The Picks And The Poll: Virginia Hosts Richmond

The long-awaited debut of Bronco Mendenhall is upon us.

After 11 successful seasons and 99 wins at BYU, Mendenhall journeyed across the country to try to revive the Virginia football program. The first step in that journey begins with Richmond, an in-state foe that is among the nation’s best Football Championship Subdivision teams. This will be a bigger test than some teams face on the opening weekend, but the Hoos should still have the advantage. UVA has won 10 straight against UR and is 5-0 all-time when opening the season against the Spiders.

All of that means little to Mendenhall. His process-driven approach focuses on his team and respects whoever the opponent is in a given week. So FCS or not, he expects a certain level of play from his team.

“I don’t bring it up, and it’s certainly an easy sell. We’re in no position certainly to take anyone lightly,” he said. “But I think as you and I get to know each other and others, my philosophy is really clear on this, and it has been with my team and any team that I’ve coached, is I put very little focus on whom we’re playing or where we’re playing. I put almost the entire focus on our own assignments, our own techniques, our own preparation. The context comes from the opponent, but any opponent is capable of beating us, and that’s for any team that I’m coaching. I just want our given team to play the best of their ability with how they’re currently prepared, and I think teams play as they’re prepared. You rise to the level of your preparation, not really expectations.”

Mendenhall praised the Spiders, an FCS Semifinalist a year ago that won 10 games. Richmond features the Colonial Athletic Association’s Preseason Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year in quarterback Kyle Lauletta and safety David Jones.

“The Richmond team is experienced, and so they’re a team that knows how to win, has demonstrated that, has demonstrated it consistently now,” Mendenhall said. “They’re very well-coached, have gone to the semifinals a year ago, and when you win 10 games and you have 19 I think of 22 players or contributors coming back, that’s a great reference point to begin with, and Richmond is capable of beating a lot of football teams regardless of if there’s a division and level or not. I’ve been really impressed.”

With that in mind, here’s this week’s picks.

Virginia can win if … it executes on offense. Richmond finished 10-4 last season, but found itself in some high-scoring games as opponents scored 27 points or more in seven of those 14 contests. UR went 4-3 in those games. In other words, teams that could score on the Spiders had a good chance to win. The key is to protect the football as Richmond posted 22 interceptions a year ago, but only two of those came in those three losses against high-scoring opponents. It will be a good test for Kurt Benkert in his first UVA start.

Virginia can lose if … it lets Richmond’s offense be multi-dimensional. The Spiders averaged 219.3 rushing yards in their 10 wins last season, including six games with 226 or more yards on the ground. In the four losses, the average dropped to 120 yards per game, including two games with less than 75 yards. Mendenhall’s defensive philosophy starts with stopping the run, but if the Hoos can’t do that, they could be disappointed Saturday night.

And the winner is …

Editor Kris Wright: For the first time in several years, optimism is creeping up among fans of the Wahoos. Bronco Mendenhall has breathed discipline and focus into the floundering program during the offseason and now we get to see how that looks on the field. I think fans as well as the Spiders might be shocked at just how much the product has improved in a short amount of time. We’ll see how that plays out over a whole season, but for the first Saturday, the Wahoos make a statement. VIRGINIA 48, RICHMOND 20.

Associate Editor Chris Horne: Excitement will fill Virginia’s locker room in the first game of the Bronco Mendenhall era. After a grueling offseason, the team, confident in its new leadership, will come out focused and determined. Richmond will have confidence of its own after reaching the FCS Semifinals last year. Look for the Spiders to score some points, but I think Virginia starts fast and gets Mendenhall his first win as Cavalier head coach. VIRGINIA 35, RICHMOND 17.

Sabre analyst Greg Waters: Bronco Mendenhall won’t open up the playbook too much in the first week, but I think Virginia will win comfortably. VIRGINIA 30, RICHMOND 10.

Sabre analyst Ahmad Hawkins (check out The Ball Hawk Show podcast for his Richmond preview): The Wahoos’ version of the Air Raid offense will be too fast and will wear down the defense of the Spiders. Hoos open with a win. VIRGINIA 34, RICHMOND 14.

Sabre meteorologist BadgerHoo: Charlottesville will be right along the western edge of what remains of Hurricane Hermine. A few showers could sneak into the area (30 percent chance) if the storm track is closer to the coast, but more likely it stays dry. If Hermine tracks far enough offshore, there may even be sunshine. Hoos win comfortably. VIRGINIA 31, RICHMOND 10.

What about you? Vote! Give your score in the comments section below if you wish.

The Poll

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