The Virginia football team put together a solid season in 2018 with eight wins, which included the program’s first bowl victory since 2005. One of the not-so-secret ingredients for that success was the defense.

The Cavaliers 20th nationally in total defense, allowing 330.5 yards per game. The last time the Hoos finished that high was 28th in 2012.

They want more. Even with those numbers in place, the Hoos believe they can turn a solid defense that holds down the yardage into a stronger defense that swings momentum and potentially the scoreboard with big plays. The “50 Virginia Football Thoughts Before Kickoff” series takes a look.

38 – Be Disruptive

When you dive into defensive categories, it’s not hard to find areas of success with UVA’s defense. The total defense rank mentioned earlier represented a 20-spot improvement from 2017. The Hoos ranked 21st nationally in scoring defense as well by allowing 20.1 points per game. That’s the fewest points allowed by UVA’s defense since the 2011 club gave up 23.8 per game.

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