South Bend, Ind. is a college football mecca. Whether it be iconic pop culture mementos like the “Touchdown Jesus” painting or “Rudy” off the field — or the dominant play from the Notre Dame football team on the field — the city serves as an elite spot to watch a football game. While Virginia was able to come away with an upset road win last weekend, it held no such luck this week as the Cavaliers (5-5, 3-3 ACC) were routed 35-14 against the Fighting Irish (9-1) Saturday.
Simply put, Virginia was outmatched in all facets of the game. The Cavalier offense just never got things going. Despite the best efforts of sophomore quarterback Anthony Colandrea to scramble and create opportunities, the Cavalier receiving corps could never get open. This forced the running game to have to step up, which it largely failed to do. Turnovers, notably three interceptions from Colandrea, and negative plays plagued the offense all game. Coach Tony Elliott did not mince words when talking about the team’s performance.
“We have a lot of coaching to do, lot of teaching to do [and] lot of improving to do,” Elliott said.
While Colandrea floundered, senior quarterback Riley Leonard was a dual-threat star for Notre Dame. Leonard made plays all day, which gave way for the Fighting Irish rushing game to succeed as well. In the end, Leonard threw for 214 yards and rushed for 32 yards. His rushing capabilities kept the Virginia defense on its heels all game, making them scared to blitz while also having to honor their coverages. Sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love was also dominant for Notre Dame. In addition to multiple touchdowns, he also contributed 137 of the Fighting Irish’s 234 rushing yards.
The Cavaliers still sit just one win away from making a bowl game, but the opportunities to win are becoming slimmer and slimmer. With two games left against Southern Methodist and Virginia Tech — both games in which Virginia will not be favored — an upset will be required if the Cavaliers wish to make the postseason. That being said, Virginia has proven it can fight against tough opponents like in their win against Pittsburgh, so hope is not yet lost.
Yet again, mistakes absolutely killed the Cavaliers. From the moment graduate wide receiver Chris Tyree fumbled the opening kickoff away, Virginia’s mistakes piled up. Tyree, a transfer from Notre Dame, set the tone for an ugly loss. A roughing the passer call on the ensuing drive led to a touchdown for Love, which made it clear that the Cavaliers were beating themselves as much as the Fighting Irish were beating them. Later on, Virginia squandered away a beautiful drive when graduate running back Kobe Pace fumbled the ball around the Notre Dame 25-yard line. Penalties were also a common theme all day, and the Cavaliers finished with six of them.
The early deficit only made things harder for Virginia. With momentum at their side, the Fighting Irish defense was stellar. They forced a three-and-out on the first Cavalier possession and continued to punish the Cavalier offense. The Notre Dame defense finished the game with two sacks, five tackles for loss and five takeaways. Whether it be stopping Virginia on a fourth down conversion attempt, or bringing constant pressure on Colandrea, the Fighting Irish defense was always difficult to overcome.
Despite a very solid first quarter, the Cavalier defense had no help. Constantly being on the field tired them, and they could not hold for long. Big plays like a muffed punt recovery from senior safety Jonas Sanker and a sack from graduate defensive tackle Jahmeer Carter were nice to see, but did not help in the long run. Injuries to key players like senior linebacker James Jackson and graduate safety Corey Thomas Jr. did not help either, and eventually Notre Dame expanded their lead to 28-0 before the half.
Needing a historic second half to have a shot at coming back, the Cavaliers had to get moving on both sides of the ball. The defense did start out hot, with junior linebacker Trey McDonald getting an interception on the first Fighting Irish drive of the second half. McDonald had just returned after being suspended for a game due to a targeting penalty the week prior. Unfortunately, the offense was more of the same even with graduate quarterback Tony Muskett at the helm in lieu of Colandrea. The offensive line failed to block well, receivers could not get open and a lack of creativity led to no points on the opening drive.
From here, the game went all downhill for Virginia. Love broke free for a 76-yard rushing touchdown on the next Notre Dame drive to put them up 35-0. The Cavaliers would fight back a little bit though, when Muskett ran in a 19-yard touchdown on a fourth down. Yet this would be a brief moment of happiness in a game full of disappointment. The offense only got slightly better with Muskett leading the charge, and the defense let the Fighting Irish drive deep virtually every time.
All in all, this was a brutal wake-up call for Virginia. After riding the high of an upset victory, it was humbled quickly. While not every team the Cavaliers play will be as talented as Notre Dame, this was a pitiful effort. 35-14 does not relay the true domination of this game, and the game very well could have ended with the Fighting Irish winning by 40 or more points.
If Virginia wants any chance to make a bowl game, things have to change on offense. Play calling, which was bland as ever against Notre Dame, needs to become more creative and involve more misdirection. Mistakes will have to be cut down, whether it be interceptions, dropped passes or penalties. A quarterback change may also be inbound, as Muskett makes far fewer head scratching mistakes than Colandrea.
“We’re definitely going to have to go back and evaluate the game and see what gives us the best opportunity the next two weeks,” Elliott said.
There is still hope for the Cavaliers to make the postseason, but without these changes the future is bleak. Virginia returns home for senior day Saturday against Southern Methodist. The game will kick off at noon and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
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