Behind Enemy Lines: Five Questions for Virginia Cavaliers On SI's Matt Newton

Ahead of Louisville's matchup with Virginia, Louisville Cardinals On SI sat down with Matt Newton of Virginia Cavaliers On SI to find out more about the Cavs.

Oct 5, 2024; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Anthony Colandrea (10) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Boston College Eagles at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program has a crucial game on tap this weekend, traveling to face Virginia in hopes of snapping a two-game skid and avoiding falling to .500 overall.

Ahead of the matchup, Louisville Cardinals On SI sat down with Matt Newton of Virginia Cavaliers On SI to find out more about the Cavs:

1. Virginia has already set their most wins under Tony Elliott less than halfway through the season. What is vibe around the program right now?

The vibe around the UVA football program right now is one of cautious optimism. Virginia's 4-1 start is certainly better than last year's 0-5 start, but the Cavaliers and their fans also understand that they haven't done much yet. UVA has the 21st most difficult remaining schedule in college football, per ESPN's FPI. The toughest challenges are still to come and that starts this weekend against Louisville.

One thing to note is attendance. Virginia had a season-low 38,285 in attendance last weekend against BC despite it being a beautiful afternoon in Charlottesville and UVA being off to its best start since 2019. I'd hope the turnout will be better this weekend against Louisville with a 3:30pm kickoff, but we'll see.

2. What has been the biggest difference (good or bad) in quarterback Anthony Colandrea’s game since his freshman year last season?

It's well known that Anthony Colandrea's electrifying play is both a blessing and a curse. Those high-risk, high-reward plays are what make him great but they can also single-handedly lose games. Last season, Colandrea threw nine interceptions in six starts. So far this season, he's thrown four picks in five games and he's been turnover-free in each of the last two games. Colandrea still takes some risks, but he's being smarter about it and has improved as a game manager and that's the biggest difference between year 1 and year 2 for him.

3. We know defensive standouts such as Jonas Sanker and Chico Bennett, but who are the X-Factors for Virginia on that side of the ball?

Though it seems unlikely he'll play against Louisville after suffering an injury last week, Antonio Clary has been an X-Factor for Virginia this season, coming back strong as the team's leading tackler after missing all of 2023 with an injury. In Clary's absence, I think Virginia's linebackers will be even more important, so keep an eye on James Jackson and Kam Robinson. They both have two sacks on the season and have been a big reason UVA's run defense has been much improved this season over last, stopping the big runs before they reach the secondary.

4. The Cavaliers have excelled in limiting penalties and in special teams. How much has that powered UVA’s 4-1 start?

There's no overstating how important those two areas have been for Virginia's strong start. Discipline was a major issue for the Cavaliers in each of their first two years under Tony Elliott and that manifested in costly penalties and catastrophic miscues on special teams. The fact that Virginia has played relatively clean special teams and has kept the penalties to a minimum (fewest number of accepted penalties in the ACC) has given a huge boost to a team that lost so many one-score games last year because of those issues with discipline.

5. What is the one thing that Virginia has to do in order to pull off the upset?

Execute in the red zone. Virginia has scored touchdowns on just nine of its 23 trips to the red zone this season (39%), including zero red zone touchdowns on five trips last week against Boston College. UVA was able to survive that lack of red zone execution from its offense thanks to a heroic effort from its defense against BC. But if the Cavaliers want to beat Louisville and some of the other higher-caliber teams in the ACC left on their schedule, they'll have to produce at a higher level inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

(Photo of Anthony Colandrea: Peter Casey - Imagn Images)

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