Virginia Visits No. 25 BYU on Saturday NightVirginia Visits No. 25 BYU on Saturday Night

Virginia Visits No. 25 BYU on Saturday Night

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (6-2, 4-2 ACC) will play its final non-conference road game when it travels to No. 25 BYU (6-2) on Saturday night (Oct. 30). The game is scheduled to kick off on ESPN2 at 10:15 EST.

GAME COVERAGE: In addition to the ESPN2 broadcast, fans can stream the game live on ESPN.com or the ESPN app. The contest can be heard on Virginia Sports Radio Networks around the commonwealth and live on VirginiaSports.com. A list of stations can be found here. Fans can follow along via live stats and the Virginia Mobile app and get in-game updates on the team’s official twitter account, @UVAFootball.

OPENING KICK

  • Virginia is currently riding a four-game win streak, all against ACC opponents. UVA is one of 15 teams in the country and with win streak of four or more games.
  • Virginia is looking to win five-straight games for the first time since 2007.
  • UVA and BYU have each won 10 of their last 13 games coming into Saturday’s contest. Only 18 teams nationally have 10 wins in the last 13 games.
  • Saturday will be UVA’s sixth night game of the season. Virginia is 3-2 in night games this season.
  • For the second-straight week, Virginia is receiving votes (9) in AP poll, the Cavaliers have not been inside the top-25 since the 2019 season.
  • BYU will be the second ranked opponent for Virginia this season (No. 21 North Carolina). Virginia’s last road win against a ranked opponent came in 2011, a 14-13 win over then No. 23 Florida State.
  • The final four games of Virginia’s regular season feature three teams that are currently ranked in AP Top 25 – No. 25 BYU, No. 11 Notre Dame and No. 17 Pitt.
  • Virginia’s four-game win streak includes back-to-back road wins at Miami and Louisville. The Cavaliers have not won three consecutive road games in the same season since the 2011 (d. Miami, 28-21; d. Maryland, 31-13; d. Florida State, 14-13)
  • Virginia is bowl eligible for the fifth time in six seasons thanks to a 40-48 win over Georgia Tech last Saturday at Scott Stadium. Bronco Mendenhall has been eligible for a bowl in 15 of his 16 years as a head coach and five of six at Virginia.

AGAINST BYU

  • Virginia and BYU will meet for the first time since 2014 in Provo when Bronco Mendenhall was the head coach.
  • The Cavaliers hold a 3-2 edge in the all-time series that includes a 22-16 win in the All-American Bowl in 1987. The All-American Bowl was the second bowl game Virginia had ever played in and took place in Birmingham, Ala.
  • Saturday will be third time Virginia has played BYU in Provo.
  • Mendenhall has never faced off against his old school and the two programs are scheduled to meet in Charlottesville on Sept. 9, 2023.
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BRENNAN ARMSTRONG NUMBERS

  • Quarterback Brennan Armstrong comes into the weekend as the nation’s leader in passing yards with 3,220. The total is already the second-most in a single season in UVA history.
  • Armstrong has thrown for 300 or more yards seven times and 400 yards four times in eight games this season. Prior to this year a UVA quarterback hadn’t thrown for 300 yards more than four times (Matt Schuab and Bryce Perkins) in the same season and thrown for 400 yards twice in the same season.
  • Armstrong has thrown for 300 yards in three-straight games for the second time this season. No quarterback at UVA had ever thrown for 300-yards in three-straight games prior to this season.
  • Nationally, Armstrong ranks second in total offense (424.6), second in passing yards per game (402.5), third in points responsible for (170), fourth in completions per game (29.9) and fifth in passing TDs (23).
  • There have been 25, 400-yard passing performances across FBS this season, Armstrong owns four of them. Tops on the list is his school-record, 554-yard game against North Carolina.
  • Armstrong has accumulated 3,397 yards of total offense this season, the most in the country and the third-highest total in a single-season in school history.

Brennan Armstrong vs. Power-5 QB Passing Leaders

Games Yards Diff TD Diff
ACC Brennan Armstrong 8 3220   23  
SEC Will Rogers, Mississippi State 7 2546 -674 18 -5
Big Ten Adrian Martinez, Nebraska 8 1995 -1225 10 -13
Pac-12 Kedon Slovis, USC 7 1818 -1402 9 -14
Big 12 Jarret Doege, West Virginia 7 1701 -1519 8 -15

Armstrong vs. the ACC Greats

Pl. Player, School Cl. Year G Cm-Att TD Yards
1. Deshaun Watson, Clemson Jr. 2016 15 388-579 41 4,593
2. Matt Ryan, Boston College Sr. 2007 14 388-654 31 4,507
3. Philip Rivers, NC State Sr. 2003 13 348-483 34 4,491
4. Chris Weinke, Florida State Sr. 2000 12 266-431 33 4,167
5. Deshaun Watson, Clemson So. 2015 15 333-491 35 4,104
6. Jameis Winston, Florida State Fr. 2013 14 257-384 40 4,057
7. Mike Glennon, NC State Sr. 2012 13 330-564 31 4,031
8. Ryan Finley, NC State Gr. 2018 13 326-484 25 3,928
9. Jameis Winston, Florida State So. 2014 13 305-467 25 3,907
10. Tajh Boyd, Clemson Jr. 2012 13 287-427 36 3,896
Brennan Armstrong Jr. 2021 8 239-372 23 3,220

