Poppinga’s Secondary Will Be Facing Its Toughest Test Of The Season

Virginia’s secondary’s toughest test of the season will come Saturday in Raleigh when the Cavaliers face N.C. State quarterback Ryan Finley.

Finley ranks 20th in NCAA statistics in yards passing with 1,056 in but three games, but those numbers don’t address the quality of this strong-armed, experienced quarterback who will be playing on Sunday’s.

“I think he’s the best quarterback we’ve seen since we’ve been here as far as just a passer,” said UVa co-defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga of the staff’s three years in Charlottesville. “[Finley] has seen it all. He knows how to diagnose coverages, knows how to throw in zones, knows where to put the ball when it’s man [coverage], knows when to scramble off different pressures. We’ve got a great challenge on our hands.”

Thusly, Poppinga and defensive coordinator Nick Howell will have to mix up what they throw at Finley, some zone, some man, some blitz, and some stunts, then pray.

The Wahoos will be facing Finley but not at full force. They lost starting defensive end Richard Burney for the season (medical condition), and lost starting inside linebacker Jordan Mack (shoulder) for an estimated six weeks. They were already missing linebacker Malcolm Cook, who isn’t expected back this week.

Rob Snyder (inside backer) will get more reps, so will Chris Peace (outside backer), Matt Gahm (outside backer), Elliott Brown (outside backer), and Charles Snowden (outside backer), who was ACC Linebacker of the Week for his sterling performance in the win over Louisville last Saturday.

Snyder is scheduled to start at the inside linebacker spot beside Zane Zandier, with senior C.J. Stalker backing up both spots.

“In our defense, backers are backers,” Poppinga said. “They aren’t inside backers and outside backers. For the most part, what the outside backers can do, the inside backers can do and vice versa. We have plenty of options.”

Wahoo Nation has been wondering and wondering if Ohio State graduate transfer Dylan Thompson is ever going to get into a game, and this week could be the week. Thompson earned a number last week (68) and was spotted on the sidelines, although he didn’t have a name on his jersey and didn’t get into the action.

“We felt like that when we got to Thursday (of last game week), [Thompson] just wasn’t quite ready with the install and the things that we needed him to do,” Poppinga said. “We didn’t feel comfortable that he’d be able to go out there and execute at a high level.”

More repetition likely has Thompson ready for this week, and Poppinga hopes so because UVa’s depth on the offensive line has been a sore subject since last spring.

“We need him, obviously,” Poppinga said. “We need him and other guys to step up, maybe (defensive end) Tommy Christ (a redshirt freshman), and Isaac Buell (redshirt freshman).”

Poppinga said that Christ (6-5, 285) has been the most improved player on the defensive side of the football since fall camp to now.

The coaches didn’t know they’d lost Burney for the season until last second, but Poppinga was impressed with how sophomore defensive end Mandy Alonso came on strong against Louisville, a 27-3 win for the Cavaliers.

“Mandy had the best game of his career,” the coach said. “He came out of a slump that he was in and did a great job. He was amazing.”

How amazing?

“In that goal line stand, he made three plays there,” Poppinga said. “He didn’t make the play, but he MADE the play. He didn’t make the stat sheet, but if you turn on the film and watch what he did on those three plays, it was what kept Zane free to help him make the tackles.”

Poppinga said that senior strong safety Juan Thornhill probably had his best of the game of the season as well.