Five Takeaways From Virginia Football's 48-31 Loss to Clemson

Aidan Baller | Oct 20, 2024

The Cavaliers suffer their second straight loss and third loss of the year. / Alexander Hicks-Imagn Images

After a solid start to the season, Virginia football has its first losing streak after falling to Clemson on Saturday 48-31 at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. The Cavaliers got off to a hot start with a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter before the Clemson Tigers showed why they are a playoff contender, rattling off 35 straight points to bury the Cavaliers hopes of pulling off an upset. 

For a recap of the game: Virginia Football Overpowered by No. 10 Clemson 48-31

With that said, here's five takeaways from Virginia's defeat to the Clemson Tigers: 

The Virginia D-Line Needs to Improve 

The Virginia defense had zero sacks against the Clemson offensive line and struggled to get pressure on Cade Klubnik, allowing the junior quarterback to extend plays, especially early in the game, which was punishing to the Virginia defense. The Cavaliers had a few hits on Klubnik but struggled to bring the quarterback down, a key contributing factor to Clemson scoring 35 unanswered points. 

The Rushing Attack was Awful 

Virginia rushed for a season-low 68 yards as the Cavaliers struggled to find any rhythm in the ground game. In his return to Clemson, Kobe Pace led the way with 35 yards on ten carries, as Pace and Xavier Brown were unable to produce a spark for the Virginia offense. The longest rush of the day was a 20-yard scramble by Anthony Colandrea. If the Cavaliers offense wants to find success moving forward, the run game needs to be established to create a balanced offense. 

Virginia's Red Zone Offense Continues to Struggle 

On Virginia's first red zone trip of the game, they found themselves with a 4th and one situation on the Clemson three-yard line. So far this season, Grady Brosterhous's quarterback sneak has proven reliable and is a 100 percenter in one-yard gain situations. Despite this, Coach Eliott opted to kick the field goal instead of going for the conversion that would have most likely been converted. 

The field goal, although it was points, was challenging to watch as the Virginia offense continued to struggle to score touchdowns in the red zone. Further, the call was disappointing, especially against an opponent such as Clemson, where Virginia truly has nothing to lose going for it. 

Tony Muskett Showed Promise at the End 

Despite the brutal defeat, a positive on the day was Tony Muskett. Despite losing the starting job to Colandrea, Muskett has been cited as a good team player, continuing to work hard behind the scenes. On Saturday, Muskett had a chance to shine on the field and played spectacularly in the final moments, leading the Cavaliers down the field twice against Clemson's defense, which included a 65-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Davies. Muskett showed today that if Colandrea ever goes down with an injury, the Cavaliers have a stellar quarterback waiting in the wings. 

Virginia is Far Away from an ACC Championship

Saturday was a true gut check for the Cavaliers as the game gave Virginia an accurate barometer as to where it stands against the best team in the ACC—the answer is not even close. Although the Cavaliers may be closing in on a bowl game this season, as Elliott turns around this Virginia football program, the Hoos are still years away from an ACC Championship.

For More Virginia Football News

Virginia vs. Clemson Live Score Updates | NCAA Football

Virginia Football Overpowered by No. 10 Clemson 48-31

Hoos in the NFL: Recapping NFL Week 6 for Former Virginia Football Players

The Colandrea Report: Midseason Check-In for UVA Football's Quarterback