No. 21 UVA Hosts In-State Foe Old Dominion on Saturday Night for Youth Day

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Virginia hosts Old Dominion Saturday Night
• The Virginia Cavaliers host the Old Dominion Monarchs on Saturday night at Scott Stadium for Youth Day.

Virginia vs. ODU, Conference USA
• On Saturday night Virginia and Old Dominion will meet for the first time in football. ODU joined the FBS ranks in 2014 after starting its program in 2009.
• Virginia holds a 1-3 all-time record vs. teams from Conference USA. The Cavaliers defeated former member East Carolina in 2008 after falling to the Pirates in 2006. UVA also lost both its matchups with Southern Miss (2009, 2011).
• UVA is also 1-3 all-time against current members of Conference USA with a loss to Louisiana Tech and a win at Middle Tennessee. Teams from C-USA include: UAB, FAU, FIU, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Middle Tennessee State, Charlotte, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice, Southern Mississippi, UTEP, UTSA and Western Kentucky.

Five Top Storylines
• Virginia is playing its fourth night game of 2019. It marks the first time in program history in which UVA opened a season with four-straight night games. The Cavaliers are 62-47-1 all-time in night games, including 38-18-1 at Scott Stadium. Under Bronco Mendenhall, UVA is 6-4 in night contests. 
• Virginia and Old Dominion are meeting for the first time in program history. There are 10 Division I football teams in the Commonwealth of Virginia and after Saturday UVA will have faced seven of them. 
• ILB Jordan Mack leads the nation’s linebackers with 4.0 sacks (No. 8 overall). He has at least 0.5 sacks in five-straight games dating back to the 2018 Virginia Tech game. He has 6.0 sacks during his current streak. Mack is one of two active FBS players (only linebacker) to have an active streak of five games with at least 0.5 sacks. Ohio State’s defensive lineman Chase Young also has a five-game streak with a total of 9.0 sacks over OSU’s last five games.
• TB Wayne Taulapapa leads the ACC with four rushing touchdowns, which ranks No. 8 nationally. 
• WR Hasise Dubois and WR Joe Reed are on the verge of becoming the 40th and 41st Cavaliers in program history to record 1,000 career receiving yards. Dubois needs 33 receiving yards and Reed needs 39 receiving yards to reach the 1,000-yard career receiving yard  plateau. 

Virginia Moves Up in the Rankings
• Virginia comes in this week at No. 21 in the Associated Press poll. It is the third week under Bronco Mendenhall the Cavaliers have been ranked by the AP and the second week this season. UVA was ranked No. 25 last week. Last year UVA came in at No. 23 during week No. 10 of the season.
• It is the first time since 2005 that UVA has been ranked by the Associated Press in the month of September.
• It is UVA’s highest AP ranking since 2007 when the Cavaliers entered their Gator Bowl matchup with Texas Tech at No. 21 as well.
• For the first time this season UVA cracked the USA Today Coaches Poll this week at No. 22. It is the first time UVA has appeared in the coaches poll since week No. 10 last year when the Cavaliers also came in at No. 22.

Perkins’ Second Half aGainst Florida State Aids the Cause
• QB Bryce Perkins was precision in the second half against Florida State as the Cavaliers were trailing the Seminoles, 14-10, at the half. 
• Perkins started the second half connecting on 16-straight passes, two short of tying the UVA record (18 by Michael Rocco vs. Miami, 2012). In the second half he was 17-of-19 passing for 156 yards and one touchdown. 
• Perkins also scored the crucial two-point conversion with his feet to put UVA up 31-24 with 2:34 left to play. Perkins had been flushed as far back as the 15 yardline before scrambling and scampering into the end zone. 

Virginia Owned the Clock in Second Half against Florida State
• Virginia only had three offensive drives in the second half against Florida State and they ended in punt, touchdown, touchdown and touchdown.
• Of the 30 possible minutes of play in the second half, UVA held possession for 19:12 of it. 
• Overall, UVA held possession of the ball against the Seminoles for 39:44, which is the fifth-longest time of possession advantage UVA has had in program history. Four of the Top 10 games of longest TOP have come in the Bronco Mendenhall era at UVA.
• UVA is No. 1 in the ACC and No. 4 in the nation in time of possession, averaging possession 36:53 per game.

Cavalier Offense Grinds in the Fourth Quarter vs. FSU
• Virginia had three offensive drives that resulted in touchdowns in the fourth quarter against Florida State.
• Over those three offensive drives the Cavaliers amassed 222 yards of total offense on 28 plays (7.9 yards per play). UVA tallied two 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drives, followed by a six-play, 72-yard touchdown drive that proved to be the game-winning score.

Perkins Rushing on Third and Fourth Down
• QB Bryce Perkins is a perfect 6-of-6 this season picking up a first down when rushing on third or fourth down. He is 5-of-5 on third down rushing for a first down and 1-of-1 on fourth down rushing for a first down.

UVA Continues to Click on third down
• Virginia is No. 2 in the ACC and No. 19 in the nation in third-down conversion percentage (51.2) after three weeks. 
• The Cavaliers are continuing their success from 2018 when UVA was No. 1 in the ACC and No. 6 in the nation in third-down conversion percentage (49.1).
• The 2018 season and so far the 2019 campaign are vast improvements from 2017 when the Cavaliers were No. 8 in the ACC and No. 74 in the nation at 39.2 percent.

Virginia Defense Capturing the Sack
• The Virginia defense is tied for No. 1 in the ACC (Clemson) and tied for No. 2 in the nation (Clemson, Ohio State) in sacks with 14. 
• Since 2000, UVA’s 14 sacks through the first three games is the most by a Cavalier team. Last year UVA only had five sacks through three games.