For the second consecutive week, the Virginia Cavaliers played like a championship caliber football team. Game two was another “take care of business” game and for the most part, the grades back that up.

Last week, the Hoos took care of business in a season-opening conference game against the defending Coastal Division Champion Pittsburgh Panthers. Friday night, Virginia marched in and went to work against an FCS school the way a championship caliber team takes care of a lesser opponent. The Cavaliers took all doubt out of the game in the first 18 minutes and rolled to a 52-17 win against William & Mary.

UVA scored in all three phases of the game (offense, defense, special teams) for the first time since Sept. 21, 2002 against Akron. The only blemishes on the performance were a special teams’ fumble and three interceptions, including a pick-6. The last time Virginia turned the ball over four times and won was back in 2012 in a 17-16 squeaker over Penn State.

On defense, the Hoos stuffed the W&M running game and held the visitors to 1.8 yards per carry. Virginia has limited its last three opponents to 174 total rushing yards and a 2.04 yards per carry average. The defense held the Tribe to 9.09% on third downs, Virginia’s best mark since holding the same William & Mary program to a 9% third down conversion rate in a 28-10 victory in 2017.

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