Hoos Heading Into Homestretch

By Jeff White (jwhite@virginia.edu)
VirginiaSports.com

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — In its final game before the first of its two bye weeks,  the University of Virginia football team crushed Coastal Carolina 43-24 in Conway, S.C.

The Cavaliers’ final game before their second bye week didn’t go as well. Against ACC rival North Carolina, UVA lost 41-14 at Scott Stadium on Oct. 26.

Still, although the results differed, the coaching staff’s approach to each bye week was similar, Tony Elliott told reporters Tuesday at the Hardie Center.

“First thing we want to do is study ourselves,” said Elliott, who’s in his third year as Virginia’s head coach. “It’s a four-game set to check tendency-wise if there is anything we’re giving away.”

The Wahoos’ schedule is divided evenly into three four-game sections. The Hoos won three of their first four games and then dropped three of their next four. The final segment begins Saturday, when UVA (4-4 overall, 2-3 ACC) meets No. 23 Pitt (7-1, 3-1) at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. The 8 p.m. game will air on ACC Network.

Coming off the loss to UNC, Virginia had “to reset,” Elliott said. “We took the first part of the bye week to really evaluate ourselves and study what we were doing, and then turn the page and start getting ready for Pitt.”

It wasn’t an easy week for the Cavaliers, who have lost three straight games. “We had to look ourselves in the mirror this past week,” Elliott said. “We had to own what we put out there [against North Carolina]. Yeah, it was a tough day at the office last time out. That’s who we are right now until we fix it. So either we can sit here and feel sorry for ourselves and hope that it’s just going to change, or we can own it and be honest with ourselves, be honest with each other, and go back to work.”

Coming off its first bye week, Virginia defeated Boston College to improve to 4-1 overall. At that point, Elliott said, “everybody is patting you on the back and telling you how great things are going, and then you don’t manage the success the right way. So then you start to think more about yourself, spend more time doing other things, kind of living in this patting on the back. Then you lose a little bit of connectivity. That leads to adversity, failure. The question is, is this group going to allow that to continue to take place or are you going to say, you know what, we’re going to take ownership of our failures and turn it into success?”

The Cavaliers’ record coming off a bye week under Elliott is 3-0.

HOMECOMING: The only player on Virginia’s roster from Pennsylvania is safety Corey Thomas Jr., who starred at Penn Hills High School in Pittsburgh.

A graduate transfer from Akron who’s in his first year at UVA, Thomas played at Acrisure Stadium, then known as Heinz Field, in a high school playoff game when he was a 10^th-grader, and he’s attended many games there.

“Excited for him to have an opportunity to go back home,” Elliott said.

Thomas, who rooted for Pitt as a boy, said he expects to have a cheering section of “20 to 30” people at the home of the NFL’s Steelers. Playing in his hometown again will be a thrill, Thomas said. “Just getting around friends and family, opportunity to compete, night game in Pittsburgh. I still call it Heinz Field, so that’s what we’re going to go with. So definitely exciting.”

Virginia has allowed 113 points in its past three games. To knock off the Panthers, who were unbeaten until losing at SMU on Saturday night, the Cavaliers’ defense must improve its “communication, physicality, tackling,” Thomas said, “making sure we’re getting 11 hats to the ball, making sure we’re communicating, flying around, just the details, the little things, all those kind of things.”

Of the four teams left on UVA’s schedule, three are ranked in the latest Associated Press top-25, and the fourth is Virginia Tech.

“Great challenge ahead of us,” Thomas said.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: Among the 17 ACC teams, Virginia ranks 15^th in sacks, with 12. Even so, Elliott said, “I’ve seen progress in just the development of our guys from a pass rush move standpoint. I’m hopeful that it’s going to start paying dividends on Saturdays … You know that if you go out, you play hard, you play with great technique and you have good timing, then you have an opportunity to be able to get to the quarterback or affect the quarterback.”

Sacks are important, Elliott noted, but “if we can get the quarterback to move off the spot and disrupt timing, to me that’s as effective as getting to the quarterback.

I would like to see it. Been challenging those guys, too. Spent a good amount of time this bye week these last two weeks with that group, because I believe they’re close to being able to put it all together to get some true pressure on the quarterback.”

Linebackers Kam Robinson (three) and James Jackson (two) and defensive end Kam Butler (two) have multiple sacks for UVA.

MEDICAL REPORT: The Hoos came out of the bye week healthier than they went into it.

“We needed it,” Elliott said.

Two of Virginia’s starting offensive linemen—center Brian Stevens and guard Ty Furnish—missed the UNC game, and guard Noah Josey had to fill in at center. Stevens and Furnish are back at practice, as is another guard who’s dealing with an injury, Ugonna Nnanna.

On the eve of the North Carolina game, Stevens developed fluid in his lungs and was scratched from the lineup. “That was kind of a scary deal,” Elliott said.

Stevens said it was difficult not being able to play against the Tar Heels. “I missed a lot of time in high school [with injuries], and it’s kind of just that same feeling. Sitting on a sideline, you can’t help the team. Just trying to do my part with Josey in at center, helping him with the iPad and things like that.”

All but one of Josey’s shotgun snaps found their targets, but the one that went awry derailed a drive on which UVA had first-and-goal at the UNC 1-yard line.

“Every center that’s ever played has probably got at least one of those,” Stevens said. “It happens.”

Like Elliott, Stevens said Virginia’s second bye week “definitely came at the right time too. A lot of guys that are a little banged up, those guys are slowly working back in and everybody’s preparing and prepping to go play this week.”

WAIT AND SEE: Wide receiverTrell Harris has been sidelined with a knee injury since Virginia’s Sept. 14 game against Maryland. Harris, who caught 13 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns in UVA’s first three games, recently had surgery and is “probably about two, three weeks away” from being cleared to play, Elliott said.

If Harris plays in four games or fewer this season, he’ll retain the year of eligibility.

“We’ll be smart,” Elliott said. “We’ll kind of see where we are. Definitely want to do right by the young man and make sure we don’t burn a year if we don’t feel like it’s going to be beneficial to him or the team.”

FULL SPEED AHEAD: In each of Virginia’s past two games, with its opponent holding a big lead, fifth-year senior Tony Muskett has put up impressive numbers after taking over at quarterback in the fourth quarter. Still, sophomore Anthony Colandrea remains the Cavaliers’ starter, Elliott said Tuesday.

“It was a tough day at the office for everybody the last outing,” Elliott said, referring to the North Carolina game.

UVA’s offensive line struggled against UNC, which sacked Colandrea nine times. “In fairness to Colandrea,” Elliott said, “when you’re taking a three-step drop and you’re at the top of your drop and your third step is in the ground and guys are on your back or at your feet, it doesn’t matter who you got at quarterback.”

Against the Tar Heels, Colandrea threw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.

“Obviously there were a couple of reads that he probably would want back,” Elliott said. “Other than that, to be honest with you, I was proud of how he competed, considering the amount he was getting hit in this game. He just kept battling. To me, he didn’t lose his composure. Stood in there and threw some good balls. Then also, wasn’t able to fully get through his progression.

“It’s hard to evaluate. Right now, AC is our guy. I do recognize that Tony has come in and provided a spark. As I said at the beginning of the season, we’re going to need both of those guys throughout the course of the season to figure out how to win games.”

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