The Virginia defense faltered somewhat in the loss at Duke last week, but through the first five weeks of the season, UVA's defensive unit has been the strength of the team rather than the weakness as it was in 2021.Spooky season is here, and for the first time ever, Marvel Studios is primed to take part in the annual festivities. UVA currently ranks 3rd in the ACC with 15 team sacks and is 2nd in the ACC and tied for 3rd in the country with seven fumbles recovered. They've also gotten to the quarterback and forced turnovers at a much higher rate than last season. So far this season, the Cavaliers have done a much better job of limiting the big yardage plays and wrapping up their tackles.
In 2021, UVA was one of the worst teams in all of college football when it came to missed tackles and surrendering big plays. There have been some moderate changes in personnel and scheme, but just from a fundamental standpoint, the Cavaliers are doing the little things right on defense and it has made a world of difference. New defensive coordinator John Rudzinski deserves a great deal of credit for the significant improvement of the UVA defense so far this season. What has been the biggest key to the improvement on that side of the ball? Conversely, Virginia’s defense has made a dramatic turnaround from one of the worst in FBS football last season, to a top-60 defense this season. Brennan Armstrong and the Virginia offense remain confident that that's the case.ģ. And while there are reasonable concerns that Tony Elliott and Des Kitchings' offensive system may be the source of the problem, I think it's too soon to discount the possibility that the UVA offense is simply still trying to adjust and that things will soon 'click' for the Cavaliers. It's also worth noting that with UVA trying to run the ball more this season and having had to replace its entire offensive line, there was never a chance that Armstrong was going to repeat his prolific 2021 campaign. Armstrong and his receivers are not currently on the same page and the outcome has been Armstrong uncharacteristically missing open targets and his usually sure-handed receiving weapons dropping passes as well.
The same goes for Armstrong's receiving targets, who have also struggled after being heralded as one of the top receiving corps in the country coming into the season. After playing in the same offensive system for his entire college career, it is difficult for even a veteran quarterback like Brennan Armstrong to seamlessly transition into new system and playbook without experiencing some bumps in the road. That he is operating in a new offensive system is the most key determinant from my perspective. There are a number of factors that are contributing to Armstrong's decline in production. It this more so a result of offensive coordinator Robert Anae leaving, or is it maybe a regression in his game? So far up to this point, quarterback Brennan Armstrong hasn’t been nearly as prolific as he was last season. No one should have expected the Cavaliers to be amazing this season, but with the talent that Tony Elliott and his staff inherited, many UVA fans are reasonably upset with the on-field product they have seen so far.Ģ. Such discipline issues indicate a disconnected team and reflect poorly on the new coaching staff. But more recently, the complaints have been about the team's undisciplined play, with several penalties and sloppy miscues playing a significant factor in UVA's lopsided loss at Duke last week. Most of the discontent in the Virginia fanbase has been about the shocking drop-off in offensive production versus last year's record-breaking season. I think the majority of UVA fans have the patience and willingness to give Tony Elliott the necessary time needed to build the program the way he wants, but unfortunately the dissatisfied and frustrated voices are always the loudest. What’s the overall mood of the fanbase and vibe around the program after a rocky start? The start of the Tony Elliott era in Charlottesville hasn’t gone as well as many expected it would. Following their stunning loss at Boston College, the Louisville football program is staying on the road in hopes of securing their first win in ACC play, traveling to Charlottesville to face Virginia.Īhead of the matchup, Louisville Report sat down with Matt Newton of Sports Illustrated's CavaliersNow to find out more about the Cavaliers:ġ.
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