Last weekend, Virginia was in trouble. A grand total of 16 yards of offense and multiple coverage busts on defense defined a lethargic opening quarter for the Cavaliers (4-1, 2-0 ACC). The game felt like it was teetering on the edge of a blowout loss to Boston College, and it seemed it was only a matter of time before the Eagles (4-2, 1-1 ACC) landed the knockout shot. But Virginia’s defense bowed its neck, the offense executed in key moments and the Cavaliers rattled off 18 unanswered points to secure the 24-14 victory. That game has been the defining example of 2024 Virginia football — a game is never over until the final whistle blows. Until that happens, anything is possible.
“They found a way to persevere through it,” Coach Tony Elliott said postgame. “They didn't get down, they didn't start pointing fingers. They all looked themselves in the mirror and said, ‘Hey, we’re going to figure out what it takes.’”
Having matched the program’s best start in the past five seasons, the Cavaliers will look to keep rolling at home against Louisville Saturday at Scott Stadium. The Cardinals (3-2, 1-1 ACC) are reeling, coming off two straight losses. Both losses were against opponents who are currently ranked — No. 25 Southern Methodist and No. 11 Notre Dame — and were decided by a single touchdown each. The Cardinals were previously ranked as well but dropped out of the most recent poll. That drop in national standings will make Louisville desperate to get back on track Saturday.
Senior quarterback Tyler Shough leads a high-flying Cardinals offense that ranks 14th nationally in passing yards. As Virginia prepares to defend against that offense, Elliott has been impressed with what Shough has put on tape.
“He’ll pick you apart,” Elliott said. “Very accurate, can throw from the pocket. He can throw on the run and then he also makes a lot of off-platform throws and different arm angles.”
Containing Shough will be a major test for a Virginia defense that has shown marked improvement from last season. Shough has thrown at least two touchdowns in every game this season, totalling 13 passing touchdowns — tied for 14th in the nation.
Shough is not a one-man show on offense, though. Senior wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks leads the team with 489 receiving yards after transferring from Alabama in the offseason. Brooks is the headliner, but as Elliott sees it, Louisville is full of capable receivers.
“Their wideouts are extremely fast,” Elliott said. They also can make contested plays down the field.”
To combat that talented group, the Cavaliers should hopefully get a sorely-needed reinforcement. Graduate cornerback Kempton Shine is expected to return from his knee injury he suffered against Boston College, according to Elliott — which would help Virginia match up with Louisville’s dynamic playmakers.
While the Cavalier defense won the day for Virginia against Boston College, it cannot be expected to carry the team for a second straight week. Louisville’s offense is too powerful to shut down for a full 60 minutes, and should this game turn into an offensive shootout, the Cavalier offense must rediscover the rhythm it showed late in last week’s game to keep pace.
Scoring 24 points last week does not tell the full story, considering the defense scored six of them — courtesy of a scoop-and-score from senior safety Jonas Sanker. 17 points of offense rarely results in victory, but it proved to be enough against the Eagles. It should be noted that Boston College has allowed the fewest points per game in the ACC this season.
Despite early struggles, sophomore quarterback Anthony Colandrea did not panic after a rough first half. Colandrea may have totaled fewer yards against the Eagles than he did against Maryland — Virginia’s only loss so far — but this time he played turnover-free football. Against a shaky Cardinals defense that has allowed over eight yards per pass, Colandrea should have more opportunities to air it out.
Unfortunately, working against Virginia’s passing attack are the injuries tormenting the wide receiver room. Junior Trell Harris’ is day-to-day and graduate Chris Tyree continues to battle a groin injury that Elliott expects to sideline him again this week. The Cavalier reserves did a nice job filling in for the injured receivers a week ago, though. Junior J.R. Wilson had an encouraging four-catch, 44-yard return from injury, and junior Andre Greene Jr. came down with an important two-point conversion. Despite the injuries to Harris and Tyree, Virginia has been able to stay afloat. Ideally, those reserves are able to continue their quality play against an average Cardinals defense.
Then there is the running game. The Cavaliers were bound to take a step back from their 384-yard rushing day against Coastal Carolina two weeks ago, but against Boston College they proved the outing was not a fluke. Graduate running back Kobe Pace got the bulk of the work done with 19 carries for 83 rushing yards. Pace’s numbers are not astounding at just around four yards per rush, but as the game wore on, the running back seemed to gain strength. Virginia’s improved ability to run the football has played as big a role as anything in its hot start, and that speaks to the improvement of the team’s offensive line.
“I think it’s just more maturity,” Elliott said of the unit.
The struggles of the offensive line last year were abominable, but five games into this season, it seems all the starters benefitted from receiving the lion’s share of playing time last year. Last year’s growing pains have undoubtedly paid off in the end.
“[I’m] just super proud of all those guys for believing in themselves,” Elliott said. “This is a football team that many people on the outside kind of wrote off at the beginning of the season, and I told these guys — man, we ain't worried about that. We want to prove ourselves right.”
Entering this ACC battle against Louisville, Virginia is one of five ACC teams with an undefeated conference record. A loss would drop them into the middle of a 17-team pack, but a win would cement the program’s best start since 2017. Even better, the Cavaliers sit in good position to make a bowl game — but with four ranked teams remaining on the schedule, nothing can be taken for granted. Virginia and the Cardinals face off at 3:30 Saturday, and the game will be broadcast on ACC Network.
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