Mendenhall won’t decide on playing Armstrong until the very last minute

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Bronco Mendenhall has a secret and he’s not about to tell. Will quarterback Brennan Armstrong play against seventh-ranked Notre Dame on Saturday?

Media attempted to pin Mendenhall down on the topic during his weekly presser on Monday but the coach did his best Fred Astaire when it came to dancing around the subject.

GAME INFO

• Game: No. 7 Notre Dame at Virginia
• When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Scott Stadium
• TV: ABC
• Radio: Virginia Sports Radio Network
• Odds: Notre Dame by 5
• Weather: High 57, low 33. Winds 5-10 mph

Armstrong apparently suffered broken ribs late in the loss at BYU on Oct. 30, left the game and did not return. Ever since, UVA has declined to reveal Armstrong’s status.

When pressed on the topic Monday, as to whether Mendenhall could give an update on his quarterback, whether he would play against the Irish, the coach provided a rather vague answer.

“No, I don’t have an update on Brennan,” Mendenhall said. “Man, I’m planning on him being our quarterback. Yeah, I probably won’t have an update until the ball is kicked off and we all look out there and see who our quarterback is.”

Pressed further as to whether there wasn’t an update for media or if the QB’s status was a mystery to the coaches, Mendenhall said:

“It means just collectively where I don’t really plan to address it because I don’t think it’ll help you, me, or anyone else in terms of preparation. It helps our football team best to let Brennan heal, recover, and our team get ready to play.”

It is uncertain if Armstrong practiced last week or if he would practice this week, although Armstrong told some Virginia fans at a local restaurant Friday night that team doctors had tried to put a flak jacket on him, but that Armstrong felt it was too bulky. At another restaurant on Saturday, Armstrong said that “from the hit to now, I’m 100 percent better. I’m all good. I’m walking around, moving around. We’re going to be good no matter who’s out there. Our offense is explosive.”

If Armstrong can’t answer the bell against the Irish, Virginia has a few options. True freshman Jay Woolfolk finished up the BYU game after Armstrong’s exit, but has little experience. Ira Armstead, another backup, who happens to be from South Bend, Ind., has seen limited action during the first two years of his career. Keytaon Thompson was a quarterback at Mississippi State before he transferred to UVA and has lined up in the backfield mostly as a “wildcat” runner.

Thompson and Armstead both lined up at quarterback during a two-game span last season when Armstrong was injured, mostly running the football. UVA lost both games. Would Mendenhall consider that approach as opposed to going with a regular backup?

“No, it certainly wouldn’t be a hodge podge,” the coach replied. It would be moreso [traditional backup], especially if there is one more year under Jay or Ira’s belt. So that has to be mentioned. This isn’t Jay only. We really like Ira and have been using him at other places.

“As Brennan is re-bebounding this week, in the meantime it gives us a chance to play and train other quarterbacks that we really like. So that’s not nearly as much of the hodge podge-ish that we had a year ago when we were trying to do whatever we could. This is much more intentional, and I think our succession plan is better and needs to be because it’s year six, so I feel much better about that.”

Thompson, who couldn’t throw the ball last season because of shoulder injury late in training camp, doesn’t hang out in the quarterback room now that he’s become successful at the “Football Player” position. However, his arm is healthy now, plus he knows the Virginia offense from A to Z.

“He doesn’t need [to attend QB meetings] because we can put him in and he knows the offense so well now from the other positions, that he knows what the quarterback does,” Mendenhall said. “As his other stuff has increased, he’s held onto that part, but we just don’t need to train him, nor will the volume there be enough to warrant taking away from the other possible usages.”

There is speculation because the Notre Dame game is a nonconference contest, that Virginia could sit Armstrong for more important conference games against Pitt and Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers still control their own destiny in the ACC’s Coastal Division, which was one of their goals preseason.

Pitt is 4-1 in the league and still must face UVA. The Cavaliers are 4-2, and a win over the Panthers would give Virginia the tie-breaker. Miami is 3-2, but UVA already owns the head-to-head tie-breaker with the Hurricanes. Virginia Tech is 2-3, but cannot be overlooked.

If UVA decides to play Armstrong, there is a risk of losing him for the last two games. Mendenhall, who could be using some gamesmanship to keep Notre Dame guessing, reserved the right to wait until the last minute to decide who will play at QB on Saturday.

“Brennan has earned every opportunity to play, even if he just looks out over the field from the balcony,” Mendenhall said. “He trains so hard in mental reps, et cetera, so it’s literally day-to-day, and we’re going to give him every minute right until the ball is kicked off to be our quarterback.

“The team knows that. I know that. He knows that. He’s earned that chance.”

On another note, Mendenhall confirmed that running back Wayne Taulapapa suffered a concussion on the controversial targeting call late in the game. Taulapapa fumbled on the play, and BYU recovered, retaining possession of the ball after officials overturned the ruling on the field. BYU went on to score off the turnover, essentially putting the game out of reach for the Cavaliers.

Also, Mendenhall confirmed that wide receiver Lavel Davis, Jr., who was a sensational flash as a true freshman in 2020, and who suffered an ACL in spring ball, will not return this season.

“I don’t think he’s close,” Mendenhall said. “I think this is — if I’m looking after him like I do my own son it just doesn’t make any sense.

“Doesn’t mean [Davis] he’s not willing and trying hard. It’s just the possible gain, which would be significant when we talk about the next three, but contextually and for him and his future, I don’t see that happening. I’m not putting this in writing and saying this is the declaration of, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me today.”