The season opener for the Virginia football team sits less than two weeks away. The Hoos face Richmond on Saturday, August 31 at 6 p.m. in that game at Scott Stadium. Before kickoff arrives, however, one major piece of the puzzle still needs to be placed: the starting quarterback.
UVA coach Tony Elliott said both Tony Muskett and Anthony Colandrea are capable of handling the job, but the staff will take the final few days of training camp to make the official decision and then relay that to the players. That matches the timetable from last fall when Muskett was named the starter on August 21.
“[Monday] was the last day of true live good on good [scrimmage situations]. We’ll still bump and be more controlled,” Elliott said. “I’m hopeful as we get through this week in fairness to whoever it is he’ll at least have a week to prep as the starter. We’re going to have some tough conversations with all of our personnel over the next couple of days.”
Both Muskett and Colandrea have worked for the starting role both in the spring and in preseason practice. It’s been characterized as a close competition with each rotating with the first string offense regularly.
That starter battle shouldn’t be too surprising. Both Muskett and Colandrea started 6 games last fall, due in part to two separate injuries for Muskett during the season. The shoulder injury required offseason surgery, but he rehabbed diligently to make it back in time for spring football. Prior to those practices with the team coming off a 3-win season, the coaches openly said the position would require an ongoing evaluation.
In games last fall, Muskett (6’2″, 206) completed 93 of 147 passes (63.3% completion rate) for 1,031 passing yards. That marked his fourth 1,000-yard season as a college QB dating back to his days at Monmouth prior to transferring to Virginia. He finished with 6 touchdown and 5 interceptions, 66 rushing yards with 1 TD, and two wins as the starter against William & Mary and North Carolina. Opponents posted 22 sacks against Muskett and he had 1 fumble.
Colandrea (6’0”, 180) connected on 154 of 246 passes (62.6% complete rate) for 1,958 passing yards. He recorded 13 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, 225 rushing yards rushing, and a win against Duke. Opponents sacked Colandrea 21 times and he had 1 fumble (he did put the ball on the ground five times, but the team lost possession only once).
It’s not outside the realm of possibility that both get chances to produce again this season. Ultimately, regardless of last season’s numbers, Coach Elliott and his staff must try to decipher who gives Virginia the best chance to get more wins on the board in 2024.
“I’m hopeful that some time this week we should be able to settle in on who’s going to be the guy or if it’s going to be a combination of both of them,” Elliott said. “Again, for those guys, they’ve battled their tail off, they’ve both done a good job, and now it’s on us as coaches to do the right thing based off the body of work as we truly evaluate it and what gives us the best to go win football games.”
The idea of a combination of the 2 QBs is a strategy that has failed time and again. I’ve never seen it work. Please have the con-
fidence to make a decision and stick with it.
AGREED!