The football season left in shambles behind us, it is time to take a close look at the program. What elements within the team contributed to the 2013 disaster? Where were improvements, if any, from the 2012 campaign? Is 2014 as bad as it looks or is there a faint glimmer of hope out there?
This first articles starts with the defense. First, the numbers …
Virginia Football Defense
| Statistic | 2010 (ACC rank) | 2011 (ACC rank) | 2012 (ACC rank) | 2013 (ACC rank) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scoring defense | 28.3 (10th) | 23.8 (5th) | 29.7 (8th) | 33.3 (14th) |
| Rushing yards | 203.67 (11th) | 139.46 (5th) | 144.92 (6th) | 170.67 (10th) |
| Yards per carry | 5.09 (12th) | 3.94 (5th) | 3.99 (5th) | 4.36 (12th) |
| Passing yards | 192.4 (3rd) | 212.2 (5th) | 208.4 (4th) | 232.9 (10th) |
| Yards per attempt | 7.6 (11th) | 6.8 (4th tie) | 6.3 (3rd) | 7.2 (10th tie) |
| Total defense | 396.1 (10th) | 351.7 (3rd) | 353.3 (4th) | 403.6 (10th) |
| Yards per play | 6.06 (11th) | 5.27 (4th) | 5.1 (4th) | 5.66 (12th) |
| Third down defense | 41.57% (10th) | 33.33% (2nd) | 30.73% (4th) | 32.04% (4th) |
| Red zone defense | 89.58% (12th) | 72.0% (2nd) | 84.44% (7th) | 89.13% (11th) |
| Red zone TD defense | 62.5% (10th) | 48.0% (3rd) | 62.22% (9th) | 63.04% (11th) |
| Interceptions | 11 (8th tie) | 12 (9th) | 4 (11th tie) | 10 (12th) |
| Fumbles forced | 7 (12th) | 12 (5th tie) | 10 (10th) | 13 (3rd tie) |
| Fumbles recovered | 5 (10th tie) | 9 (4th tie) | 8 (10th tie) | 11 (1st) |
| Tackles for loss | 71 (9th) | 89 (4th) | 65 (9th) | 89 (5th) |
| Sacks | 19 (10th) | 20 (9th) | 17 (10th tie) | 28 (8th) |
| 20+ yard plays allowed | 62 (10th) | 59 (6th tie) | 47 (3rd) | 69 (14th) |
| 20+ yard TDs | 15 (NA) | 11 (NA) | 14 (NA) | 19 (NA) |
With Jon Tenuta in charge for the first time, the defense displayed some good traits, some bad traits, and an idea of the future might hold. Of course, Tenuta’s aggressive high-risk, high-reward approach means all of those things are balled up into one giant mixing pot.
The good comes in the form of big plays created. ¬The Hoos had their best years of the four-year Mike London era in sacks, tackles for loss, forced fumbles, and fumbles recovered (led the ACC) while interceptions and third down defense were also categories among the best years to date. In other words, the Cavaliers wanted to install a playmaking style and that’s what they got.
...Subscribe to read full story
Tired of low effort articles and clickbait? So are we. Subscribe to read great articles written by a full-time staff with decades of experience.
Already a subscriber? Login Here