Cavaliers Run Rampant at Coastal Carolina

CONWAY, S.C. — The Virginia Cavaliers’ visit to Coastal Carolina drew 22,1014 fans, a record for a football game at 20,000-seat Brooks Stadium.

By the fourth quarter, most of the fans who remained were wearing the Wahoos’ blue and orange. In the first-ever game between these programs, UVA jumped on Coastal early and never trailed en route to a 43-24 victory Saturday.

This is the Hoos’ third season under head coach Tony Elliott, and on a hot, humid afternoon they rushed for 384 yards on the Chanticleers’ teal artificial turf. Not since 1998, when the Cavaliers totaled 446 yards on the ground against San Jose State, had they rushed for more yards in a game.

On special teams, Will Bettridge was 3 for 3 on field goals, one of them a 47-yarder that tied his career high, and UVA’s defense forced two turnovers and stopped the Chanticleers (3-1) three times on fourth down.

Coastal, which had won 23 of its 27 previous home games, had yet to trail this season before Saturday. That changed moments into the game. Virginia’s Landon Danley forced a fumble on the opening kickoff, and teammate Eli Wood recovered.

Three plays later, quarterback Anthony Colandrea threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Malachi Fields, and the Hoos (3-1) had momentum they never relinquished.

Virginia led 27-10 at halftime and 37-17 after three quarters.

UVA didn’t turn the ball over and finished with 525 yards of offense. Xavier Brown rushed for 171 yards, the most by a UVA running back since 2018, on only nine carries, and No. 3 quarterback Grady Brosterhous rushed for two touchdowns. Fields led the Cavaliers with four receptions, two of which went for TDs.

On defense, safety Antonio Clary recorded a team-high eight tackles, intercepted one pass and broke up another. Linebackers Kam Robinson and James Jackson added seven tackles apiece, and defensive end Kam Butler had Virginia’s only sack.

UP NEXT: The Cavaliers, who are off the next weekend, don’t play again until Oct. 5, when they host ACC rival Boston College at Scott Stadium. The start time and broadcast information for that game is expected to be announced Monday.

BC took a 2-1 record into its non-conference game with visiting Michigan State late Saturday night. The Eagles, 1-0 in the ACC, are in their first season under head coach Bill O’Brien. BC is home in Chestnut Hill, Mass., next Saturday too, against Western Kentucky.

O’Brien was head coach at Penn State in 2012 when Virginia edged the Nittany Lions 17-16 at Scott Stadium.

The Hoos are 1-7 all-time against the Eagles.

Virginia Team Notes 

• Virginia and Coastal Carolina met for the first time. UVA improved to 6-4 all-time against current members of the Sun Belt Conference.
• Chanticleers were one of 43 unbeaten teams in FBS coming into the weekend.
• UVA rushed for 384 yards, the first time UVA eclipsed the 300-yard rushing mark since 2018 vs. Richmond. It was the most rushing yards in a game by a UVA offense since compiling 446 yards against San Jose State in 1998.
• Virginia’s 43 points were the most scored under Elliott and the most since scoring 49 against BYU in 2021.
• Virginia accumulated 525 yards of total offense (384 rush, 141 pass), the most in a game under Elliott and the most since racking up 588 against BYU in 2021. 
• UVA is 3-1 on the season, its best start under head coach Tony Elliott and its best start since 2019 (4-0). 
• Marks the fourth time in last 17 years (since 2008) Virginia has three or more wins through its first four games (2024 – 3-1; 2019 – 4-0; 2018 – 3-1; 2017 – 3-1).
• Virginia forced a season-high, three turnovers (two fumbles, one interception). It was the first time UVA forced three or more takeaways since forcing four against Boston College (4 – 2 fumbles, 2 interceptions). In addition, the Cavaliers forced a three of turnover on downs.
• UVA never trailed in the contest and took the lead 1:24 into the game.
• Second time in four games UVA scored on opening drive (Richmond – 3 plays, 77 yards). The scoring drive was UVA’s shortest in yardage (13 yards) of the season.
• Announced attendance at Brooks Stadium was 22,104, the largest crowd in facility history. It broke the previous record of 21,324 set against Marshall on Oct. 23, 2023.

Virginia Individual Player Notes 

• Xavier Brown rushed for 171 yards on nine carries (19.0 ypc). He is UVA’s first 100-yard rusher since Perris Jones ran for 134 yards against William & Mary last season. He is the first Cavalier to rush for 150+ yards since Bryce Perkins vs. Virginia Tech in 2019 (164 yards) and the first UVA running back with 150+ since 2018 (Jordan Ellis vs. Ohio).
• 75-yard run by Brown is the longest by a UVA rusher since Jordan Ellis’ 75-yard scamper against Louisville in 2018
• Grady Brosterhous rushed for two touchdowns on three carries. He has six carries for 10 yards and three touchdowns this season.
• Brosterhous is the first Cavalier with multiple rushing touchdowns in a game since Mike Hollins against North Carolina (3 touchdowns) in 2023. He’s the first Cavalier quarterback with multiple rushing scores since Brennan Armstrong had two against Virginia Tech in 2021.
• The three rushing touchdowns this year by Brosterhous are the most in a season by a UVA quarterback since 2022 (Brennan Armstrong – 6). 
• For the second time in his career, Malachi Fields caught two touchdown passes in a game. The TD receptions were his first two of the season and he ups his career total to eight. He finished the game with 4 receptions, 64 yards and two touchdowns.
• Dating back to last years’ season finale, Fields has four touchdowns in his last five games. 
• On the opening kickoff, Landon Danley forced a fumble that was recovered by Eli Wood. Today marked the fifth game of Danley’s career.
• Daniel Sparks was credited with a 60-yard punt in the first quarter, his seventh career punt of 60+ yards. 
• Antonio Clary led the team with eight tackles and came up his second career interception midway through the first quarter … his other career interception was against Louisville in 2022.
• Kicker Will Bettridge was 3-for-3 on field goal attempts and 4-for-4 on extra point attempts. He tied his career long on a 47-yard field goal as time expired in the first half. 
• Kam Butler was credited with his first sack of the season, running his career total up to 22.5 (7.5 at UVA).