Last season, the Virginia football team had one of the worst defenses in the country. Time and time again, despite numerous tremendous efforts by quarterback Brennan Armstrong, the defense came up short and allowed teams to beat the Cavaliers in devastating fashion.

In the end, UVA ranked 121st in yards allowed per game, 118th in defensive efficiency, 122nd in value drive rate, and 127th in average line yards (all out of 130 teams). In the bottom line category – points allowed – the Hoos also struggled as they tied for 103rd while allowing 31.8 points per game.

However, while this paints a grim picture for the 2022 season, this year marks the beginning of a new era for Virginia football, particularly with regard to the defense. With this new era, comes hope. Let’s take a look at four of the Cavalier’s biggest defensive storylines for the upcoming season. (Some questions for the offense appeared earlier.)

How Will The Rudzinski Era Begin?

One of first-year coach Tony Elliott’s first moves at Virginia was bringing on Defensive Coordinator John Rudzinski to replace the former DC Nick Howell. Rudzinski came to Virginia following a noteworthy 14-season tenure at Air Force where, most recently, he helped lead the team to a 10-3 overall record and a victory over Louisville (31-28) in the First Responders Bowl. Rudzinski’s best defense at the academy, though, was the 2020 team, which finished the season ranked third nationally in scoring defense (15.0 avg), fifth in passing yards allowed (166.8), and fourth in red zone defense (.692). Though, by his own account, he is still familiarizing himself with Virginia and the team’s personnel, he is the perfect candidate to try to turn the Cavalier defense around.

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