As the training camp portion of preseason practice wound down, Virginia football coach Bronco Mendenhall told reporters that quarterback Brennan Armstrong had the early edge in the race to be the Hoos’ new starting quarterback. With training camp now closed – classes began Tuesday at UVA – and preseason practice in a new phase, Armstrong is officially buckled into the driver’s seat.
Mendenhall announced after Thursday’s practice that Armstrong has been named the starter at quarterback. The Cavaliers are currently scheduled to open the season on Saturday, Sept. 19 at Virginia Tech. Armstrong would be the first left-handed UVA quarterback to start for Virginia since Jameel Sewell, who started 32 career games for the Cavaliers over three different seasons.
While Mendenhall did not make a statement Thursday, he has spoken at length about Armstrong previously. In the spring, for example, he talked about some of the attributes that Armstrong has as a quarterback.
“First of all, I like his mindset,” Mendenhall said in this article. “He’s a player that thinks he can make every play. He’s very confident. He’s very, very competitive. He has high standards for himself and is actually much better when he’s playing the game than he is in the film room or even in a walkthrough. He’s just one of those players that under duress seems to have the game slow down rather than speed up for him. So, and if you have a choice, that’s where you’d like players to excel.”
Armstrong spent the last two seasons as the primary backup at quarterback. Playing behind Bryce Perkins, who set the program’s career record for total offense with 7,910 yards, Armstrong picked up experience in 11 games. He appeared in just four games as a true freshman and retained his redshirt under new NCAA guidelines and seven games as a redshirt freshman.
Statistically, he has thrown for 258 yards and 2 touchdowns on 17-of-25 passing and rushed for 93 yards on 16 carries (5.8 yards per carry). Anecdotally, he’s made some eye-catching plays in those limited appearances with a big run against Louisville, a touchdown throw against Georgia Tech, and a fake field goal conversion pass against North Carolina. All three of those drives ended in points for the Cavaliers on a field goal and two touchdowns.
Armstrong gets the starting nod over Mississippi State graduate transfer Keytaon Thompson, who had not worked with the team in person until July, and veteran reserve Lindell Stone. Mendenhall said early this summer that to compete effectively in college football and to compete for ACC or division titles “you have to have two quarterbacks” so it’s likely that Thompson will be involved in some way this season.
Speaking Of Perkins
The quarterback race exists, of course, because Bryce Perkins had finished his career with Virginia. A second-team All-ACC pick at quarterback and the Dudley Award winner as the top player in the state, Perkins put together a sterling career with the Hoos. In his time as the starter, UVA posted 17 wins and captured its first ever ACC Coastal Division crown. That tied Matt Schaub for No. 2 all-time at Virginia for QB wins.
Perkins set the program’s single-season passing record with 3,538 yards in 2019. He is UVA’s all-time leading rusher at the quarterback position with 1,692 rushing yards and No. 3 all-time with 47 career passing touchdowns.
Those accolades and that production earned him a shot with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams. He signed as an undrafted rookie and has made enough of an impression in the preseason to likely be the team’s third quarterback. Coach Sean McVay said “Bryce had done a nice job” and “earned the right” to get a closer look for evaluation.
Perkins isn’t the only Hoo turned Ram getting good reviews ahead of the NFL season. Micah Kiser is in good position to be a starter at inside linebacker form the club. McVay said “we’re optimistic that he’s going to be a big contributor this year.”
Scholarships Awarded
Virginia has established a history of memorable walkons over the years. From Patrick Jeffers to Alex Seals to Isaiah Ekejiuba, players have not only earned a spot on the roster, but earned a chance on the field. Two players in that mold on the current team received some great news Thursday after practice: Coen King and Hayden Mitchell were awarded scholarships by Mendenhall, which set off a joyful celebration from the team.
King and Mitchell were among the first 28 players to select their numbers in this season’s jersey draft. The team’s task unit leaders collectively decide when players get that chance. King switched from 49 to 9, while Mitchell moved from 83 to 18. King appeared in eight games and Mitchell appeared in all 14 games last season as both played on special teams. King had a tackle in the Orange Bowl, while Mitchell made one against UNC. Mitchell also had receptions against William & Mary and Clemson.
Virginia linebacker Charles Snowden said this when asked about King: “He’s physical. He’s been making plays all over the field. He encourages guys.” Receivers coach Marques Hagans Tweeted that Mitchell is the “epitome of selflessness, sacrifice, and humility.”
Oh yeah … we have more post-practice news
헦헽헲헰헶헮헹 헗헲헹헶혃헲헿혆:
#ScholarshipsEarned @coenking_ AND @mitchelld17 ‼️#GoHoos | #THEStandard pic.twitter.com/oeMgz6ublR— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) August 27, 2020
Same With Some Wrinkles
The Virginia defense piled up the disruptive statistics last season. The Cavaliers finished with 46 sacks, which tied for seventh in the country, and 99 tackles for loss, which tied for 15th. They also picked off 12 passes, which tied for 31st. The Hoos call those ‘havoc’ plays and that’s become a big part of the identity for the defense under Bronco Mendenhall and co-defensive coordinators Nick Howell and Kelly Poppinga.
Many of the players that helped stack up those numbers are back in 2020. Linebackers Charles Snowden, Noah Taylor, and Zane Zandier all return. On the outside, Snowden had 5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss, while Taylor recorded 7 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. On the inside, Zandier also had 5 sacks to go along with 12.5 tackles for loss. Everyone who made an interception is back in the fold too led by safety Joey Blount, who grabbed 3 picks on the year.
The Wahoos are going to follow that same blueprint this season.
“We were really multiple last year and the year before and I would say it’s going to be similar to what we’ve done in years past,” Poppinga said. “There will be a few new wrinkles that we’ll put in that we got some ideas in the offseason, but it’s really nothing new from the naked eye. Just like we’ve done in the past, we’ll be in 3-4, we’ll be in a 4-2-5, we can do 3-3-5. There’s multiple different ways we can get into different personnel. … The multiplicity is all based upon the experience that we have. With that group of guys coming back, that nucleus of guys, that just allows us to continue on this path and just build on what we did last year.”
Coach is awesome