Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site
Open Search
Football
. Football

Virginia Runs Past Richmond 42-13

VIDEO: Bronco Mendenhall Postgame | Box Score | VIDEO: Game Highlights | Postgame Notes | Photo Gallery | Postgame Quotes | Boxscore

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (1-0) scored four unanswered touchdowns to break open the game and held Richmond (0-1) to 203 total yards on offense in the Cavaliers’ 42-13 win to open the 2018 season on Saturday night at Scott Stadium.
 
Using a pick-six and field goal, Richmond grabbed a 10-7 advantage with 6:26 to play in the first quarter. The Cavaliers would go on to score four-straight touchdowns, holding the Spiders scoreless for 33:34 over three quarters to take a 35-10 lead. UVA totaled 520 yards on offense, with 333 rushing yards.
 
UVA quarterback Bryce Perkins (Queen Creek, Ariz.) threw for 181 yards and had 104 yards rushing with two passing and two rushing touchdowns. Running back Jordan Ellis (Suwanee, Ga.) ran for a career-high 141 yards with two touchdowns.
 
WHERE IT TURNED
Virginia’s momentum shifted after Perkins ran for a 22-yard touchdown with 1:38 to go in the first quarter to take the 14-10 lead. Perkins then connected with Olamide Zaccheaus (Plainfield, N.J.) for a 38-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-10 with 12:20 to go in the first half. The Cavaliers closed out the half with a 28-10 lead after Ellis scored on a 10-yard run.
 

STAT LEADERS
• QB Bryce Perkins
Passing: 13-24, 185 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing: 108 yards, 2 TDs
 
• RB Jordan Ellis
20 carries, 147 yards, 2 TDs
 
• WR Olamide Zaccheaus
6 receptions, 101 yards, 1 TD
 
• CB Bryce Hall
6 tackles, 1.0 sacks, 1.0 TFL
 
NOTES
• With 301 rushing yards, UVA rushed for at least 200 yards in a game for the first time under head coach Bronco Mendenhall. The last time UVA rushed for at least 200 yards in a game was 2015 against Virginia Tech (262).
• First collegiate starts: LT Ryan Nelson, QB Bryce Perkins, NT Jordan Redmond, OLB Charles Snowden, CB Darrius Bratton.
• With the start today, NT Jordan Redmond becomes the first true freshman to start a season opener on the defensive line for UVA since 2002 when DE Kwakou Robinson started against Colorado State. He is only the fourth UVA freshman (true or redshirt) since 1986 to start a season opener on the defensive line. The others are DE Matt Conrath (RS-Fr., 2008 vs. USC) and NT Tim O’Conner (RS-Fr., 1986 vs. South Carolina).
• Bryce Perkins’ 36-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter is the longest rush by a UVA quarterback since Matt Johns’ 42-yard rush against Kent State in 2014. With two rushing touchdowns, Bryce Perkins became the first UVA quarterback to rush for two touchdowns in a game since Jameel Sewell at Southern Miss in 2009.
• With a career-high 146 rushing yards, Jordan Ellis became the 43rd player in program history to reach 1,000 career rushing yards. Ellis rushed for at least 100 yards for the second time in his career.  He rushed for 136 yards at North Carolina in 2017.
 
FROM THE LOCKER ROOM
“I was pleased with the victory. Game one I think is always important for your team and for your season. Camp was four weeks and to now have a return on their investment I think is always motivating and necessary. We have worked hard to reshape what we do offensively, that is still at the beginning stages, but I think you saw some of that direction with the combination of Jordan Ellis and Bryce Perkins and some on the throw game coming off of that. I think on defense we played consistently. Turnovers were effective and timely. I am pleased with the progress our program is making. I recognize we are still at the beginning of what this season will look like, this offense will look like, and this team. But there is a different poise, a different maturity, a different clarity and confidence certainly from two years ago or three years ago in our opener.”
 
UP NEXT
Virginia will play its first road game of 2018 at Indiana on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
 
 

Celebrate then Break the Rock JE

A post shared by Virginia Football (@uvafootball) on Sep 1, 2018 at 7:19pm PDT

Related Stories