Cavaliers Now

Brennan Armstrong’s Historic Start to the Season

Taking a closer look at the numbers behind Armstrong’s impressive first four games of the UVA football season

Matt Newton

Photo courtesy of Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports

There has not been much to be excited about in the last two weeks of the Virginia football season. For the most part, the Cavaliers have performed far below the standard with which they played in the first two games of the year.

The only exception has been Brennan Armstrong, who has consistently delivered elite quarterback performances in each of the first four games.

Armstrong has completed 120 of 180 passing attempts for 1,705 passing yards and 13 touchdowns this season. He leads the nation in average passing yards with 426.25 yards per game and is also first in total offense generated with 438.2 total yards per game. Armstrong also leads the country in passing plays of 20 or more yards. Armstrong is second in completions per game with 30, trailing only Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers. His 1,705 passing yards is also second in the nation behind Jake Haener from Fresno State. Armstrong is responsible for 92 points this season, good for fourth in the NCAA. Finally, his 13 touchdown passes are the sixth-most in the country.

Additionally, Armstrong has led the UVA offense to an average of 546.0 total yards per game, the seventh-best figure in the nation and the second-best offense in the ACC.

Armstrong’s season numbers are impressive, but his single-game statistics have shattered several UVA football program records. He broke the UVA record for passing yards in a single game with 554 yards against North Carolina. It was also the first time a Virginia quarterback even threw for 500 or more passing yards in a game. Armstrong’s 364 passing yards in the first half of the UNC game were the most passing yards in a half in program history as well. Armstrong’s 538 yards of total offense against UNC broke Bryce Perkins’ record of 490 yards of total offense set against North Carolina in 2019.

In the loss to Wake Forest, Armstrong threw for 407 passing yards, becoming the fourth UVA quarterback to have at least five career games of 300+ passing yards, joining Matt Schaub, Aaron Brooks, and Bryce Perkins. Armstrong is the only Virginia quarterback to throw for at least 300 passing yards in four straight games. The 407 passing yards was the fifth-highest mark in UVA history and Armstrong now owns three of the six 400-yard passing performances in the history of the Virginia football program.

Armstrong’s two touchdown passes against Wake gives him a total of 13 touchdown passes this season, becoming only the fifth quarterback in the ACC to throw for at least 13 touchdowns through the first four games of the season in the last 20 years.

“He’s playing exceptional football,” said UVA head coach Bronco Mendenhall. “I wouldn’t trade him for any quarterback in our league. He’s really, really skilled. His accuracy, his poise, his decision-making and production. He’s doing a really, really nice job. There’s really not an area he hasn’t improved.”

Armstrong will look to continue his brilliant start in week five as Virginia travels to play Miami at Hard Rock Stadium, where Armstrong and the Cavaliers managed only 14 points in a loss to the Hurricanes last year. The Hoos will likely need another outstanding performance from Armstrong to bring home the victory and get the UVA football season back on track. 

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Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.

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