Duke boasts the ACC's best passing offense. Virginia boasts the conference's top passing defense. Tomorrow, something must give.
As the Blue Devils (4-3, 2-1 ACC) make their way to Charlottesville, the Cavaliers (3-4, 2-1 ACC) know they need to deliver a more solid defensive performance preventing Duke's air attack than the unit did against Georgia Tech's running game last Saturday.
In the matchup against the Yellow Jackets, Georgia Tech literally ran away with the win, rushing the ball for 362 yards - more than 10 times what Virginia totalled. Virginia's defense could not handle the nation's best rushing team, losing its first conference game.
Now, the Virginia secondary is hoping to recover and looking forward to a change of pace.
Georgia Tech was "kinda putting me to sleep bein' over there for a while," senior cornerback Chris Cook said.
Duke's aerial attack, however, will allow little opportunity for sleeping. The Blue Devils rank sixth in the country with 322.6 yards per game.
"It's a different adjustment 'cause I'm looking for more pass," Cook said. "I'm not really focused on stopping the run because they don't really run the ball as much as Georgia Tech ... I like teams that throw the ball anyway."
Cook should enjoy Saturday's matchup against Duke, which has thrown the ball more than any other ACC squad. The Blue Devils attempt an average of 43 passes per game.
"When they have difficulty ... passing the ball, they don't suddenly say, 'Okay, now we're going to run it 60 times in this game,'" Virginia coach Al Groh said.
Duke senior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis has given coach David Cutcliffe good reason to rely on the pass. Lewis has accounted for 17 of the Devil's 23 touchdowns this season, while posting 1,972 passing yards. In Duke's win against N.C. State earlier this year, Lewis torched the Wolf Pack for 459 yards and five touchdowns, while completing 40-for-50 passes.
"40-for-50 is probably the greatest performance that anybody's ever coached," Groh said. "It's probably better than [Tom] Brady or [Peyton] Manning has ever had."
Lewis has flourished under Cutcliffe's guidance and has helped the Duke program emerge from its perennial spot in the ACC basement. The team's four victories this year already exceed the team's three-year total from the 2005-06 season to 2007-08.
Duke's passing attack also has benefitted from strong receiver performances. Sophomore freshman wideouts Donovan Varner and Conner Vernon are among the ACC's leaders in both receptions and receiving yards.
To counter Lewis and the pass-happy Blue Devil offense, the Cavaliers will rely on their thus far impressive pass defense. Led by Cook and junior Ras-I Dowling in the secondary, the squad currently ranks fifth in the nation, surrendering only 151.3 yards per game and not allowing a passing touchdown in its last four games.
"We kinda bank on doing that," Cook said. "We just talk about whoever their biggest playmaker is ... just take them completely out the game."
Seeing little action at cornerback last week, Dowling cited various adjustments he made during this week's preparation.
"We have to play tight corners," Dowling said. "Last week was more of a physical game, this week we have to come out and cover more."
The team also knows that Saturday's matchup goes beyond merely atoning for last week's poor performance against Georgia Tech. The Blue Devils thumped the Cavaliers in a 31-3 blowout last year in Durham, a loss frequently cited as one of Virginia's most embarrassing during Groh's tenure. Although such a drumming may inspire a desire for revenge in some teams, players are trying not to place any additional emphasis on Saturday's showdown.
"Everything that happened in the past is in the past," Cook said. "We can't dwell on it"
Read More
Thank you, Reece Beekman
By Ben Istvan | 15 hours agoBeekman will leave Charlottesville as the program's all-time leader in steals.
Men’s basketball fills last scholarship, adds Kansas State transfer Dai Dai Ames
By Ben Istvan | YesterdayAmes will provide an offensive surge that the Cavaliers’ collective guard group lacked in 2023-24.
Baseball’s bullpen — previous despair and future repair
By Xander Tilock | 2 days agoThe Cavaliers' struggles can be fixed by improved roster management and reliance on consistent relief pitchers.
