In Coach Tony Elliott’s first homecoming to his alma mater as a head coach, the Cavaliers failed to bring home a signature victory. No. 10 Clemson dominated the field all day, smothering Virginia (4-3, 2-2 ACC) by punishing its offensive line and humiliating its defense to hand a 48-31 defeat to the Cavaliers. The stout interior defensive line of the Tigers (6-1, 5-0 ACC) plugged rushing lanes and swallowed up Virginia's running backs for short gains. Pass protection did not go much better for the Cavalier men up front, as sophomore quarterback Anthony Colandrea faced constant pressure and was sacked four times. Both offensively and defensively, it was an afternoon to forget. Scoring 10 points in the first three quarters will seldom be enough to win a football game — and allowing 48 points is a surefire way to lose one.
“It’s a few plays or a few mistakes by the opponent, then they [Clemson] capitalize,” Elliott said. And before you know it, they’ve jumped on you and you’re like ‘woah what just happened.’”
Virginia’s offense was disjointed and one-dimensional, never threatening the Tigers’ defense until the deficit became insurmountable. The Cavaliers’ stagnant run attack hamstrung the play-action passing game, making the offense predictable. Additionally, Virginia’s traditional drop-back passing game was outmatched against Clemson’s athletic secondary. The Cavalier receivers were blanketed, and Colandrea was hesitant as a result.
Colandrea’s decision-making was not abhorrent, but he made a familiar careless mistake. On a pass play late in the third quarter, Colandrea deferred on his options down the field — trying a baseball-style turn far behind the line of scrimmage. He got sacked and fumbled the football. Colandrea's day was made slightly less dismal when he connected with senior receiver Malachi Fields for a 44-yard touchdown, but the play proved to be a morale booster rather than the spark of a furious comeback.
The Cavalier offense sorely missed junior receiver Trell Harris, who did not play due to a knee injury. Harris had been the team’s primary deep threat, and his absence has stifled the passing attack. Graduate receiver Chris Tyree had posted four receptions in his return from a groin injury, but all came on short passes and totaled only 23 yards. On the bright side, junior tight end Dakota Twitty recorded his first career touchdown reception.
Over on defense, Vrginia’s 34th-ranked run defense was put to the test against Clemson’s dynamic ground game. The Tigers’ showed off multiple run schemes, both zone and gap styles, all of which mystified the Cavaliers. Senior linebacker James Jackson’s absence was noticeable as the Tigers picked apart the Cavaliers’ aching linebacker corps. Graduate running back Phil Mafah gashed the Cavaliers for 78 hard-earned yards and two touchdowns, displaying poise, patience and power.
At the same time, Clemson junior quarterback Cade Klubnik delivered a wanting performance — misfiring on multiple head-scratching passes. Klubnik’s ugliest gaffe came on a rollout in the first quarter when he sprinted out and fired the ball straight to sophomore linebacker Kam Robinson who nabbed Virginia’s only interception. Yet even with Klubnik’s self-inflicted errors, he passed for 308 yards and three touchdowns — the back end of the Cavalier defense was a major weakness.
Virginia’s cornerbacks looked overwhelmed by the Tigers’ wideouts, struggling to match in coverage and panicking at the catch point. To make matters worse, tackling was another sore spot for the Cavaliers’ defense — as seen on the Tigers’ third touchdown of the game.
Later on, Virginia’s defense was embarrassed again when sophomore receiver Antonio Williams took a jet sweep 36 yards for the touchdown. It was one-cut and gone for the speedy receiver who extended Clemson’s lead to an insurmountable 21 points. The Tigers’ offense was a buzzsaw, nearly doubling Virginia’s yardage and dominating time of possession. When Clemson outscored the Cavaliers 21-0 in the third quarter, the game was sealed. Entering the fourth quarter already down 38-10, Virginia did try to come back, but their efforts were for naught. Adding insult to injury, Clemson students stormed the field postgame.
The loss exposes the shortcomings of Virginia’s defensive brand of football. Against the premier offenses in the ACC and beyond, the Cavalier offense must find a way to muster more points. Next week, Virginia returns back home to Scott Stadium for a noon bout against North Carolina to be broadcast on The CW Saturday. The Cavaliers desperately need to rebound and end their two-game losing streak to keep up in the face of bowl game eligibility.
“Every opportunity is a learning opportunity,” Elliott said. “The ones that you don’t necessarily like are the ones that hurt the worst.”
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