Virginia Returns Home to Host Miami on Saturday

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (3-4, 1-3 ACC) commences a four-game homestand on Saturday (Oct. 29) when it hosts Miami (3-4, 1-2 ACC) at Scott Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast ACC Regional Networks as well as the Virginia Sports Radio Network.

GAME COVERAGE: Saturday’s contest will air local in Charlottesville on MASN. For a complete list of Regional Sports Networks scheduled to carry the game visit: https://theacc.com/sports/2022/10/19/FB_RSN_MIA_UVA_22.aspx. The pregame radio show on the Virginia Sports Radio Network will begin at 11:30 a.m. Fans can listen to the game on the Virginia Sports App, the TuneIn App and any one of the VSRN affiliates across the commonwealth. For a list of expanded coverage visit: virginiasports.com/radio

INSIDE SATURDAY’S MATCHUP

• Virginia will be home for four-straight weekends and not leave the Commonwealth for the remainder of the 2022 regular season.
• UVA last played four-straight home games in 2020 but has only played on four-consecutive Saturdays at Scott Stadium during the 1951 and 1970 seasons.
• The Cavaliers are 2-1 at home this season and own a 23-6 record at Scott Stadium since 2018. The 23 home wins are the third most in the ACC behind Clemson (30) and NC State (26) and the most of any ACC Coastal Division school in the last five years.
• After visiting Miami in each of the last three seasons, Virginia will host the Hurricanes for the first time since 2018. The Cavaliers upset a then-No. 16 Miami team with a 16-13 victory in that contest, the first win over a ranked opponent at home since 2014.
• Virginia has won four of the last five meetings against Miami at Scott Stadium.
• Miami and Virginia are two of the top teams in the country in getting after the quarterback. The Hurricanes are averaging 3.43 sacks per game, second most in the ACC and eighth most in the country. The Cavaliers rank third in the ACC and 11^th most in the country with 3.29 sacks per game.

TOP STORYLINES

• Saturday’s contest is crucial for both teams to keep their Coastal Division title hopes alive. UVA and Miami are two of the four Coastal teams with one win. The Cavaliers have first-place North Carolina on deck next weekend.
• After becoming UVA’s all-time leader in career touchdowns last week against Georgia Tech, Brennan Armstrong has his sights set on the ACC record books. The southpaw sits 376 yards away from 10,000 yards of total offense for his career. Only 14 players in league history have reached 10,000 yards in their careers.
• The Virginia defense is coming off one of the most dominant efforts in the last decade. The Cavaliers yielded only 202 yards of total offense (146 pass/56 rush) against Georgia Tech, the fewest against an ACC/FBS opponent since 2013.
• In addition, the Cavaliers accumulated eight sacks, the second-most ever in a game in program history and the most since setting the school record with nine against Duke in 2006. UVA has recorded eight sacks in a game, four times, most recently in 1996 against Wake Forest.

DEFINING THE WIN IN ATLANTA

• The 16-9 win over Georgia Tech last Thursday was the first of Fralin Family Head Coach Tony Elliott’s career.
• The Cavaliers registered their first win in Atlanta since the 2008 season.
• Virginia snapped a five-game road losing streak, its first win away from Scott Stadium since winning 34-33 in Louisville last season.
• UVA improved to 31-33 coming off a bye and was the first road win after a bye week since defeating NC State, 33-6 in 2012.

CHICO x 2

• Playing the Cavaliers’ bandit position, senior Chico Bennett Jr. was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time on Monday (Oct. 24). Bennett, a Georgia Tech transfer, had a huge day in his homecoming on the Flats, recording a career-high seven tackles and putting forth his second, multi-sack effort of the season.
• Bennett sits atop the ACC leaders in sacks with six on the season and his 0.86 sacks per game are tied for the 18^th best in the country.
• Bennett is the ninth Cavalier defensive lineman to win the award twice in the same season. The list includes: Mandy Alonso (2021), Matt Conrath (2011), Nate Collins (2009), Chris Long (2007), Patrick Kerney (1998), Mark Kirchbaum (1993), Chris Slade (1991) and Ron Mattes (3x in 1984).
• Through only seven games, Bennett’s six sacks are the most by a Cavalier since Charles Snowden had six in his 2020 campaign.

NUMBERS TO KNOW

376 – Yards Brennan Armstrong needs to reach 10,000 yards of total offense in his career. Only 14 ACC players have reached the 10,000-yard plateau.

6 – Wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks has 12 career touchdown catches, six of which have gone for 40+ yards including a 44-yard catch and run against GT last Thursday.

8 – Virginia is one of seven schools nationally to record 8 or more sacks in a game this season.

11 – Cornerback Anthony Johnson leads the ACC and is tied for fourth in the country with 11 total passes defended (pass breakups + interceptions).

