Anthony Colandrea Shines in First Game as Virginia's Full-Time QB1

Henry Pallatroni, Henry Pallatroni | Sep 5, 2024

Analyzing Anthony Colandrea's first game as Virginia's full-time starting quarterback. / Amber Searls-Imagn Images

After a tumultuous year for the team and quarterback position last season, Virginia football fans have a right to be optimistic after a 34-13 win over the Richmond Spiders last Saturday. For Anthony Colandrea, the victory was a crucial first impression for his first season at the helm of the Cavalier offense. After a season of inconsistency at the quarterback position in 2023, Cavalier fans have been looking for the answer at quarterback; after his week one performance, it is clear that the answer is Anthony Colandrea.

Colandrea’s week one performance was nothing short of excellent. He amassed 297 passing yards and two touchdown passes on a 17 for 23 showing through the air - good for a 211.1 passer rating, the second-highest across all ACC quarterbacks through week one. Though the Richmond defense is certainly nothing to write home about, Colandrea checked all of the boxes needed to instill confidence in the QB position going forward.

Was Colandrea strong through the air? Absolutely. Plays like his first half, 35-yard touchdown connection to Trell Harris remind Virginia fans of Colandrea’s talent as a passer. Beyond the yardage through the air, however, lies even more for Cavalier fans to get excited about as the young quarterback continues to develop as the face of the Hoos' offense.

First and foremost, Colandrea did not throw an interception across 27 pass attempts. Despite a tendency for shorter, quick connections from offensive coordinator Des Kitchings, this deserves to be highlighted. Colandrea struggled with turning the ball over in his rookie campaign; across eight games with 25+ pass attempts, he threw an interception in seven of them. Starting his 2024 season off with an errorless performance through the air should inject confidence into both Colandrea and Kitchings as this new offense continues to find itself in the weeks to come. Whether Colandrea can continue to avoid the nagging interception issues from last year will be a major question as the Hoos take on tougher defenses down the road.

Colandrea’s ground presence also deserves attention. Colandrea rushed for 45 yards, including a career-long 35-yard burst and his first-career rushing touchdown. Virginia fans saw the threat that Colandrea can be on the ground in ‘23 - Colandrea averaged 28 rush yards per game across his eight appearances. For the most part, Colandrea demonstrated a strong presence in the pocket against the Spiders. His willingness to run and leave the pocket poses a threat to opposing defenses, and as he continues to become more comfortable in the pocket, will prove to be a valuable asset to this Virginia offense.

The Hoos travel to Winston-Salem, North Carolina Saturday for their first ACC matchup at Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons have a strong defensive front, and Colandrea is sure to be under more pressure than he was in the opener. Colandrea’s nearly flawless, 346 total yards and three total touchdown performance to open the season leaves Cavalier fans with plenty to be excited about for this weekend’s matchup.

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