UVA Football Report Card: Handing Out Grades for Virginia vs. North Carolina

Matt Newton | Oct 27, 2024

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Virginia was handed its third-straight loss in disastrous fashion on Saturday, getting blown off the field by North Carolina, who had lost its previous four games, 41-14 in Charlottesville. As we break down what we saw from the Cavaliers in their defeat to the Tar Heels and what it means moving forward, let's hand out some report card grades for various players, position groups, and other categories to help evaluate Virginia's performance in week 9.

Offense

Anthony Colandrea: D
Eight games into the season, Anthony Colandrea has, overall, been much better at taking care of the football than in his freshman year. Unfortunately for Colandrea and the Cavaliers, his two worst games in that regard have contributed to disastrous and costly defeats - first to Maryland in week 3 (2 interceptions in a 27-13 loss) and then on Saturday against North Carolina. While Colandrea was under duress for most of the game - taking nine sacks and getting hurried five more times - he didn't deal with that pressure very well, failing to adjust with quicker decisions and quicker throws. And though he finished 16/28 for 156 yards, Colandrea was just 3/6 for 30 yards in the first quarter and 2/8 for 43 yards in the second quarter, leading to the lopsided 24-6 halftime deficit. Then came the interceptions, as Colandrea threw his first pick in 146 passing attempts on the first drive of the second half and broke a streak of four-straight games without an interception, then had a second interception returned 84 yards for a touchdown by Jahvaree Ritzie. Virginia had a lot of problems as a team on Saturday, but Colandrea having one of his worst games of his career was one of the biggest problems.

Offensive Line: F
Injuries were a major factor, as the Cavaliers were without starters Brian Stevens and Ty Furnish, who also happen to be the starting center and backup center. But even with those injuries, this was a horrendous showing for the UVA offensive line. Virginia gave up 10 sacks and finished with only seven total rushing yards on 29 attempts. On UVA's first drive of the game, Noah Josey, who served as the center with Stevens and Furnish out, snapped the ball over Colandrea's head, turning a 1st and goal from the 1-yard line into an eventual field goal. Virginia still took the lead, but you have to feel the game could have gone differently if the Cavaliers had set the tone with a touchdown there. UVA's offensive line not playing a great game was somewhat expected with the injuries, but injuries seem to be a constant for this unit, and they must find a way to play well consistently even when a starter or two is out of the lineup.

Red Zone Offense: F
For the season, Virginia is now 12/33 in scoring touchdowns on red zone trips, just 36%. This time, the Cavaliers scored six total points on three red zone trips. There was the bad Noah Josey snap that cost UVA a nearly guaranteed touchdown. Virginia also had a 1st and 10 from the UNC 12-yard line, but two incomplete passes sandwiched around a short Colandrea scramble resulted in the Cavaliers settling for another short Bettridge field goal. Then there was the biggest disaster play of the game. Virginia had 1st and 10 at the UNC 16-yard line with a chance to make it 31-14 - still likely out of reach, but maybe on the way to making the final score respectable. Instead, Colandrea was intercepted by Jahvaree Ritzie and, partially due to a lack of hustle by the Cavaliers, the 6'4", 290-pound defensive lineman was able to rumble 84 yards down the sideline for the touchdown, formally putting the nail in the coffin. UVA's inability to execute in the red zone continues to be one of the team's biggest issues. With just four games left in the season, it seems unlikely it'll ever get resolved.

Tony Muskett: A
Before you ask: no, we're still not pining for Tony Muskett to start over Anthony Colandrea; at least not yet. With that said, Tony Elliott said he'd be "evaluating" the quarterback position moving forward into the bye week. It must be acknowledged that Muskett has played well in his late-game opportunities recently and has also had a few good spot moments this season when he came in for single plays when Colandrea had to leave the field. On Saturday, Muskett completed 8/13 passing attempts for 125 yards and a long 68-yard touchdown pass to JR Wilson. That's the second week in a row Muskett has nearly produced as many passing yards as Colandrea in significantly fewer snaps. While that production has usually been against the opponent's backups in garbage time, the offense has generally looked better with Muskett running the show late than it has with Colandrea over the last three or four weeks - even the Boston College win had more to do with the defense. Even if Virginia considers a quarterback change, we're not sure that's gonna change the team's fortune considering the way the entire team has played during this three-game losing streak.

Overall Offense: D

Defense

Pass Defense: F
The Cavaliers were carved up by a third-string quarterback, as Jacolby Criswell completed 19 of 30 passing attempts for 293 yards and two touchdowns. Most of that went to J.J. Jones, who went for 129 receiving yards and two touchdowns on just seven targets. The Tar Heels had 10 big passing plays (15+ yards), including touchdowns that came on 37-yard and 31-yard completions. UVA's defensive line had zero sacks for the second week in a row.

Run Defense: C
All things considered, this was not a terrible showing for the Virginia defense against one of the nation's best running backs. Omarion Hampton racked up 105 rush yards on 26 carries and scored two touchdowns. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, Hampton didn't have more production in part because UNC was having so much success passing the ball and because Hampton didn't need to even be on the field late in the game. Virginia totaled four tackles for loss, but tackling was otherwise a significant issue for the Cavaliers.

Overall Defense: D

Special Teams: A
Will Bettridge made both of his chip shot field goals. Daniel Sparks punted four times for an average of 44.8 yards, including one that went 60 yards. There were no big returns allowed and no massive miscues. Of all of the things that went poorly for the Cavaliers on Saturday, special teams were not one of them.

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