Last season, the Virginia Cavaliers endured another rough season, finishing with a miserable 3-9 mark. If luck had been on their side in 2023, they wouldn’t have ended up losing four games by a field goal or less. The rebuilding continues this year in the changing and highly competitive ACC, with projections not shaping up well for the Cavaliers. One likely loss figures to occur on Nov. 16, when they travel to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Senior Day.
The team’s head coach Tony Elliott has only managed to win six of 22 games in his two seasons and continues to struggle on both sides of the ball. He spent 11 seasons as a Clemson assistant before taking the Virginia job and comes from an offensive background. He’s bringing in plenty of raw talent to expedite his efforts, though it’s yet to make an impact.
Virginia Offense: Protecting Passer Paramount
Last season, the Cavaliers primarily used two quarterbacks during the campaign, then-freshman Anthony Colandrea and Tony Muskett. Colandrea is the likely starter this year after throwing 13 touchdown passes and nearly 2,000 yards. In addition, the sophomore has an edge in the mobility department, gaining 225 yards when on the run.
Kobe Pace returns at running back, though his production needs to increase. He was second on the team in rushing but gained just 382 yards while averaging only 3.1 yards per carry. Xavier Brown will spell Pace, with the second-year player contributing 210 yards last season. One interesting member of this group is Jack Griese, whose grandfather, Bob, quarterbacked the Miami Dolphins to consecutive Super Bowl titles.
With only Malachi Fields offering a veteran presence at wide receiver, Elliott waded into the transfer portal and brought in three newcomers. Andre Greene from North Carolina and Trell Harris from Kent State are two of those wideouts, with the other likely to get plenty of attention from Irish fans. That’s because Chris Tyree returns in a new uniform after having a solid 2023 season at Notre Dame. Another pair of transfers, Sage Ennis and Tyler Neville, will battle at tight end.
Last year, the Cavaliers’ offensive line also had issues keeping the opposition from bringing down the quarterback, with the final number an embarrassing 43 sacks allowed. There’s a new face at center in UCF transfer Drake Metcalf, but tackles Blake Steen and McKale Boley as well as guards Brian Stevens and Noah Josey need to get past last year’s issues and focus on improvement.
Virginia Defense: No Uptick Without More Pressure
As with most struggling teams, the lack of a pass rush can lead to a long year. Getting to the quarterback was a rarity for the Cavaliers in 2023, with just 11 on the season. To make it worse, there were only six in their final seven contests. Needing to improve up front is Kam Butler, who led the team in sacks, with defensive end Ben Smiley, nose tackle Jahmeer Carter and tackle Michael Diatta also under the gun.
In the Cavaliers’ 4-2-5 setup, middle linebacker Kam Robinson and weakside backer James Jackson have their hands full after combining for 151 tackles and three interceptions last season. One of Robinson’s two picks on the season was returned for a touchdown, with Jackson managing to slap away five opposing pass attempts.
The Virginia secondary will see the welcome return of veteran free safety Antonio Clary, who missed last season with an ankle injury. In 2022, he made 56 stops and will bring the leadership that this unit needs. Joining him on the strong side will be Jonas Sanker, who led the Cavs with 107 stops last year, a number indicative of the weakness of the team’s defense. On the corners, Kempton Shine and Kendren Smith are transfer portal arrivals who will get an immediate baptism while hoping for a stronger pass rush.
Virginia Special Teams: Mixed Bag of Potential
Will Bettridge was one of the few positives for the Cavaliers in 2023, converting on all of his extra points and only coming up short on three of 21 field goal attempts. Punter Daniel Sparks is also back with his 42.9-yard average a bit misleading. That’s because it marked a decline from 2022 and he saw two of his kicks blocked. Tyree was a regular feature when it came to Notre Dame special teams and he’s expected to handle those duties at his new school.
The Last Time Notre Dame Faced Virginia
The fifth and last meeting in this series came in 2021 when Notre Dame took advantage of a key absence to coast to a 28-3 win. Played in Charlottesville, the Cavaliers were handicapped shortly before the game when their starting quarterback, Brennan Armstrong, was ruled out because of a rib injury. The Irish took a 21-0 lead by the half and quarterback Jack Coan finished with three touchdown passes on the night. The Notre Dame defense collected seven sacks, with Bo Bauer a force all game long.
