It seemed that Virginia football might have a good game ahead when they scored first against Syracuse. For a good portion of the remainder, it nearly felt like a different team stepped on the field.
That first, game-opening drive went for 75 yards and a touchdown — crisp, quick and well-conducted by the offense. The following six Cavalier (4-2, 2-1 ACC) drives scored no points, all except one resulting in punts.
Then — like a flipped-off switch that was suddenly turned on again — Virginia awoke from an apparent slumber, awakening the dwindling, rained-on crowd with three successive touchdowns.
Yes, Virginia won, clutching victory from the jaws of defeat against the Orange (2-3, 1-1 ACC). But the mid-game dry spell is worrying, and for a time appeared to indicate that the Cavaliers were going down a path similar to the blowout loss against Florida State. In that game, the Cavaliers opened strong, then suffered a death by a thousand cuts as Florida State ran roughshod in Tallahassee, Fla. Even Cavalier players recognized the similarity.
“That [lull in scoring] is something we’ve been working on a lot as of late,” seventh-year offensive lineman Monroe Mills said. “We’ve been talking about the need to kill that lull in the second quarter that has kind of plagued us for the last few games.”
That gap in scoring featured many of the same issues that have plagued the team thus far this season, including largely uninventive play-calling and constant missed tackles. Although the team set things straight late in the game, the mid-game performance still brings up important questions about the Cavaliers.
Does a change need to be made in playcalling? In the quarterback, or in another position? Do the coaching ranks need to change? A case could be made for one or all of these questions based on the near-30 minutes of game time the offense went quiet.
Playcalling during the span that Virginia failed to score often didn’t generate much, with three of the six drives being three-and-outs. Those three short possessions, which led to the Virginia defense spending more time on the field, combined for negative-eight yards and took up just a shade over four minutes of game time.
In fact, Virginia’s longest drive was that opening possession, which took 4 minutes and 31 seconds of game time. Syracuse had three drives of equal or longer length, allowing a greater level of control of the clock for the visitors. Against the Orange, Virginia had possession for fewer minutes than against any prior opponent this season.
Even after things turned bright for the Cavaliers, the coaching staff couldn’t resist falling into a habit, feeding fourth-year running back Jekail Middlebrook on a direct snap play multiple times in a row in a pivotal late-game drive.
It could be said that Virginia did not play like themselves — because it was a different set of people at times. The announcement of the starting lineup brought news that fourth-year wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. and second-year safety Montino Williams, among others, were elevated to the starting lineup. After the first defensive drive, further substitutions came, with Williams making way for third-year safety Ethan Minter.
Injury woes plagued the Cavaliers, as they lost Flores Jr., fourth-year safety Brandyn Hillman and others over the course of the game. However, the elevation and demotion of players in the early stretches of the game seem to have not paid the Cavaliers any favors.
Even the penalties suggested a less disciplined Virginia squad, especially during the mid-game dry spell. In the second quarter, the Cavaliers had four penalties, giving Syracuse 55 yards — 45 of which came on the final drive for the Orange that ultimately resulted in a 17-7 lead for the visitors into the half.
“In the first half ... we [had] some some uncharacteristic penalties,” Coach Tony Elliott said. “We gave them some extended drives.”
For a time, the Cavalier defense seemed ill-prepared to respond adequately to senior quarterback Malachi Nelson. Nelson, a backup quarterback for the Orange and former five-star recruit out of high school, started his first game at the Power 4 level following injuries to fifth-year quarterback Steve Angeli and senior quarterback Amari Odom.
Both were available according to the initial injury report, but Angeli was ruled out earlier in the week, and Odom went from questionable to doubtful to a game-time decision, putting Nelson in the starting position. The late news seemed to stun the Virginia defense for a significant portion of the game as Nelson uncorked the ball for long passes multiple times, and big plays gashed the defense otherwise.
“[Nelson] is a guy that everyone knows about,” Elliott said. “We knew that he'd be able to throw the ball to say that we went back all the way to three schools ago on [Nelson], I wouldn't be being truthful, right? But we did prepare and have our guys prepared to know what his strengths were, what his skill set is.”
The Cavaliers will look to cure what ails them and hone their skills against their toughest opponent yet when they travel to Dallas to face No. 24 SMU Saturday. The matchup is the Cavaliers’ first game against a ranked opponent this season. Kickoff against the Mustangs (4-1, 2-1 ACC) is scheduled for 12 p.m., and the game will air on The CW.
Drew Dillman is a staff writer and X account manager on the sports desk. He is a fourth-year College student, majoring in history. Drew is from North Little Rock, Ark., and he enjoys writing game recaps. Outside of The Cavalier Daily, Drew is president of Shakespeare on the Lawn, a classical theater group at the University.
Read More
Gelnovatch strongly behind pending shift to two-semester playing season
By Michael Liebermann | 1 hours agoAfter Wednesday's vote by the NCAA Division I Cabinet, men's college soccer is moving in a direction similar to that of the MLS and many other professional soccer leagues across the globe, leaving many coaches happy.
Men’s tennis qualifies three more for the NCAA Individual Championships
By Margaret Piatos | 7 hours agoAfter dominating a field full of local teams, the Cavaliers will have even more chances at the NCAA Individual Championships in both singles and doubles.
Women’s tennis dominates at the Wahoowa Invitational
By Margaret Piatos | 14 hours agoFacing the likes of West Virginia, James Madison and Marshall, the Cavaliers handled business.
