Three-List Game Preview: Virginia Football Hosts Boston College

By: Chris Horne |
Virginia football defensive end Andrew Brown and his teammates seek to stuff a Boston College ground game that exploded in a victory over Louisville last week. ~ Photo by Kris Wright

Before last Saturday’s win at North Carolina, the Virginia football program had not beaten head coach Larry Fedora in seven tries, combining his time with the Tar Heels and Southern Miss. The Cavaliers look to snap a similar streak this week against Boston College, which is 6-0 all-time against UVA.

More importantly, a win on Saturday gets 5-1 Virginia bowl eligible for the first time since 2011.

“Sure, the team has that goal,” Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall said during his weekly Monday press conference. “They’re anxious to return to postseason play, to see and feel what that’s like. That is one of the initial metrics along the way for this team. It’s not the ultimate metric. I don’t think it would be completely satisfying to the team if that’s all that happened. I think they want that and whatever they can gain in addition to that in terms of number of wins and improving our program.”

Also at stake for the Cavaliers is a chance to move to 3-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. UVA held on to defeat Duke on October 7 before scoring a close win over UNC in Chapel Hill last Saturday. The Cavalier defense, ranked no. 18 nationally in total defense and no. 30 in scoring defense, closed out both of those victories with late fourth quarter defensive stands.

Virginia’s offense has scored just enough to notch wins the past two weeks. However, the unit has not been as consistent and explosive as it was in blowout wins over UConn and Boise State. Senior quarterback Kurt Benkert enters this Saturday’s contest having completed 63.7% of his passes for 1,680 yards with 15 touchdowns and only three interceptions. Running back Jordan Ellis, who has amassed 544 yards and five scores, is coming off his first 100-yard game. Junior H-back Olamide Zaccheaus leads the Hoos in receptions (43) and receiving yards (448). His 81-yard touchdown catch put Virginia up for good against the Tar Heels last week.

This Boston College team enters Scott Stadium with a 3-4 record and fresh off a stunning 45-42 road victory over Lamar Jackson-led Louisville. True freshman running back AJ Dillon burst onto the national stage in the win, rushing 39 times for 272 yards and four touchdowns. The Eagles offense, ranked no. 101 nationally, is averaging 187.6 yards rushing per game.

Coach Mendenhall expects a tough, physical battle in Scott Stadium on Saturday. He knows stopping the run will be key.

“It’s the continued nature and resiliency of playing your gap with the right mindset, the right leverage and right productivity for a long time,” Mendenhall said.

“It will be a different test, but our ability to play first down especially against the run will have a lot to do with our ability to play third down. You have to have a stomach for contact in this kind of game because your gap is your gap regardless of the number of times the 240-pound back smashes in there with another body, puller. You can’t ever get tired of taking that on. That’s the kind of game Boston College likes to play.”

Virginia Football Essentials

Three Big Trends

1. Virginia’s rushing success. Virginia has found a ground game the past four outings, averaging 155.5 yards per game and 3.98 yards per carry. Junior running back Jordan Ellis is coming off a career-high 136 yards rushing. Meanwhile, Boston College’s defense ranks No. 120 in the nation against the run. Granted, the Eagles have faced the No. 5 (Notre Dame), No. 24 (Clemson), and No. 28 (Louisville) rushing offenses in the nation, but the Cavaliers should be able to keep their rushing success going on Saturday.

2. Boston College playing well on the road. Two of Boston College’s three wins have come away from Chestnut Hill, and the Eagles played well through three quarters in their lone road loss at Clemson. The Tigers secured a 34-7 win but found themselves tied with BC at 7-7 heading into the fourth quarter. I expect this Boston College team to be confident heading into Scott Stadium on Saturday.

3. Fumbling. Virginia has only lost one fumble this season. However, the Hoos have fumbled 13 times in total, an average of about two per game. Quarterback Kurt Benkert has fumbled seven times and had the lone lost fumble late against North Carolina. Virginia has been excellent in turnover margin per game this season, averaging a plus-1 advantage. However, the Hoos are playing with fire with the fumbles and don’t want to give the visitors any help on Saturday.

Three Big Questions

1. Can Virginia’s defense keep the BC rush offense at bay? For the most part, the Virginia defense kept the UNC rushing offense in check last week. On 33 carries, the Tar Heels mustered just 107 yards. Unfortunately, there were two more carries. Michael Carter broke out on those two rushes to the tune of 103 yards that included a 47-yard touchdown. A 56-yard run set up UNC’s first touchdown of the game. Boston College wants to run the ball and showed last week that it has the potential to be explosive. The Virginia defense will have to be disciplined throughout.

2. Can Virginia keep Boston College one-dimensional? Virginia’s pass defense has been exceptional all season long and currently ranks No. 5 in the nation in passing efficiency defense. Meanwhile, Boston College freshman quarterback Anthony Brown has struggled to find consistency, completing only 51.2% of his passes while throwing seven touchdowns and eight interceptions. The Eagles got just enough from the passing game against Louisville, as Brown threw a 42-yard touchdown pass and backup quarterback Darius Wade completed 7 of 10 passes for 91 yards (Wade took over for an injured Brown in the third quarter.). Another stout effort from the Cavalier secondary will go a long way toward shutting down the BC offense.

3. Was Louisville a fluke or a sign of things to come for BC? Boston College has had a challenging schedule so far featuring matchups with Notre Dame, Clemson, Virginia Tech, and Louisville. But before last week’s upset, Boston College’s top two running backs – Dillon and Jon Hilliman – averaged just 3.7 and 3.5 yards per carry. The Eagles kept it close versus Clemson but were blown out at home by Wake Forest and Notre Dame. Virginia Tech controlled the matchup in Chestnut Hill earlier this month. The Eagles rank No. 107 in the county in total defense but have faced some potent offenses. So how good is this BC team?

Three Big Foes

1.Running back AJ Dillon. After receiving only five carries in BC’s season opening win over Northern Illinois, the true freshman has logged at least 15 carries in five of his team’s next six games (Virginia Tech was the only exception, as he had only nine carries against the Hokies.). Dillon’s breakout game was against Central Michigan on Sept. 30, when he rushed 25 times for 120 yards and a touchdown. The 6’0”, 240-pound standout hit the national scene last week, though, with the dominating performance against Louisville.

2.Wide receiver/Returner Michael Walker. Coach Mendenhall was not pleased with the play of the punt unit against UNC. Virginia’s punt coverage team allowed two returns for 31 yards, its worst effort since Indiana, which returned five punts for 111 yards and a touchdown. If this unit is spotty against Boston College, Walker has the ability to make the Cavaliers pay. The junior has returned 19 punts for 320 yards – a 16.8 yard-per-return average – with a long of 61 yards. He returned four punts for 64 yards against Louisville.

3.Defensive ends Zach Allen and Harold Landry. The bookends combined for nine tackles (eight solo) against Louisville. Allen and Landry have combined for nine sacks (Landry with five, Allen with four) and are tied for the team lead in tackles for loss with eight. Virginia’s Benkert has played very well this season. However, the Cavalier offensive line will need to contain the senior Landry and Allen to keep its quarterback comfortable in the pocket.

Hey Remember When …

The last time Virginia won six games and became bowl eligible …