UVA and VT Meet for the 100th Time on Friday in a Commonwealth Clash

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Cavaliers and Hokies Meet for the 100th time
• Virginia and Virginia Tech will play a nationally-televised game on Friday afternoon on ABC. 
• The winner of this game claims the Commonwealth Cup for the next year.
• The award was started for the 1996 game between the two state foes, with the Hokies receiving the trophy for the first time with a 26-9 win.
• The Cup is made of marble and cherry wood, stands four feet high and weighs more than 100 pounds.
• The scores of all 99 games in the rivalry are engraved on the sides of the trophy.

Commonwealth Clash Point On the Line 
• The Commonwealth Clash presented by Virginia529 is a head-to-head, points-based competition between the athletic teams at University of Virginia and Virginia Tech.  The Commonwealth Clash encourages a friendly, statewide rivalry between the two schools across all school-sponsored sports with 21 individual event points on the line.  The school that accumulates 11 points or more will be crowned the winner and take home the Virginia529 Commonwealth Clash trophy.  Visit www.TheCommonwealthClash.com for more information and updated standings.
• There is one point at stake on Friday in the Virginia529 Commonwealth Clash.

Five Top Storylines
•  Virginia and Virginia Tech are meeting for the 100th time in series history and for the 24th time in the last 27 years in the regular season finale for both teams. UNC (123) is the only team the Cavaliers have played more times than the Hokies.
• QB Bryce Perkins is responsible for 170 points (19 passing TDs, 9 rushing TDs & 1 Pass 2pt.) which ranks No. 1 in the ACC and No. 17 in the nation.
• This season Perkins has passed for 2,213 yards and rushed for 730 yards. In 2018, only Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray has also passed (3,310) for 2,200+ yards and rushed (739) for 700+ yards.
• SS Juan Thornhill is tied for No. 4 in the nation and No. 3 in the ACC with five interceptions. His 12 career interceptions are No. 2 among active FBS players (Jalen Young, FAU, 13) and he is tied for No. 7 all-time on the UVA career ledger.
• HB Olamide Zaccheaus, UVA’s all-time career reception leader, is climbing the ACC’s all-time reception list coming in at No. 10 with 334 career catches. Zaccheaus is also No. 3 among all active FBS players in career receptions, trailing Fresno State’s Keesean Johnson (260) and Duke’s T.J. Rahming (240).

Virginia-Virginia Tech Connections
• Virginia Tech cornerbacks coach Brian Mitchell spent 11 years at BYU as the cornerbacks coach from 1995-05. Mitchell was the cornerbacks coach on current UVA head coach Bronco Mendenhall’s first BYU team in 2005 after there two worked together in 2003 and 2004 when Mendenhall was BYU’s defensive coordinator and Mitchell was the cornerbacks coach.
• Mitchell is a 1995 graduate of BYU and played for the Cougars from 1987-90. He was teammates from 1988-90 with current UVA offensive line coach, Garett Tujague.
• Virginia Tech wide receivers coach Holman Wiggins was a wide receiver at New Mexico (1998-2001) while UVA head coach Bronco Mendenhall was an assistant coach. During Wiggins’ time with the Lobos, Mendenhall was New Mexico’s defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach.

Thornhill Climbs UVA Career Interceptions List
• SS Juan Thornhill has 12 career interceptions, which puts him in a four-way tie for No. 7 at UVA with Bryan Shumock, Joe Crocker and Anthony Poindexter.
• Chase Minnifield sits at No. 6 with 13 career interceptions.

Dubois Is “Clutch City” on Third Down
• WR Hasise Dubois has been one of Bryce Perkins’ main targets on third down, catching 15 passes on third down with 11 going for a first down and two for touchdowns.
• Overall, of Dubois’ 44 receptions 27 have gone for a first down and four for touchdowns.

Dubois In Midst of Breakout Season
• WR Hasise Dubois is enjoying a breakout season. He currently has 44 receptions for 463 yards and four touchdowns.
• Through the first six games of 2018 he had 26 receptions for 279 yards and two scores.  Those numbers already surpassed his combined career numbers from 2016 and 2017 entering this season.
• During his first two years on Grounds, he had 24 combined catches for 219 yards and one touchdown.
• He enters Saturday with 68 career receptions for 682 yards and five scores.

Perkins On Point When it is Third Down
• QB Bryce Perkins is 43-of-66 (65 percent) on third-down passing with 30 first downs and seven touchdowns.
• When its 3rd and middle (4-7 yards), Perkins is 13-of-14 (92.8) passing with 12 first downs and one touchdown.
• When its 3rd and long (8+ yards), Perkins is 27-of-45 (60.0) passing with 16 first downs and four touchdowns.
• With his legs, Perkins averages 8.0 yards per rush on third down and has tallied 14 first downs and four touchdowns.