After an opening weekend of upsets, and teams not looking like we thought they would, the Virginia Cavaliers went into Heinz Field and did something they have never done before, win. With an opening weekend matchup against an ACC Coastal opponent that was new for both teams, but seemingly scheduled to showcase on the newly launched ACC Network, the Cavaliers looked up to the preseason hype in taking care of the defending ACC Coastal champions.
The end of the first half had the Cavaliers down 14-13 and struggling to keep their quarterback, Bryce Perkins, off the ground. The run game was struggling and there was a lot of talk about the offensive line play. Perkins was sacked three times in the first half and was struggling to get any momentum with the passing or running game.
The Cavaliers started the game with Ryan Swoboda at left tackle and Dillon Reinkensmeyer at right tackle. When UVA scored their first touchdown, Bobby Haskins had been moved to left tackle and Reinkensmeyer was still at right. On their next two touchdown drives, Haskins remained at left tackle and Swoboda had moved to right tackle. The interior offensive line remained the same throughout the game with Ryan Nelson at left guard, Victor Oluwatimi at center, and Chris Glaser at right guard. The moving around of the tackles looking for the right combination eventually paid off.
The Cavaliers offensive line didn’t allow a sack in the second half and they went from only having 2.07 yards per rush in the first half to 5.44 yards per rush in the second. There were questions throughout camp about the offensive line, but it appears they are close to finding the right combination.
The running back position was also a big talking point for camp, in being able to find Jordan Ellis’s successor. Wayne Taulapapa appears to have emerged as the one to take that role. Taulapapa looked the part as he rushed 10 times for 66 yards and one touchdown. He averaged 6.6 yards per carry. The only back close to Taulapapa was PK Kier who had 5 carries for 19 yards. Taulapapa had emerged at the top of the depth chart after spring camp, but Mendenhall was reluctant to keep his name as the front runner throughout fall camp. After Saturday, it is pretty safe to say that the 21 year old sophomore will be their go to guy.
Offensive coordinator Robert Anae kept the running and passing game even with the final play call numbers being 34 passes and 33 runs. With a couple of UVA receivers out with a one game suspension and missing another, those numbers will probably skew towards a heavier dose of passing as the season progresses. Quarterback Bryce Perkins ended up with 181 passing yards and two touchdown passes. Perkins only had 44 yards rushing, which compared to last season was definitely on the low end, but a lot of that had to do with the offensive line having to make a lot of adjustments throughout the game. Four different receivers had at least two catches, along with running back Chris Sharp catching two, one of those was the first touchdown of the game.
The Cavalier defense which finished in the top 25 in the country last season, reasserted its dominance even after losing some key pieces. The defense had 4 sacks, 2 interceptions, 5 pass break ups and 7 quarterback hits in the game. The defensive line was able to take control of the line of scrimmage in the second half which allowed for the Hoos defensive backs to start blitzing Pitt QB Kenny Pickett forcing him to make several bad decisions. Pitt scored all 14 of their points in the second quarter which means that dating back to last years season finale in the Belk Bowl, the Cavalier defense has shut out its opponents in 7 out the last 8 quarters. The defense was already going to play a key part in the Cavaliers success this season, but after watching them play Saturday night, they are going to cause havoc for a lot of teams this season.
Head coach Bronco Mendenhall has to be happy with his team going on the road in week one, to a place they have never won, in a conference game against the defending division champions, and leave with a win. Yes there were mistakes made, yes there were a lot of things that need to be cleaned up, but that’s also the case for almost every other team in the country. It is a long season, but the Virginia Cavaliers took the first step towards living up to the hype that was given to them when they were picked to win the ACC Coastal Division.
The Hoos will play Friday night in their home opener on the ACC Network. They will welcome FCS team William and Mary, whose head coach just happens to be Mike London, who was the head coach at Virginia before Mendenhall. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 pm est.
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