Despite a number of new faces and inexperienced players on offense, Virginia offensive coordinator Des Kitchings believes his unit can have more success in 2023. He said the offense is already cleaning up some of its major flaws from last season, but understands any lingering frustration from the production last fall.

The Hoos took a big step backwards in 2022 by scoring just 17.0 points per game following a 2021 season in which they averaged 34.6. Fans were obviously upset with the lack of production, and this sentiment is shared by Kitchings.

“My approach is I’m just as pissed as they are. My expectations are high offensively as well,” Kitchings said. “This is a competitive venue of college athletics and it’s become a business and you have to produce. We didn’t produce last year and I’m at the forefront of that and just as upset as any fan or teenage kid or whoever is watching UVA football. They’re not alone in being upset about our production last year.”

Reflecting on that lack of production from last season, Kitchings noticed three main issues: drops, the turnover rate, and too many sacks. The Virginia offense suffered from 34 sacks (tied for 92nd nationally) and a -9 turnover ratio, which stemmed from 22 turnovers (tied for 107th nationally). The Hoos also tallied 35 dropped passes, including 19 combined from Keytaon Thompson (10) and Dontayvion Wicks (9), that contributed to a 57.1 receiving grade from Pro Football Focus that ranked 124th nationally.

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