Virginia Storms Past Spiders in Season Opener, 34-13

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Mother Nature did not deter the Virginia Cavaliers (1-0) in their season opener Saturday night. With UVA leading 20-7 late in the second quarter, a powerful thunderstorm halted the game for 2 hours and 18 minutes at Scott Stadium. Once play resumed, the Wahoos avoided major letdowns and pulled away for a 34-13 victory over visiting Richmond (0-1).

It was UVA Strong Day at Scott Stadium, and commemorated before the game were Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry, the Cavalier football players who were shot and killed in November 2022 after returning to Grounds from a class field trip.

On a hot, humid evening, UVA dominated the Spiders from the start. After the Cavaliers’ defense forced a three-and-out on the game’s first possession, their offense immediately asserted itself.

In his seventh career start, sophomore quarterback Anthony Colandrea ran for 35 yards on Virginia’s first play from scrimmage. Two plays later, Colandrea hit wide receiver Trell Harris, a transfer from Kent State, with a 35-yard touchdown pass, and the Hoos rarely let up the rest of the way.

“Now you’ve got a picture of what it looks like,” third-year head coach Tony Elliott told his players in the locker room after the game.

UVA’s offense totaled 497 yards, and its defense allowed only 257. Seventy-five of the Spiders’ yards came on their lone touchdown drive, which made it 20-7 with 4:48 left in the second quarter. With a storm approaching, the game was stopped moments later, and the teams returned to their locker rooms.

Colandrea finished 17-of-23 passing for 297 yards and two touchdowns, and he rushed 11 times for 49 yards and another score. His second TD pass was to reserve tailback Jack Griese, who raced down the right sideline to complete a 57-yard play on Virginia’s third possession.

Big plays fueled the Cavaliers’ offense. Senior wideout Malachi Fields, who nabbed his first career 100-receiving yard game, had a 41-yard catch on which he laid out for the ball, and senior tailback Kobe Pace had a 52-yard reception. Pace also had a 43-yard run and finished with a game-high 93 yards on 11 carries.

Virginia’s final points came with 8:31 left in the third quarter. Colandrea capped a 75-yard drive with a seven-yard run on a quarterback draw, and junior Will Bettridge added the extra point to make it 34-7.

Virginia safeties Jonas Sanker and Antonio Clary tied for a game-high eight tackles, including a combined 2.0 for loss.

Bettridge was 4-for-4 on extra points and 2-for-3 on field goals. Overall, Virginia’s special teams shined. Daniel Sparks averaged 54.5 points on his two punts, and five of his seven kickoffs went for touchbacks. Xavier Brown totaled 58 yards on his two kickoff returns.

UP NEXT
In the ACC opener for both teams, UVA (1-0) will meet Wake Forest (1-0) next Saturday (Sept. 7) in Winston-Salem, N.C. The game will air on ESPN2 at 7 p.m.

The Cavaliers, who lead the series 34-17, have lost five straight to the Demon Deacons. Virginia’s most recent win over Wake came in 2007.

Wake opened the season Thursday night with a 45-13 win over North Carolina A&T.

Virginia Team Notes 

• UVA has won seven of its last eight season openers and owns an 86-40-9 (.670) all-time record in season-opening games
• The Cavaliers are 80-21-7 (.773) all-time in home season openers and have won 23 of their last 28 season openers in Scott Stadium
• Virginia improves to 31-3-2 all-time against Richmond have won 13 of the last 14 meetings. 
• Virginia’s first completed pass of the season went for a touchdown, a 35-yard completion from Anthony Colandrea to Trell Harris. It marked the first time in 135-year history of Virginia football that the first completed pass of the season went for a touchdown. 
• The 497 yards of total offense by Virginia was the most in a game since posting 513 against Old Dominion on Sept. 16, 2022.
• It was the first time UVA scored on its first completed pass in a game since 2018 when Bryce Perkins found Olamide Zaccheaus for 86-yard strike against Ohio (Sept. 15).

Virginia Individual Player Notes 

• On UVA’s first drive of the game, Trell Harris notched his first touchdown reception as a Cavalier on a 35-yard completion from Colandrea. It was Harris’ third touchdown of his career, he had one in each of his first two years at Kent State.
• Jack Griese notched his second career touchdown (first receiving) on a 57-yard reception late in the first quarter … It was the fourth reception of his career and the longest reception of his career.
• Malachi Fields first career 100-yard receiving effort. His previous career-high was 89 yards against Virginia Tech last season. A Cavalier has recorded a 100-yard receiving performance in Eight-straight games dating back to last season.
• Kobe Pace career-high is 191 yards against Wake Forest (at Clemson) in 2021. He has two career 100-yard games, both came at Clemson.
• Anthony Colandrea accounted for 346 yards of total offense (297 pass, 49 rush), the second-highest total of his career (403 vs. Louisville in 2023). His three total touchdowns (2 pass, 1 rush) matched a career-best. He recorded his first career rushing touchdown with a seven-yard keeper with 8:31 left in the third quarter.
• Jason Hammond III made his first college start at defensive tackle. First years Ethan Minter and Billy Koudelka made their collegiate debuts.