Injury status of Muskett unknown; Agunloye’s injury ‘significant’

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Virginia’s quarterback situation remained murky after the Cavaliers’ 49-13 loss against No. 12 Tennessee on Saturday, with the status of injured starter Tony Muskett unknown.

Muskett was sacked, landing on his left shoulder (non-throwing arm) early in the fourth quarter, when he was hit by 260-pound defensive end Tyler Baron. Muskett exited the game, holding his shoulder, went to the locker room and didn’t return to the game.

With Muskett knocked out of action with 13:32 remaining in the game, he was replaced by true freshman Anthony Colandrea, who was making his first college appearance.

After the game, Coach Tony Elliott wasn’t sure about Muskett’s condition.

“We know it’s his shoulder right now, we don’t know the extent,” Elliott said. “We’ll get back, get some X-rays to find out. Obviously he couldn’t return to the game. Hoping for the best, but still just don’t know for sure.”

Colandrea finished 2 of 7 passing for 12 yards, 11 of those coming on one pass.

Muskett, who was under heavy pressure all day and sacked four times, was 9 of 17 for 94 yards.

If Muskett is sidelined with the shoulder, then Virginia will have to rely on Colandrea and no one behind him on the roster with any college game experience.

Virginia’s quarterback wasn’t the only injury on Saturday. Senior defensive lineman Ola Agunloye, who recorded a sack and recovered a fumble in the game, was injured in a freak celebration after coming off the field following his sack.

Agunloye was celebrating on the sidelines when his knees suddenly buckled and the 6-foot-4, 279-pound lineman collapsed to the turf. He had to be taken off the field on an injury cart.

“My heart goes out to him with this situation,” Elliott said after the game. “Right now, don’t know the exent, but it looks like it’s both knees, so we’re hoping that we get positive results and I’m hoping that we’re going to be able to see him through this one. Don’t know the extent, but I know it’s significant.”

Team Notes

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

• UVA drops to 85-40-9 in season openers and lost for the first time in a season opener since 2016, snapping a six-game win streak.
• The neutral site season opener was only the fourth (1890, 1960, 1989, 2023) in the 134 seasons of Virginia football. UVA is 1-3 in neutral site openers.
• Saturday marked the fifth meeting between Tennessee and Virginia and the first since the 1991 Sugar Bowl. The Volunteers are 4-1 all-time against the Cavaliers.
• Tennessee was UVA’s first regular season SEC opponent since 2003 (South Carolina).
• Announced attendance at Nissan Stadium was 69,507, the largest crowd in the facility’s history. It’s the largest regular season crowd UVA has played in front of since 2019 at Notre Dame (77,622).

Player Notes

• Malachi Fields caught four passes for a career-high 63 yards receiving. His 30-yard reception in the second quarter from quarterback Tony Muskett led to Virginia’s first field goal.
• Perris Jones scored UVA’s first touchdown of the season, a 17-yard run the with 7:23 left in the third quarter. It was Jones’ third career touchdown and his longest touchdown run of his career. Jones has recorded a rushing touchdown in each of the last two season openers.
• Punter Daniel Sparks, a preseason All-ACC selection, punted a career-high nine times and accumulated 398 yards. His 62-yard punt in the second quarter was the second-longest of his UVA career. He has four 60-yard punts in his last two games played for the Cavaliers (three 60-yard punts in 2022 season-finale vs. Pitt). He also matched a career-high with three punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
• Linebacker Stevie Bracey led the Cavalier defense with a career-high 10 tackles, including seven solo efforts.
• Olasunkonmi Agunloye was credited with UVA’s lone sack on the afternoon and it was the second of his career. Agunloye also recovered a fumble on a Tennessee punt return, the first recovery of his career.
• All eight of Kam Butler’s tackles were of the solo variety, the most tackles in a game he’s made in 11 games at UVA. His career-high is 11 while at Miami (Ohio) against Army in 2021.
• Kicker Will Bettridge was 2-for-3 in field goal attempts converting from 30 and 40 yards. He improves to 4-5 from 40 or more yards in his career.
• 17 Cavaliers made their collegiate debuts in the contest: DT Anthony Britton, DE Mekhi Buchanan, LS Luke Byrne, QB Anthony Colandrea, OG Noah DeMeritt, RB Amaad Foston, K Matt Ganyard, WR Jaden Gibson, RB Jack Griese, WR Suderian Harrison, DT Jason Hammond, OL Noah Hartsoe, OT Charlie Patterson, LB Kam Robinson, DB Aidan Ryan, OL Blake Steen, WR Eli Wood