Starting QB is up in the air at UVA; Could both play vs Richmond?

By Jerry Ratcliffe

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The most intriguing question about Virginia’s football program, at least in my mind, when arriving at the ACC Football Kickoff this week was about the Cavaliers’ quarterback situation.

Tony Muskett, the fifth-year veteran, won the starting job in training camp last August when he outlasted true freshman Anthony Colandrea. According to the coaches, the battle for the job was neck-and-neck.

Muskett went on to play in six games, was injured in the season-opener against Tennessee, fought back from injury to regain his starting job, played hurt and was injured again.

Colandrea shocked fans with his swashbuckling style, playing in eight games and shattering UVA’s freshman passing records. While he added excitement — perhaps even hope — to Wahoo fans, his playmaking “go-for-it” style resulted in nine interceptions, some ill-timed penalties that led to losses.

Tony Elliott’s philosophy is that starter’s don’t lose their status when they return from injury. I was curious to learn at the ACC Kickoff what Elliott’s philosophy would be heading into next week’s start of training camp.

Would Muskett be deemed UVA’s starter, carrying over from last season, or would it be an open competition? After all, there was no declaration following spring drills in terms of a QB pecking order.

Turns out that it will be an open competition this time around, which leads me to believe that Elliott may not name a starter until game week (UVA hosts FCS Richmond on Aug. 31).

“Yes, it’s competition,” Elliott said. “Obviously every position is competition, right? I’m pushing the guys behind (defensive end) Chico (Bennett) to go push Chico. Obviously [the quarterback] position gets a lot more scrutiny, because typically you only play one.”

The coach established expectations for quarterbacks within the Virginia system, getting all the candidates to clearly understand those expectations. Elliott and quarterbacks coach Taylor Lamb created an environment for both players to develop a healthy relationship, truly supporting one another regardless of who is playing, so that they could compete without complications.

“I love them both and I believe in both of them, that we can win at the highest level with both of them,” Elliott said. “There’s expectations that we have with the position and each one of them is working toward positioning themselves to be able to fulfill those.

“We’re here today based off kind of how it finished in the spring, but that wasn’t the end of it. We didn’t come out and say the competition was done at the end of spring. That’s just kind of where we finished based off of that body of work. That was only 15 practices. Now we have 25 more practices to determine how it’s going to end before we go into that first game.”

Last season, Muskett threw for 1,031 yards, 6 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, completing 63.3 percent of his passes for a QB-efficiency rating of 128.8. He displayed leadership, earned the respect of his teammates, was tough and determined. The fact that he played hurt, had offseason surgery and rehabbed in incredible fashion in order to compete in spring ball was impressive.

Colandrea threw for 1,958 yards, 13 TDs and 9 interceptions, completed 62.6 percent, threw for an average of 244.8 yards per game (Muskett averaged 172) for a QB-efficiency rating of 139.6.

In terms of rushing ability, both were effective at times, often having to run for their lives behind a shaky offensive line. Colandrea ran the ball 73 times (plenty of those were called runs) for 383 yards (225 net, after subtracting sack yardage), 3.1 yards average per rush, 28.1 yards per game (not exactly Brennan Armstrong or Bryce Perkins numbers). Muskett had less, 61 rushes for 214 yards (66 net), 1.1 average per carry, 11 yards per game.

Elliott noted that both quarterbacks have changed their bodies via the winter and summer conditioning programs, and was elated that Muskett and Colandrea have exhibited great leadership in the summer “skills and drills” voluntary workouts, showing up regularly, developing chemistry with the receiving corps, working to help the transfer players blend with the team, setting the tempo.

“Those are the things that nobody sees that helps translate into success on the field, because they have taken that chemistry onto the [playing] fields,” Elliott said.

The coach pointed out that by reviewing Muskett’s production over his career (at Monmouth and Virginia), there is plenty of potential remaining.

“Now you’re through year one in the system,” Elliott said. “I want you to really take control of everything, because you’re at a place in your career where you’re a little bit more mature and have a little more experience. Let’s take it to where you have command of the offense.”

With Colandrea, it’s a different set of expectations, blended with the natural maturation of a young quarterback. He gained the reputation as a gunslinger last season, a quality the coaches don’t want to completely remove, just control to a degree.

“Okay, we’ve got to harness that youth and that intensity and that fire,” Elliott said. “We’ve got to be able to transition appropriately, some of that into the command, being able to play the position.”

The coach said media and fans shouldn’t read anything into Muskett being one of three Virginia players appearing at the Kickoff event, his last time around in the Cavaliers’ system.

“It was really just a decision,” Elliott said. “I know some schools brought multiple quarterbacks (to the event). We have a competition going on.”

The question was posed whether a defined starter will be determined by the Richmond opener, or could there be designed packages for each of the quarterbacks and that both could play. Most coaches prefer to go with one QB, but there have been many instances where two quarterbacks play.

“I think that will be determined as we get into fall camp,” Elliott said. “I’m not going to sit here and say none of that is outside the realm of possibility. We have two players that we believe we can win in the ACC, and we have got to do the best job that we possibly can as coaches to take advantage of the skill set and the abilities that we have and what it’s going to look like.”

Elliott definitely left the door open on the notion that both quarterbacks could play, which could be the solution to keeping both players happy and keeping the fans happy as well.