UVa Returns Home to Host Ball State in Final Non-Conference Tilt

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Sept. 30, 2013

Virginia and Ball State Square Off For The First Time
• Virginia and Ball State will play for the first time in football on Saturday.
• Ball State, located in Muncie, Ind., is located 62 miles northwest of Indianapolis.
• The Cardinals are playing in the commonwealth of Virginia for second time in program history and for the first time since a 1975 victory at Richmond (25-14).
• Saturday’s game will be Ball State’s fifth all-time game against a team from the commonwealth of Virginia. Ball State has played James Madison (1997), Liberty (2010) and Richmond (1974, 1975).
Virginia Vs. The Mid-American Conference
• Virginia is 10-1-1 all-time against teams that currently represent the Mid-American Conference.
• UVa is 2-0 vs. Akron, 2-0 against Buffalo, 1-0 against Central Michigan, 1-0 against Eastern Michigan, 1-0-1 against Miami (Ohio), 1-0 against Ohio and 2-1 against Western Michigan.
• The Cavaliers have never faced the MAC’s Bowling Green, Kent State, Northern Illinois or Toledo.
• Virginia is scheduled to host Kent State on Sept. 27, 2014.

Virginia Steps Out Of ACC Play
• Virginia will play its final non-conference game this weekend; UVa is 2-1 thus far in non-league play.
• UVa has won its last six October non-conference games.
• Five of those wins came in Charlottesville; the lone road contest was a victory at Middle Tennessee in 2007.
• The Cavaliers’ last loss out of conference in October was Oct. 7, 2006, a 31-21 defeat at East Carolina.
• Virginia last played a non-conference game in October in 2011 when the Cavaliers beat Idaho, 21-20, in overtime.

UVa’s Defense Performing at a High Level
• Virginia’s defense has produced back-to-back efforts that resulted in limiting VMI (79) and Pitt (199) to less than 200 yards of total offense. UVa hasn’t accomplished that feat in back-to-back weeks since 1972.
• When the feat was last done in 1972, UVa held Vanderbilt to 188 total yards and VMI to 122 total yards.
• The Cavaliers are allowing only 139.0 yards per game over the last two games, including 49 total rushing yards (24.5 yards per game).
• UVa’s defense leads the nation with 8.5 three-and-outs per game. Its third-down defense ranks No. 5 nationally, allowing a .239 success rate by opponents.
• UVa is No. 8 nationally in passing yards allowed (152.8) and No. 4 in team passing efficiency defense (82.84).
• The Cavaliers are ranked No. 16 nationally in total defense (332.7). Excluding the Oregon game, UVa is allowing its opponents an average of 213.3 total yards per game and 2.97 yards per play.
• UVa is No. 10 nationally in sacks with 3.25 per game.
• UVa has registered at least three sacks in three of its four games.
• Virginia had seven sacks at Pitt, the most in a game by UVa since registering nine against Duke in 2006.
• DT Brent Urban had four tackles for a loss at Pitt, the most by a Cavalier since Chris Long had five at Maryland in 2007. The 4.0 tackles for a loss is tied for second-most in the nation this year.
• Urban is No. 1 in the nation among defensive linemen with 1.5 pass breakups per game. His mark is tied for No. 23 overall and tied with Texas Tech’s Terrance Bullitt (LB) for the most by a non-defensive back.
• Freshman OLB Max Valles made his first career start at Pitt and in his second career game collected 2.5 sacks.

Ball State Connections with Virginia
• Ball State defensive line coach Chad Wilt has enjoyed two stints at UVa. Wilt was first a graduate assistant for the Cavaliers in 2004 and 2005 during UVa’s MPC Computers Bowl and Music City Bowl teams.
• After three successful seasons at Liberty (2006-08), Wilt returned to Grounds as Al Groh’s defensive line coach for the 2009 season. During 2009 Wilt helped mentor current NFL players Nate Collins (Bears) and Matt Conrath (Rams). Collins was a first-team All-ACC honoree during his lone season under Wilt.
• Current UVa offensive line coach Scott Wachenheim coached with Wilt for three seasons at Liberty on then-coach Danny Rocco’s staff. Wachenheim was the offensive coordinator and Wilt was the special teams coordinator.
• Four other members of Ball State’s coaching staff have also spent time in the commonwealth of Virginia. Head coach Pete Lembo was an assistant for one season at Hampden-Sydney. Jay Bateman (DC/ILB) has spent time at Hampden-Sydney and Richmond. Justin Lustig (ST/RB) has spent time at Christopher Newport and Shannon Morrison (DBs) also coached at Hampden-Sydney.