Offseason chatter for the Virginia football team’s defense often focused on improvement. The Cavaliers, after all, made several big jumps in statistical ways, the most important perhaps being a reduction in opponent’s scoring. UVA allowed 24.0 points per game last season after it gave up 31.8 in 2021.

A key part of that progress in 2022 came from the red zone. The Hoos allowed opponents to score touchdowns just 44.12% of the time last season, which tied for No. 7 nationally with Michigan and was only a few percentage points behind defensive powerhouses like Georgia and Iowa at No. 2 and No. 3. The Virginia defense gave up 15 touchdowns in the red zone across 10 games last fall.

Facing Tennessee, the nation’s top scoring offense from 2022, challenged Virginia in the red zone in the 2023 season opener. The Cavaliers allowed 7 touchdowns in 7 red zone trips, close to 50% of last season’s TDs allowed inside the 20 in just one outing. The Vols led the nation a year ago by scoring touchdowns on 79.1% of their red zone possessions so the Hoos are not alone in having difficulties against that scheme.

“I felt like we understood what was supposed to come at us, but it’s just about executing at the end of the day,” Cavalier cornerback Sam Westfall said. “We had a lot of opportunities to make plays in the red zone so it’s just about making those plays moving forward.”

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