The UVA Cavaliers began the Tony Elliott Era yesterday with a win over the Richmond Spiders to start the season. While the Cavs showed us they’ve got room for improvement, they hit their first big season goal which was to win the opener. The Cavs have now bested the Spiders in 30 of their 35 games against each other since 1893.
UVA-Richmond Recap: What Worked
Perris Jones. During Virginia’s fall camp, Coach Elliott was clear that Jones was the team’s leading man at RB. Jones is at the top of the Cavs’ depth chart and is largely responsible for establishing the team’s ground game this season. With 104 rushing yards, 14 receiving yards, and two scores yesterday, Jones proved he understands the assignment. Consistent performance like this is what the Cavs need in the coming weeks as others work to establish their own presence in the run game.
Brennan Armstrong returned as QB1 for the Cavs, leading and sometimes carrying the offense to victory. A 64-yard touchdown in the second quarter put the Cavs ahead 21-7 and broke the school’s all-time total yards record. Armstrong finished the game with 105 yards on 10 carries, further establishing himself as the anchor of the Cavaliers’ offense.
Lavel Davis Jr., back from an ACL injury that left him sidelined for all of 2021, proved he’s still got it with a major play for the Cavs on his first reception in the first quarter. McKale Boley, one of Virginia’s two true freshman starters for the moment, fulfilled his role at tackle well, and true freshman Xavier Brown made an impact at RB later in the game. All of these players should be beneficial for the Cavs as the season progresses if they play at least as well as they did yesterday.
Ultimately, the Cavs brought home a 34-17 win to kick off the season.
Related Article: UVA-Richmond Season Opener
UVA-Richmond Recap: What Needs Work
It is fair to say that Virginia met and maybe even exceeded expectations in terms of adaptation to a new coaching style for the team’s veteran players. But, the team needs to keep fine tuning their strategy and tightening the details Tony Elliott is so ardently focused on.
For example, two fumbles and an interception highlighted a pattern of sloppy decisions against the Spiders. On the first fumble by Mike Hollins, the Cavs got lucky as he recovered it himself. The second fumble by Dontayvion Wicks did not end so well, as it allowed Richmond a touchdown. Brennan Armstrong also threw a questionable pass which came to be a turnover for the Cavs.
The second half showed us an offense that struggled to find its groove early on. As a result, the Cavs didn’t score on their first three drives in the third quarter. And, while Brennan Armstrong is an exceptional player, too much reliance on him won’t deliver the kind of season the Cavs are hoping for. It’s not a sustainable solution, especially against tougher ACC teams.
Then there’s the defense. Once again the Cavs defense had trouble stopping the run, a lingering issue from 2021. The Cavs didn’t allow a lot of big plays so Richmond’s success on the ground was limited, but the Spiders got through the middle more times than they should have. The D-Line provided some redemption for the Cavs but the team has a long road ahead to look sharp in tougher matchups.
UVA-Richmond Recap: Hoos at the Sportsbooks
I talked about odds on this game in my preview article. As I said there, I bet that Virginia would win. I did not bet that the Cavs would cover the spread. That’s another W in the gambling column for me this season!
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Looking Forward
A win is a win. For a brand new head coach, winning the season opener is huge and the Cavs got it done yesterday.
In his postgame press conference Coach Elliott said, “So there’s gonna be a lot to clean up, but I think the guys having a chance to see themselves being successful in situations is just going to help us moving forward.” The same sentiments were echoed by coordinators Des Kitchings (O) and John Rudzinski (D), and by several players after the game as well.
The Cavs have a lot to work on, but they’ve already made progress in identifying their weak spots and displaying a determination to improve immediately. Next week the Cavs will go on the road to face a very physical Illinois. Illinois is likely to be a major challenge and a real test for the Cavs’ improvements on both sides of the ball.
Stay tuned for more Cavalier football news and predictions heading into week 2!
