UVA Football: Players to Watch in Virginia vs. SMU

Matt Newton | Nov 21, 2024

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Virginia will welcome SMU to Scott Stadium for the final home game of the 2024 football season on Saturday afternoon and the Cavaliers will hope to become the first ACC team to take down the Mustangs since they joined the conference this summer.

Here are three players from each team to look out for during Saturday's matchup between Virginia and SMU:

#1 Brashard Smith - Running Back, SMU

Virginia has faced some talented running backs this season and Brashard Smith is up there with the best of them. Smith is the ACC's third-leading rusher, averaging 102.6 yards per game and 6.5 yards per carry and racking up 1,026 rushing yards (one of only two ACC backs to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark this season) and 12 rushing touchdowns. SMU ranks second in the ACC in rushing offense and it starts with the dynamic speed and agility of the 5'10" senior. UVA's run defense will be put to the test once again.

#7 Kevin Jennings - Quarterback, SMU

While the ground game is the calling card of the SMU offense, the Mustangs are quite capable of beating their opponents through the air as well. The 6'0" redshirt sophomore is fourth in the ACC in completion percentage at 65.4% and has thrown for 2,198 yards and 15 touchdowns to just six interceptions. Jennings has an array of receiving threats at his disposal (three players with at least four receiving touchdowns) and knows how to make the right reads and accurate throws to move the ball down the field.

#23 Isaiah Nwokobia - Safety, SMU

There a number of defensive playmakers for the Mustangs, including a pair of defensive ends in Jahfari Harvey and Isaiah Smith who have combined for 9.5 sacks this season, but we're going to single out safety Isaiah Nwokobia because he has been all over the field for SMU this season. The Dallas native is SMU's second-leading tackler with 73 total tackles and also leads the team in solo stops with 40, but his best attribute is his playmaking abilities in pass defense. Nwokobia had broken up three passes and hurried the quarterback twice, including registering half a sack, and has recorded three interceptions on the season, tied for the team lead. Turnovers have been an issue for Virginia recently and it wouldn't be a surprise if Nwokobia gets his hands on one of Anthony Colandrea's passes in this game.

#20 Jonas Sanker, Safety, Virginia

It's been an up and down year for Virginia, but Jonas Sanker has been consistently excellent from start to finish. Sanker just won back-to-back ACC Defensive Back of the Week awards for the second time this season, all but locking him in for an All-ACC selection at the end of the year. The Charlottesville native is the ACC's leader in solo tackles, often preventing opponents from scoring on big plays. Sanker has also had a nose for the football this season, record one interception, two fumble recoveries, and a blocked field goal. If Virginia is going to upset SMU on Saturday, it will be because of another superhuman effort from Jonas Sanker.

#16 Tyler Neville - Tight End, Virginia

Malachi Fields is an NFL talent at wide receiver, but he has been getting too much attention from opposing defenses to have any big games recently. The Cavaliers have to find other reliable options through the air when Fields is covered up and the best option just may be Harvard transfer tight end Tyler Neville, who is currently the team's second-leading receiver with 31 catches for 352 yards and two touchdowns on the season. Both of those touchdowns came in week 2 at Wake Forest. Saturday would be a great time for Neville to find the end zone again.

#8 Trey McDonald - Linebacker, Virginia

With SMU's formidable ground game, Virginia's linebackers will have to be at their best in order to plug up the gaps and bring Brashard Smith down at the point of attack. The Cavaliers have been hit hard by injuries on the defensive side of the ball, as starter James Jackson is expected to miss Saturday's game with a foot injury and fellow starter Kam Robinson is "probable" to play against SMU, but will be playing through a shoulder injury. Look for Trey McDonald, who has started three of the last four games for James Jackson, to make a big play on Saturday, just as he did last weekend with his interception to start the second half.

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