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UVA Football: Sanker Wins Third ACC Defensive Back of the Week Award

Matt Newton

Virginia Athletics
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For the third time this season, Virginia safety Jonas Sanker has been named the ACC Defensive Back of the Week, as announced by the Atlantic Coast Conference on Monday (November 11). Sanker becomes just the second Cavalier defensive back in program history to earn three conference player of the week awards in a single season, joining Jamie Sharper, who did so in the 1996 season.

Sanker recorded five total tackles, four of which were solo stops, two tackles for loss, and an interception in Virginia's 24-19 upset victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday night. He wins this award largely because of a sequence of three plays in the third quarter. With Pitt driving to extend its lead, Sanker tackled Desmond Reid for a loss of two yards on 3rd and 2 to force a field goal. Sanker then blocked that 45-yard field goal attempt by Ben Sauls to keep it a 13-7 game. Virginia proceeded to score a touchdown on its next drive to take the lead. Then, on Pitt's next offensive snap, Sanker intercepted a deep ball from Nate Yarnell and returned it 45 yards to the Pitt 20-yard line. That set up another UVA touchdown four plays later to give the Cavaliers a 21-13 lead.

In the span of just a few minutes, Sanker delivered what was essentially a 17-point swing that entirely turned the tides of the game in favor of the Wahoos, who went on to win the game and snap a three-game losing streak.

The blocked field goal was the first for Virginia since the 2021 season. Behind Sanker's efforts on the defensive side of the ball, UVA held a Pitt offense that came into the game averaging nearly 39 points per game (10th in FBS) to just 19 points, second-fewest in a game this season. For the season, Sanker ranks seventh in the ACC with 69 total tackles and is tied for the league lead in unassisted tackles with 47 solo stops.

Earlier this season, Sanker became the first UVA defensive back to win this award in back-to-back weeks since Quin Blanding did so in weeks 6 and 7 of the 2017 season. So far this year, Virginia has had four ACC player of the Week awards, as Sanker won ACC Defensive Back of the Week three times and Noah Josey was named the ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week for his performance in week 4 against Coastal Carolina.

See the ACC Football Team of the Week for week 11 below:

Week 11 ACC Football Players of the Week
Quarterback of the Week – Fernando Mendoza, Cal
Running Back of the Week – Kye Robichaux, Boston College
Offensive Receiver of the Week – Oronde Gadsen II, Syracuse
Offensive Lineman of the Week – Jordan Williams, Georgia Tech
Defensive Lineman of the Week – Xavier Carlton, Cal
Linebacker of the Week – Sammy Brown, Clemson
Defensive Back of the Week – Jonas Sanker, Virginia
Specialist of the Week – Ryan Coe, Cal
Rookie of the Week – Sammy Brown, Clemson

Up next, Sanker will lead the Cavaliers against No. 10 Notre Dame on Saturday at 3:30pm at Notre Dame Stadium on NBC.

More Virginia Football News

Virginia Football: ACC Football Week 12 Power Rankings

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

By the Numbers: Breaking Down Virginia's Win Over Pittsburgh

Five Takeaways from Virginia Football's 24-19 Upset over Pittsburgh

Virginia Football Claws Back to Upset Pittsburgh on the Road 24-19

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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.