Statistically, this wasn’t really a scrapbook kind of game for Virginia’s offense. But for the Hoos’ offensive line, it was the scrappy kind of effort that shows progress to coaches and teammates. The Hoos did just enough up front to help the team secure a 16-13 upset of No. 16 Miami on Saturday.
Coming into the game, the Hurricanes appeared to have a massive advantage in the trenches when Virginia had the ball. After all, Miami’s defensive line tandem of Gerald Willis III (12.5) and Jonathan Garvin (11.5) were among the nation’s top five in tackles for loss on the season. As a unit, the defense had piled up 72 tackles for loss (1st nationally) with 20 sacks (3rd-tie) while allowing 2.73 yards per carry (7th). UVA, on the other hand, had allowed 33 tackles for loss (66th-tie) with 12 sacks (73rd-tie).
The boxscore does little to convince studiers that the Cavalier offensive line did anything notable. Virginia finished with just 231 yards of offense, including 139 yards on 41 carries. That checks in at 3.7 yards per play and 3.4 yards per carry. The Hoos converted just 3 of 10 third downs against the nation’s leading conversion defense and allowed four sacks on the night. They scored just one touchdown among four red zone chances.
Still, when figuring that a 40% rate of holding their own up front might have been considered a successful night for the Hoos’ O-Line, this felt like progress against a powerful Power 5 defensive front. Baby steps forward, but important ones nonetheless.
“I think they targeted more correctly and I think they blocked harder and more tenaciously,” UVA coach Bronco Mendenhall said. “There was a different edge that is re-emerging after we’d lost it for a little bit.”
An area a little deeper in the box score showed that more determined effort from the offensive line. Virginia running back Jordan Ellis churned out 86 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. That checks in at a solid 4.8 yards per carry (ypc), among the best efforts of any opponent this year for players with at least five rushing attempts against the Miami defense. LSU’s Nick Brossette averaged 5.7 on 22 carries with two touchdowns. Toledo’s Art Thompkins posted 6.2 ypc on five attempts. UNC’s Michael Carter averaged 10.7 on seven carries, while teammate Chazz Surratt hit 7.7 on nine carries.
UVA entered the bye week off a loss at NC State where Ellis tallied just 30 yards on 13 carries, including four lost yards on a tackle behind the line. That’s just 2.3 yards per carry. So coming off that performance, this looked like a solid response up front.
“All offseason, that was our main focus was getting our run game better. … Our offensive line is way better,” Ellis said. “They’re coming off the ball and they’re definitely way physical. It’s definitely inspiring to see. We’ve just got to keep working and keep getting better because obviously we’re not there yet. This is a good win and we’re going to enjoy it, but we’ve got to keep working and getting better as an offense.”
More importantly, however, may have been the yards lost column. Ellis lost 0 yards. None. For a defense that routinely has swallowed up plays behind the line of scrimmage this season, the fact that UVA’s senior workhorse didn’t get stopped behind the sticks is a clear sign that the offensive line at least had a little edge to its run blocking work for the night.
UVA quarterback Bryce Perkins, who struggled with three interceptions on the night but still added 61 rushing yards, noticed a different vibe from the linemen Saturday night in the running game. He liked what he saw there.
“They did a great job. I told them every drive they were blocking their tail off tonight, especially run blocking,” Perkins said. “They came out with a different type of aggressive attitude that I haven’t seen before. It just shows how much dog they have in them.”
What They’re Saying About Bryce Hall’s Big Play
With UVA leading 10-3 midway through the second quarter, a potential momentum-swinging play unfolded along the home sidelines. Following the Hurricanes’ first score of the game, the Cavalier offense had given the visitors the ball back with a quick three-and-out series. Miami running back Travis Homer ripped through a hole on the left side of the offense and bounced out to the Hoo sidelines where plenty of green grass came into his view as he ran toward the hill.
Just when it looked like an explosive touchdown play would potentially tie the game at 10-10, however, Virginia cornerback Bryce Hall accelerated from the opposite side of the field to stop the play at the 15-yard line after a 70-yard gain. The only time most Wahoos run that fast toward Homer is on a traditional streaking run down the Lawn.
Hall’s sprint and stop saved a touchdown and preserved the lead as the defense held for a field goal. Miami never tied the game and never led thanks in large part to that one play. It caught the attention of several wearing orange and blue, including Hall himself.
“I was on top of my receiver so I kind of had an angle when I saw him break out,” Hall said. “As soon as I saw him go loose, I just kind of clicked in. I was like ‘I gotta go.’ I put my head down, pumped my arms, pumped my legs, and gave it all I could. I ran him down and luckily I was able to push him out of bounds and save a touchdown.”
“We were both were running full speed trying to get there,” UVA senior Juan Thornhill said. “He ran him down and it led to a field goal so that was a big play because if they would have scored, the game could have been totally different.”
“Bryce, he saw the ball, he put his head down and he started running as fast as he could,” Cavalier safety Joey Blount said. “I didn’t know how fast Bryce was until after that play (smiling), but that was a long run and he really went out there and got it. … That was a great play by him.”
“Bryce Hall chasing down – wow,” Mendenhall said. “He was close enough where I could see like his eyes and I could hear him kind of grunting and I was just like ‘Man, he’s going to catch that guy.’ And sure enough. That might have been my favorite play.”
Other Quick Thoughts
- R.J. Proctor played a lot of snaps at left guard in the win. An injury in the preseason had left him with limited duty prior to the bye week.
- Linebacker Malcolm Cook returned in the win, but is still not 100% healthy. Mendenhall said fellow linebacker Robert Snyder also was a little banged up during the game so the two of them together sort of equaled one healthy player in his mind. Both players had five tackles in the win.
- Juan Thornhill lined up some in a linebacker spot in some nickel packages against Miami. “I’m just trying to play my role. If coach asks me to do anything – he can put me on the D-Line and I’m going to go do it and try to do it my best,” Thornhill said.
- Juan Thornhill’s 62-yard interception return was an impressive open-field display. Thornhill played quarterback at Altavista where he said he ran the ball a lot.
- A pair of special teams plays that drew some attention. Evan Butts returned a late onsides kick attempts 30 yards and that helped set the stage for the game-sealing drive. Long snapper Joe Spaziani made a nice play downing a punt inside the 10-yard line.
- Defensive lineman Mandy Alonso, a Miami native, didn’t have a big statistical day with two credited tackles, but he played a big role in the trenches for UVA. He pushed back his one-on-one matchups a lot and blew up Miami’s fourth down play on the first drive of the second half with penetration that allowed Cook and Charles Snowden to make the stop short of the mark.
- Hasise Dubois finished with four catches for 32 yards while working heavily along the seams in this game. He made one really tough catch going toward the enclosed end of the stadium where he got popped on a quick slant route.
- UVA put two returners back on punts for most of the night with both Tavares Kelly and Chuck Davis on the field. In earlier games this season, one or the other had the return duties.
- If you experienced wireless issues Saturday in what was the first home game with the newly announced WiFi, Ting shared this post on social media:
