The University of Virginia football program, which is seeking its 8th win of the season, heads down to Atlanta this week for an Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal division matchup with red-hot Georgia Tech (6-4 overall, 4-3 in the ACC), which has won three straight games and five of its last six.
UVA (7-3 overall, 4-2 in the ACC), which has won four of its last five, rebounded from a home loss to Pittsburgh on November 2 with a 45-24 win over Liberty last Saturday in Scott Stadium. The Cavaliers surrendered over 200 yards rushing – including 139 yards in the first half – against the Flames, appearing to struggle in its first full game without sophomore defensive end Mandy Alonso, who was playing a high-level of football before getting injured in the second-half of the Pitt game.
Head coach Bronco Mendenhall and defensive coordinators Nick Howell and Kelly Poppinga will have to tighten up the rush defense against head coach Paul Johnson and his triple-option attack, which leads the nation with 362 yards rushing per game. Tech is averaging 6.01 yards per carry and has scored 43 touchdowns on the ground through 10 games.
For the most part, Mendenhall’s previous two Virginia teams fared well against the Yellow Jackets’ triple-option. In a 31-17 loss in Atlanta in 2016, Virginia surrendered 199 yards rushing on 31 attempts. Two carries went for 127 yards, however, and Georgia Tech averaged just 2.48 yards per rush on the other 29 attempts. The Yellow Jackets churned out 220 yards on 52 attempts in last year’s loss to UVA in Charlottesville, but 78 of those yards came on a touchdown run by TaQuon Marshall. Take away the big plays surrendered and the Cavalier defense has played well against Georgia Tech’s offense the past two years.
Mendenhall emphasized during his weekly Monday press conference that, while defense is obviously important, offensive execution and special teams play are just as critical against a triple-option team.
“When you play an option team you certainly have to score,” Mendenhall said. “It’s better if you’re able to maintain possession of the ball and score. So one of the biggest contributing factors for that game, if we’re talking about [Virginia’s blowout loss to Navy, another triple-option team, in the 2017 Military Bowl], was our inability to hold onto the ball, to move it with any effectiveness, time of possession and points.”
“When and if you’re going to beat an option football team the complementary nature of how you play the game has to be in place,” Mendenhall continued. “Can’t just be one side or the other. In that game we didn’t have a strong showing from any off our sides. But when you consider if you are going to have a model to beat an option football team, it has to be offense, defense and special teams. It cannot be one-sided in my opinion.”
The Cavalier offense, led by dual-threat junior quarterback Bryce Perkins, needs to put up points and rack up the time of possession, but they’ll also have to take care of the ball against an opportunistic Georgia Tech defense that has forced 23 turnovers, including 12 interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries. The Yellow Jackets offer a 3-4 defense that is giving up 356.3 yards per game and 27.5 points per game on average. Tech is yielding 138.3 yards per game on the ground, which ranks 40th in the country.
Georgia native Jordan Ellis, Virginia’s tough-as-nails senior running back, mentioned last Saturday that he’ll have over 30 family members and friends in attendance on Saturday. A big-time homecoming performance from Ellis, who needs 165 yards to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing for the season, would be a big lift. Virginia has to get the run-game going to open up the rest of its offense and keep a potent Yellow Jacket offense on the sidelines.
A banged-up Virginia defense is now 37th in the country against the run after last week’s performance versus Liberty, surrendering 136.3 yards per contest on average. The Cavalier D is giving up 19.7 points per game, good for second in the ACC and No. 17 in the nation. Virginia (No. 23) and Georgia Tech (No. 42) rank among the top 50 of FBS schools in terms of yards allowed.
Virginia’s special teams units have been playing well. Punter Lester Coleman and place-kicker Brian Delaney have become dependable playmakers, and Joe Reed emerged last week with a big day on kickoff returns. The standout junior ran the opening kickoff of the second-half back for a touchdown to give UVA a 31-17 lead over Liberty. He returned a kickoff for a score against Georgia Tech last year.
Georgia Tech leads the ACC in net punting average (42.25), thanks in part to sophomore Pressley Harvin III, who has boomed nine punts 50 or more yards this year. The Yellow Jackets feature a true freshman place-kicker in Wesley Wells, who took over the starting job in September and has since made 35-of-35 extra points and 4-of-4 field goals, including two field goals in last week’s 27-21 win over Miami.
Georgia Tech has won the last four home meetings against Virginia. The series is tied 1-1 since Mendenhall took the Virginia job, and both games have been close. Tech won 31-17 in 2016, but Virginia had possession in the fourth quarter down only 24-17 before a Matt Johns interception was returned for a touchdown. UVA won a wild one in Charlottesville last season, 40-36, to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2011.
