The Cavalier Daily
Serving the University Community Since 1890

GOSSAGE: A shaky start to the Mendenhall era

<p>The Cavaliers fell behind by as many as 23 points against FCS foe Richmond in Bronco Mendenhall's Virginia&nbsp;debut.</p>

The Cavaliers fell behind by as many as 23 points against FCS foe Richmond in Bronco Mendenhall's Virginia debut.

Five minutes into the fourth quarter Saturday, I found myself devouring another serving of those marshmallow fudge brownies in the press box to cope with a wide range of negative emotions.

The freshest one was pity.

That hill where students had gathered in bunches to usher in the coach Bronco Mendenhall era was all but vacant by then, save for a few devoted or perhaps delirious fans and trampled garbage. The scene at Scott Stadium didn’t much resemble the image that had inspired Mendenhall’s diamond design in each end zone.

Virginia trailed FCS opponent Richmond, 30-7. And from its nosebleed section, the red-clad crowd was still buzzing about junior quarterback Kyle Lauletta’s third touchdown pass.

Peering over the railing, I observed Cavalier season-ticket holders below shaking their heads on the way up the bleachers and into the tunnel. They’d seen more of the same. We all had.

Even though many of us understand changing culture is so difficult to do in such a short period of time, Mendenhall and his staff had fed spoonful after spoonful of a sugar-coated reality in the spring and summer. Admittedly, the media too played a part.

Remember that self-assured speech the new head coach delivered at halftime of the men’s basketball game? Remember #hoosrising overloading your social media feeds?

Granted, a little rustiness should’ve been expected Saturday afternoon given the changes. But to be out-executed in every phase of the game, to look so clueless and stiff from start to finish, especially after all the buildup over the last few months, what a letdown.

It looked like the Cavaliers were playing a spring game in September. There was no competitive edge, no sense of refinement.

“I think that the clarity is the excitement, and optimism and hope that I’d been mentioning, and eventually I said the execution would catch up,” Mendenhall said. “That part is farther behind than I thought.”

I visited a full practice in the spring, and I occasionally converse with friends who manage the team and film sessions. All of us agree Virginia appeared much sharper and intense in situational drills at the McCue Center than it did Saturday at Scott Stadium.

From practice to the opener, something was lost in translation, and even Cavalier players were caught off guard.

“I was obviously not expecting this [result],” senior linebacker Zach Bradshaw said. “I thought we were going to come out and play the way we’d been practicing… We’re just going to forget about this and move on.”

What might explain this?

My colleague and Sports Editor Robert Elder shared an opinion via text in the second quarter that the Cavaliers were losing because they were the less talented team. Man for man, Richmond had more weapons on both sides of the ball despite its FCS association. I agreed.

Lauletta was carving up our secondary with pinpoint spirals en route to 337 passing yards. Wide receivers Brian Brown and Tyler Wilkins were physically superior, out-jumping defenders and securing the football through contact. Later on, running back Gordon Collins outran everybody, including standout junior safety Quin Blanding, for a 55-yard touchdown.

The Spider offensive line also clearly dominated its gaps. Meanwhile, Richmond defensive linemen Chad Wiggins and Winston Craig, who combined to record three sacks, were far more effective disruptors. An argument could be made that Virginia’s only positional advantage in the contest was junior linebacker Micah Kiser.

The level of talent or depth may not be there quite yet for Mendenhall. He is working with a majority of players he didn’t recruit, or that he likely would not have recruited to play at Brigham Young University. This is one possible explanation for the slippage that occurred from practice to the first game, as both the Cavalier offense and defense were exposed to stiffer oppositions Saturday.

A second explanation is that Mendenhall may be overwhelming his players in practice with new information to the point where they’re playing tight and failing to execute his complicated schemes in-game. One has to wonder whether Mendenhall’s personnel this season really fits his philosophies. Is he forcing things just to be in the 3-4 defense or no-huddle offense?

“I think I’ve clearly given this particular group too much and need to look hard at what they’re capable of and give them their best chance to help our team win,” Mendenhall said. “Again, that’s my responsibility.”

Maybe Saturday was only a bad day at the office as offensive coordinator Robert Anae suggested, and maybe Virginia has the potential to play as it practices. There are too many weeks left in the season to jump to a conclusion.

All I can say is I’m not going to give up on Mendenhall or his program yet.

Comments

Latest Podcast

The University’s Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment and Undergraduate Admission, Greg Roberts, provides listeners with an insight into how the University conducts admissions and the legal subtleties regarding the possible end to the consideration of legacy status.



https://open.spotify.com/episode/02ZWcF1RlqBj7CXLfA49xt