Separated from a bowl game berth by 60 minutes of play, the Virginia football did not come out of the locker room the way it planned last weekend, struggling mightily in a loss against Boston College. Despite the momentum-crushing setback, the Cavaliers (5-2, 2-1 ACC) have another golden opportunity to return to the postseason when they travel to play Pittsburgh this weekend.
The 41-10 loss to Boston College last weekend sent Virginia a wake-up call that not many were anticipating, with the team riding a four-game win streak. The Cavaliers struggled uncharacteristically in giving up big plays on defense, while its offense could barely sustain a drive, leading to a season high in points allowed and low in points scored. Virginia Coach Bronco Mendenhall had the tough task of helping his team regroup after the deflating loss, but luckily for him, he got support from one of his captains.
“I waited for all the players to come off the field before I closed the door and went in the locker room, and when I closed the door, [senior free safety] Quin Blanding already had the entire team called up and he was addressing them,” Mendenhall said. “I didn't have to say a thing. Quin said it best and said it more appropriately than I could, and he claimed ownership of not only the outcome but setting direction and going forward, which is pretty impressive.”
Blanding’s speech came at one of the lowest moments of the Cavaliers’ season, and his teammates seemed receptive to his message.
“Quin’s message was ... ‘We’re still a team and we’re all we’ve got,’” junior outside linebacker Chris Peace said. “It was basically a reality check.”
Having not reached a bowl game since 2011, getting so close to reaching one again seemed to have the Cavaliers jittery and anxious when they took the field last weekend. After coaching BYU to 11-consecutive appearances, Mendenhall said he didn’t tackle the issue of the bowl game rumblings at Virginia head on before this week.
“[Whisperings of a bowl game] took a little bit ... Of the focus off of exactly what this needs to be,” Mendenhall said. “Our team needs every ounce of energy, every bit of concentration and every bit of preparation we can do to be on the field at the end of the game with a possible chance to win.”
While their minds may have been somewhat clouded, the Cavaliers know their toughness hasn’t faded and are confident they can get back on track this week on the road.
“We can definitely get back on track … That was just a knock down the high horse,” Peace said.
The benefit of Virginia’s early success this season is that the team has many more cracks at getting the elusive sixth win necessary to become bowl eligible. Coming off a somewhat competitive loss against ranked against then-No. 20 NC State and a road victory at Duke, Pittsburgh (3-5, 1-3 ACC) will present a challenge to Virginia as a team building momentum, similar to Boston College.
Also like Boston College, Pittsburgh comes into the game with a similar run-first offensive identity. The Panthers’ quarterback tandem of senior transfer Max Browne and sophomore Ben Dinucci has been pedestrian this season, with both averaging less than 200 passing yards per game and combining for eight touchdowns and five interceptions. Pittsburgh junior running back Darrin Hall broke out with a monster performance against Duke last week, gashing the Blue Devils for 254 yards and three touchdowns. Even if the Cavaliers can stop Hall, however, getting third-and-long stops will be the major key to victory after they were burned by third-down plays against Boston College.
Virginia senior quarterback Kurt Benkert and the Cavalier offense have a chance to rebound against a lighter defense than they faced last weekend. The Panthers have been exposed in both passing and rushing defense this season, allowing 270.4 passing yards and 163.6 rushing yards per game. Coming off his worst outing of the season in which he took some big hits, Benkert will look to regain form and confidence before the season’s hardest stretch of games begin over the next month.
Virginia comes into a road game off of a loss for the first time this season as it travels to Heinz Field to take on an improving Pittsburgh team. With last week’s loss behind them, the Cavaliers will look to come out strong and loose in hopes of not only clinching a bowl game, but getting their successful season back on track.
Kickoff between Virginia and Pittsburgh is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. at Heinz Field.
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