UVA Defense Faces Tall Task Against Malik Cunningham

Containing the Louisville quarterback will be a top priority for the Cavaliers on Saturday

Matt Newton | Oct 6, 2021

Virginia’s defense will face yet another difficult challenge on Saturday against the Louisville Cardinals, led by do-it-all quarterback Malik Cunningham. So far this season, Cunningham has carried the Cardinals offense, even more so than the average quarterback.

Cunningham is currently passing at a 63.8% completion rate and has amassed 1,307 passing yards and seven touchdowns with only two interceptions. He is also the team’s second-leading rusher with 70 carries for 309 rushing yards on the season. Cunningham has accounted for 10 of his team’s 11 rushing touchdowns so far this year. At one point during the Cardinals’ season-opening game against Ole Miss, Cunningham was Louisville’s leading passer, rusher, and receiver, as he had a nine-yard reception on a trick play as well.

Cunningham is fourth in the ACC in passing and is also the tenth-leading rusher at 61.8 rushing yards per game.

The Cavaliers are no stranger to Cunningham’s abilities as a dual-threat quarterback, having faced him in each of the last three seasons. UVA head coach Bronco Mendenhall certainly has not forgotten the trouble Cunningham has caused for his Virginia defense.

“Yeah, doesn’t take much to remind me from a year ago where we had a really hard time getting him on the ground or tackling him,” Mendenhall said in a press conference on Monday. “He’s a really good football player in a scheme that uses him really well.”

Cunningham was more than a handful for the UVA defense in their meeting last season, completing 13 of 21 passes for 161 yards and running 20 times for 197 yards and two touchdowns. But, the Cavaliers were able to come up with enough plays to hold the Louisville offense at bay, including four sacks and an interception of Cunningham. Virginia prevailed 31-17 at Scott Stadium.

In 2019, Cunningham threw for 126 yards and a touchdown and added 97 rushing yards and another touchdown in a 28-21 win over UVA at Louisville.

Bronco Mendenhall says that Cunningham has become even more dangerous this season.

“I would put him at the top of the dangerous scale in terms of how fast, how athletic,” Mendenhall said, “He can pull it down and run on any given play. I’m just really impressed with him. I think he’s a really good athlete. I think his throwing accuracy and precision has improved. On any given play, he’s a threat.”

Cunningham’s ability to pass and throw will give the Virginia defense all it can handle, as the Hoos have struggled in recent weeks to contain opposing quarterbacks. In particular, UVA had no answers for UNC’s Sam Howell, who is generally not known for his running ability. Nonetheless, Howell ran for 112 yards on 15 carries in addition to his 307 passing yards and five touchdowns. In the game against Wake Forest, Virginia had no pass rush, so Sam Hartman was able to dissect the UVA defense for 270 passing yards and three touchdowns. Lastly, the Cavaliers nearly cost themselves the game against Miami by losing contain on quarterback Tyler Van Dyke at a critical point in the game. With the Hurricanes trailing Virginia 30-21 in the fourth quarter, Van Dyke scrambled on third-and-10 and escaped the pocket, scampering down the right sideline 24 yards for a touchdown.

Malik Cunningham will be the most dynamic quarterback Virginia has faced yet, and the Hoos will have to focus on keeping Cunningham in the pocket in order to pull off the win at Louisville on Saturday.

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