The Cavalier defense should get a boost with the likely return of sophomore linebacker Kam Robinson. Robinson went down early against Wake Forest with a knee sprain and missed last week’s game against Maryland. Junior linebacker Trey McDonald filled in well for Robinson, but there is no replacing the 2023 Freshman All-American. Having three healthy and capable linebackers would go a long way facing such a run-heavy Coastal Carolina attack.
Robinson’s return is sullied by Virginia’s ongoing health struggles along the offensive line. Senior offensive guard Ty Furnish is now unlikely to play — the newest name on a laundry list of injured Cavalier linemen that includes junior McKale Boley, graduate Ethan Sipe and senior Charlie Patterson. Virginia’s offensive line was not considered a strength of the team to begin with, and now it feels like it is becoming a liability.
One does not have to dig too far to find the last time Virginia lost to a non-Power Four team. The Cavaliers’ implosive loss to James Madison in week two of the 2023 season set the tone for what ended up being a disappointing season. Furthermore, the Chanticleers know what an upset win would mean for their program. If the Cavaliers sleep-walk into Brooks Stadium, they will be in for a shock. This game is a must-win for Virginia to legitimately be in contention for a bowl game.
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