Virginia Football Rolls To 38-18 Win Over UConn

Virginia improved to 2-1 with the win against UConn.
Senior QB Kurt Benkert avenged a poor performance last week to throw for 455 yards and three touchdowns in a win over UConn. ~ Kris Wright

A superb performance from senior quarterback Kurt Benkert spearheaded a dominant effort from the Virginia offense in Scott Stadium on Saturday afternoon, resulting in a 38-18 Cavalier victory against Connecticut.

The win propels Virginia to a 2-1 record for the first time since 2014. It also serves as some payback to the Huskies, who escaped Storrs with a 13-10 victory over the Hoos last season.

Bronco Mendenhall’s offense and special teams were under fire following last weekend’s 34-17 home loss to Indiana. Both units responded well, especially the offense, which finished with 626 total yards.

In his postgame press conference, Mendenhall called this “probably the most complete game offensively, at least in our short time here at UVA.”

A retooled offensive line – redshirt freshman Dillon Reinkensmeyer got the start at center while Jake Fieler, who started the first two games at center, started at right guard – paved the way for 171 rushing yards while also providing quality protection for Benkert. That running game and protection helped Benkert get comfortable and he finished with 30 completions in 40 attempts for 455 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception against the Huskies.

Benkert’s strong performance came on the heels of some serious struggles with accuracy, particularly on deep throws, against Indiana one week ago. That was not the case Saturday. In fact, it was the complete opposite. Benkert’s scoring strikes to Doni Dowling (42 yards) and Olamide Zaccheaus (30 yards) were perfectly thrown balls, with the latter giving the Hoos a 31-0 lead late in the third quarter. Dowling (136 yards), Andre Levrone (127 yards), and Zaccheaus (122 yards) all hauled in 100-plus receiving yards, the first time in school history three or more players have accomplished this feat in a single game.

Indiana “was frustrating,” admitted Benkert, who set a new Virginia record for passing yards in a single game. “I felt like we had so much more out there that we didn’t take advantage of, and that starts with me giving those guys chances on deep balls. Today was about starting on the first play, starting fast, and carrying through the game.”

Indeed, the Cavaliers came through with a strong start. Virginia’s first offensive drive went 18 plays, 88 yards, and ended with a three-yard touchdown run by senior running back Daniel Hamm. The Cavaliers scored on four of their five first half possessions, putting 24 points on the board before halftime. UVA’s opening drive spanned 9:46 to become the longest scoring drive by time in school history, while the halftime margin was UVA’s largest since 2009.

UConn’s offense, meanwhile, failed to score in the first half despite entering Cavalier territory on five of six offensive possessions, including two opportunities inside the red zone. Turnovers on its second and third drives of the game proved costly. On the second drive, which began at the Cavalier 25-yard line thanks to a long kick return and penalty, Virginia redshirt freshman safety Brenton Nelson intercepted UConn senior quarterback Bryant Shirreffs to end the threat. Drive no. 3 ended when linebacker Micah Kiser recovered a fumble by Shirreffs inside the Virginia 5-yard line.

Virginia’s defense, which played without star defensive end Andrew Brown for the entire second half because of a targeting call ejection in the first half, surrendered 434 total yards (146 in the first half) and three touchdowns while forcing the two turnovers. The Hoos also held on fourth down to force three turnovers on downs. Kiser was his usual, reliable, playmaking self, as he led the Cavaliers with 15 tackles and two sacks. Nelson, who was third in tackles with eight, had the key interception and two pass breakups (one in the end zone).

Safety Quin Blanding made nine tackles and moved into fourth on UVA’s all-time tackle list with 391 stops, which surpassed Byron Thweatt (387 tackles, 1997-2000). Cornerback Bryce Hall forced the Shirreffs fumble and was also credited with six tackles (one for loss).

“They were moving the ball,” Kiser said of the UConn offense. “They just couldn’t capitalize in the red zone and we did. That proved to be big because they couldn’t stop our offense. It gave us momentum and got the offense going.”

All three Connecticut scores came after the Hoos had taken a 31-0 lead with 1:24 remaining in the 3rd quarter. Any possible comeback hopes were dashed when Benkert hit Levrone for a 72-yard touchdown with 6:02 remaining in the game.

Twenty-point victors over an FBS opponent, a happy and confident group of Cavaliers now head to Boise State on Friday for what will be their first road game of the season.

“We’re still getting there,” Kiser said of this year’s Hoos squad. “Like I always tell people, for Coach Mendenhall this isn’t a one-year turnaround. This is building the program, building a culture, getting the right guys in, and slowly but surely we’re starting to bite away at that. The season is long from over, but hopefully we can keep riding momentum.”

Final Stats