The Yellow Jackets hold a 20-19-1 edge in the series all-time. The Hoos hope to even the all-time record up and accomplish its first 8-win season since 2011 on Saturday.
Virginia Football Essentials
- Location: Bobby Dodd Stadium, Atlanta, GA
- Game Time: Saturday, November 17, 3:30 p.m.
- TV Info: ACC Regional Sports Networks (Find the channel in your area.)
- Radio Info: WINA 1070AM | Other affiliates | Sirius 83/XM 83
- Ticket Information
- Live Feed
- Live Stats
- Parking Map
- Bobby Dodd Stadium Information
- Georgia Tech Game Day 101 | Bobby Dodd Stadium Clear Bag Policy FAQs
Three Big Questions
1. Who will win the turnover battle?
This Georgia Tech defense is very dangerous when it comes to forcing turnovers, racking up at least three turnovers in six games and 23 in total. Taking care of the football will be a must for Virginia, which has committed 14 turnovers (nine interceptions, five fumbles lost). Conversely, Georgia Tech’s offense has surrendered the football 16 times (12 fumbles lost, four interceptions) this season, tied for 80th among FBS teams in this category. Virginia has forced 17 turnovers – 13 interceptions and four fumble recoveries.
2. Can Virginia control the clock?
Georgia Tech is tied for fifth in the nation in time of possession, on average holding the ball 34 minutes per game. Virginia isn’t far behind, though, averaging 32 minutes per game, which is good for No. 20 in the country. The Cavaliers want to control the ball and keep the triple-option attack off the field as long as possible while piling up the points.
3. How will the defense hold up?
How the previous two questions are answered will contribute to how this question gets answered on Saturday. Virginia’s defensive unit is razor thin, especially on the defensive line, where Eli Hanback is the only player who has turned in consistent production. The safety position is the next biggest question mark depth-wise, with Juan Thornhill and Brenton Nelson playing injured last week and Joey Blount’s status in question. The less time the defense is on the field, the better, as the Hoos want to keep the defense fresh.
Three Big Foes
1. GT’s Quarterbacks.
Senior TaQuon Marshall is the starter and is averaging 163.1 yards per game, including 83.3 yards rushing and 79.8 yards passing. His backup, Tobias Oliver, is bigger – 6’2”, 180 pounds – and is the team leader in rushing with 781 yards in nine games. You might remember Oliver decimating Virginia Tech’s defense to the tune of 215 yards on 40 carries several weeks ago. He’s a tough runner with deceptively quick feet.
The primary concern with these two is in the run game, but both players, while not great passers, have shown the ability to connect on deep throws in the play action game.
2. Defensive End Anree Saint-Amour.
The 6’3”, 245-pound senior leads Tech in tackles for loss (10.5) and sacks (four), and he has eight quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and two interceptions to his credit as well.
3. Inside Linebacker Brant Mitchell.
Described by Georgia Tech media relations as the “heart and soul” of the Yellow Jacket defense, Mitchell is second on the team in tackles with 48 and has four tackles for loss and two sacks. Mitchell had 12 tackles in the win over the Hoos in 2016.
Three Trends To Watch
1. Georgia Tech Big Plays.
Georgia Tech’s offense has had 50 plays of 20 yards or more this season. Twelve of those plays have resulted in touchdowns. As mentioned, Virginia has fared pretty well defensively against Georgia Tech the previous two seasons, but big play touchdowns have been an issue. Virginia allowed a 78-yard touchdown run and a 33-yard touchdown pass last season, and in 2016 the Hoos surrendered two touchdown runs of over 60 yards as well as a 54-yard touchdown pass.
2. Georgia Tech Defensive Touchdowns.
Georgia Tech has returned an interception for a touchdown in each of the last two meetings with Virginia. Bryce Perkins has thrown nine picks this year. He’ll have to make good decisions as the Cavaliers don’t want Pick-6’s to become a trend versus Georgia Tech. Besides, you cannot give away free points in a closely contested matchup as this could well be.
3. Joe Reed hitting His Stride?
Reed, who returned a kickoff for a touchdown against Georgia Tech last season, was named ACC Specialist of the Week after exploding for four kick returns for 193 yards and a score last week versus Liberty. Kick return has been an emphasis in practice the past few weeks, with Reed indicating that a kick return “didn’t count” in practice if it didn’t go at least 30 yards. If the return didn’t go 30, it was do-over time. In general, the entire special teams has been trending up as this season has gone along. Kick return may now be catching up, and Reed and company will be needed to come through in Atlanta.
Hey, Remember When …
Virginia last defeated Georgia Tech in Atlanta? It was 2008 and Al Groh was the Cavalier head coach. Quarterback Marc Verica threw two touchdowns, Cedric Peerman added another on the ground, and the Hoos defeated the Yellow Jackets by a final score of 24-17.