LAST YEAR VS. MIAMI

• The Cavaliers escaped with a 30-28 victory after the Hurricanes missed a 28-yard field goal as time expired.
• Virginia snapped a five-game road losing streak in last year’s meeting against the Hurricanes. The victory at Hard Rock Stadium was Virginia’s first since 2011. The Cavaliers had dropped six-straight games in the facility, including the 2019 Orange Bowl (to Florida).
• Dontayvion Wicks, had only two receptions, but one turned out to be one of the most memorable of the college football season. In third quarter, on second-and-17 from the Miami 37, Armstrong threw a long pass to the end zone that was nearly intercepted. As the defensive back came down with the ball, however, it came loose and landed on Wicks’ back. As Wicks rolled over, the ball popped up, and he grabbed it for an unforgettable touchdown.
• The game served as a homecoming for defensive end Mandy Alonso who had career-highs sacks (2) and tackles for losses (3). He made the tackle on the first quarter safety. He went on to earn ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week.
• Last year’s meeting was the only game of the season in which Armstrong did not amass 300 yards passing. He completed 25 of 44 passes for 268 yards and one TD. He was intercepted once, a turnover that Miami quickly turned into a touchdown.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS

• Wide receivers Keytaon Thompson and Billy Kemp IV are on pace to go down as statistically two of the top-10 receivers in UVA history.
• Thompson entered UVA’s top-15 in career receiving yards last week against Georgia Tech with 89 yards on a team-best seven catches. He needs 78 yards to pass Heath Miller for the 10th-most receiving yards in school history.
• Kemp was held without a catch against the Yellow Jackets but sits just 13 yards shy of Miller.
• Thompson and Kemp are also among the program’s top-10 in receptions. Thompson has 133 career catches at UVA, the ninth-most in program history. Kemp ranks fourth all-time with 181 receptions and looking to become only the third Cavalier with 200 career receptions.

*Does not include 8 receiving yards at Miss. St.

• Thompson and Kemp are also among the program’s top-15 in receptions. Thompson has 126 career catches at UVA and can enter UVA’s top-10 with four more receptions. Kemp ranks fourth all-time with 181 receptions and looking to become only the third Cavalier with 200 career receptions

THROUGH THE AIR & ON THE GROUND

• Brennan Armstrong has rushed for a touchdown in three-straight games for the second-straight time in his career. He has never run for a TD in four-consecutive games.
• Armstrong’s 18 career rushing touchdowns are the fifth-most by a UVA quarterback and one shy of Bob Davis’ 19 from 1962-64.
• Armstrong’s 313 yards passing against Louisville were a season-high. It also marked the 12th time in his career he’s eclipsed the 300-yard mark in a game, a program record. One more 300-yard effort and he will move into a tie for the sixth most in ACC history.

300 yard Passing Games – ACC History

THOMPSON’S CONSISTENCY

• Wide receiver Keytaon Thompson has led the Cavaliers in receptions for the last six games. He has caught five or more passes in 11 of his last 13 games.
• Thompson’s team-best, nine catches against Louisville marked the eighth time in his career and second time this season he’s caught nine or more passes.
• Thompson has caught a pass in 21-straight games dating back to the 2020 season, the longest active streak on the team.
• According to Pro Football Focus, Thompson is one of three ACC wide receivers with 200 or more yards after the catch.

BIG PLAY POTENTIAL

• Lavel Davis Jr. ranks second in the ACC and 8th in the country with a 21.60 yards per catch average. Of his 35 career catches, 17 have gone for 20 or more yards.
• Wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks has two touchdowns this season both have gone for 40+ yards. Of his 12 career touchdown receptions, six have been 40+ yard scores.
• Since 2000, Wicks has the most plays of 20 or more yards than any UVA wide receiver with 34. His 2021 campaign included 27 plays of 20 or more yards, the most in a single season by any UVA wideout since 2000.

Most Catches of 20 or more Yards at UVA (Since 2000)

HOMETOWN KID

• Playing in his hometown for the first time in his career last week against Georgia Tech, Nick Jackson led UVA with eight tackles, recorded a career high two sacks and recovered the first fumble of his career.
• Jackson is on pace for his third-consecutive 100-tackle season with 70 through seven games. He’s recorded double-digit tackle efforts in four of the seven games this season, including a 10-tackle performance in just one half against Duke. The senior linebacker was forced to sit out the first half against the Blue Devils due to a targeting call against Syracuse in the week prior. The first-half suspension halted his streak of 27-straight starts at linebacker for the Hoos.
• Jackson has 18 double-digit tackle efforts over the course of his four years at UVA.

UVA Career Tackle Leaders (10-15)

LOCKDOWN CORNERS

• Cornerbacks Anthony Johnson and Fentrell Cypress rank fifth and eighth in the country in passes defended per game, respectively.
• With two interceptions and nine pass breakups, Johnson has 11 passes defended, good for 1.6 per game.
• On the other side of the field Cypress has nine pass breakups in six games played, an average of 1.5 passes defended per game.

DOMINANT DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE

• UVA defense did not allow a first down in the third quarter and held Georgia Tech to 14 total yards in the third quarter on four drives (all 3-and-outs). It forced the Yellow Jackets to go 3-and-out on its first six possessions of the second half.
• The Georgia Tech offense did not score in the second half, the first time a UVA opponent was held scoreless in the second half since blanking Duke in the final 30 minutes last season.