Greg’s Grades 2021: Wake Forest

The grades are in.
Virginia tight end Jelani Woods caught a touchdown pass for the second straight home game. ~ Photo by Kris Wright/TheSabre.com

The Hoos lost 37-17 to Wake Forest on Friday night. Why? Virginia didn’t play well enough in any of the three phases of the game to win. Not much more to say.

Overview

Offense: 67.48 (D+)

  • Highlights: Virginia has netted more than 500 yards of total offense in all four games this season. The Hoos converted 50% of its third downs despite the long distances they needed to gain.
  • Not so bright: Way too many dropped passes – Virginia’s top four receivers averaged a 57.5% catch rate; UVA’s 20% TD scoring percentage in the red zone is the lowest since they got shut out from a red zone TD against Miami in a 17-9 loss on Oct. 11, 2019; the team’s 40% scoring percentage in the red zone (2 for 5) was the worst since Nov. 26, 2011 in a 38-0 loss to Virginia Tech. The offense lost 65 yards off accepted penalties; UVA failed to score on four of the five drives with offensive penalties.

The offense squandered six trips beyond the Wake 40-yard line, scoring 17 points out of a potential 42 – that’s 40.4%. I made better grades in college calculus and trust me, that’s not a high bar. The Cavaliers didn’t convert in the red zone for the first time this year and receivers dropped a lot of passes and didn’t help their quarterback. Overall, 18% of run plays were stuffed by the Wake front seven and a second consecutive mediocre performance from the offensive line allowed too much penetration and too much pressure in the pocket. Five first down sacks led to losses totaling -30 yards which led to an average yards to-go on third down of 10.3.

Defense: 62.79 (D-)

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