The Virginia football team struggled defensively last season, a trend that’s running at 17 games currently, and that has generated much of the offseason chatter. The pass defense in particular has been in the spotlight because that was such a glaring issue last season. It’s been kind of a “yeah, but” phenomenon in that sense.

At times, almost any topic could drift back to it. The traditional running game with an experienced line could be better this year … yeah, but if the pass defense doesn’t improve, it may not matter. Brennan Armstrong is back as a second-year starter and … yeah, but. The transfer punter … yeah, but. The Cavaliers are strong at Scott Stadium … yeah, but.

That sort of thing. It’s understandable. The Hoos allowed 29.6 points per game in the shorted 10-game 2020 season, while the pass defense allowed 304.4 passing yards per game and 19 passing touchdowns. Those last two numbers were near the bottom of the national heap.

During TheSabre.com Podcast this week, the topic of third down defense came up as part of the conversation previewing the Virginia defense. How much did that contribute to the defense’s poor play? The pass defense? That’s the starting point for this entry for the “50 Thoughts Before Virginia Football Kickoff” series – “Analyzing Third Down Defense At Virginia.”

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