OFFENSE

  • Virginia comes into Saturday’s game with the most passing yards (3,237), the most yards of total offense (4,319) and the most first downs (221) in the country.
  • UVA ranks second in passing yards per game (402.5) and fourth total yards of offense per game (539.9).
  • Virginia has amassed 500 yards of total offense in all but one game this season (449 vs. Miami) and is one of five power-5 schools in the country averaging over 500 yards of total offense per game.
  • Against Georgia Tech, Virginia accounted for 636 yards of total offense the sixth-most in a single game in program history and the most since 643 yards against Duke in 2010.
  • UVA has scored a total of 58 points in the first half over the past two weeks (34 vs. UNC; 24 vs. Georgia Tech)
  • Virginia rushed for 240 yards against Georgia Tech, its second highest total of the season and the most in an ACC contest since 262 against Boston College last season.
  • Virginia matched its season-high of 48 points against Georgia Tech on Oct. 23, the fourth time this season UVA has eclipsed the 40-point mark. Virginia has and nine season in which it has scored 40 or more point four times in the same season (1994, 1999, 1992, 1990 (5), 1989, 1968 (5), 1914, 1896, 1894).

THE CAVALIER TARGETS

  • Virginia has four wide receivers in the ACC’s top-10 in receiving yards – Dontayvion Wicks (1st – 847), Keytaon Thompson (6th – 572), Billy Kemp (9th – 481) and Ra’Shaun Henry (11th – 457).
  • Virginia has five players with 350 yards or more receiving, no other FBS school has four.
  • Wicks earned his second-straight ACC Wide Receiver of the Week award on Oct. 25 after catching six passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns. His 77-yard catch and run in the second quarter against Georgia Tech was the longest play from scrimmage for UVA in 2021. Wicks is the first UVA wideout since Herman Moore in 1990 to win back-to-back ACC Wide Receiver Week honors.
  • Wicks is tops in the ACC and fifth in the country with 22.29 yards per reception. His 847 yards receiving are the most in the ACC and the sixth most in NCAA. Wicks has hauled in eight touchdowns on the year, second most in the conference and tied for fifth most among FBS receivers.

Single Season Receiving Yards at UVA

5. Germane Crowell (1997) 969
6. Kris Burd (2011) 913
7. Olamide Zaccheaus (2017) 895
8. Billy McMullen (2002) 894
9. Terrell Jana (2019) 886
10. John Ford (1987) 855
11. Herman Moore (1989) 848
12. Dontayvion Wicks (2021) 847

 

NOTING THE DEFENSE

  • The Virginia defense features two of the top nine tacklers in the ACC, Nick Jackson (3rd – 8.8 TPG) and Joey Blount (9th – 8.1 TPG). Jackson, a preseason All-ACC selection, has made 70 stops in eight games and Blount has 57 tackles in seven games. Blount’s 5.4 solo tackles per game are the most in the ACC.
  • Three of Virginia’s five interceptions on the season have come in the last two games.
  • Joey Blount has back-to-back games with an interception and his eight career interceptions are tied for the 12th most among active FBS defenders.
  • Virginia intercepted two passes against Duke, the first multi-interception game of the season and first since picking off five against Duke in the 2020 season opener. It was the first time this season that the Blue Devils had thrown multiple interceptions.
  • Nick Jackson made a game-high 11 tackles against Duke, the fourth time this season he has registered double-digit tackles this season. He also recorded a sack and a career-high four tackles for loss. The four tackles for loss were the most since Charles Snowden made four stops in the backfield against North Carolina last season.
  • Nick Grant has seven pass breakups in seven games played, tied for the most in the ACC.

SPECIAL TEAMS

  • Kicker Brendan Farrell has made four- straight field goals including tries of 24 and 26 yards against Georgia Tech. His only miss on the season was from 55 yards against Louisville which would have been the third longest field goal in program history.
  • Farrell is 8-for-8 on field goals from 43 yards and 19-for-19 on extra point tries this season. His 43 total points scored rank 19th in the ACC and are second to Dontayvion Wicks’ 48 for the team lead.
  • Farrell has accumulated 28 touchbacks since taking over the kicking responsibilities beginning in the second half of the Wake Forest game. The 44 touchbacks between Justin Duenkel and Farrell are tied with Arkansas for the most in the country.
  • Farrell was chosen to “Break the Rock” after the 48-0 win over Duke. He’s the first kicker since Brian Delaney in 2018 to swing the sledgehammer.
  • Virginia is tied for fourth in the nation in kick return defense, allowing 14.0 yards per kick return.
  • Punter Jacob Finn is averaging 45.6 yards on 26 total punts which currently the second-best season average of any punter in school history.

UVA single-season Punting Averages

Rank Player Punts Punt Avg.
1. Russ Henderson (1976) 69 45.9
2. Jacob Finn (2021) 26 45.6
3. Ryan Weigand 52 45.2
4. Nicholas Conte (2015) 52 44.7
5. Nicholas Conte (2016) 74 44.3