Virginia Injury Report & Wahoo game notebooks

By Jerry Ratcliffe

After enjoying a career-day running the football, Virginia reserve tailback Noah Vaughn left the game early in the third quarter with an ankle injury.

Vaughn, a third-year from Maryville, Tenn., had the bulk of carries for the Cavaliers on a drive that started at the UVA 27, including a career-long 54-yard rush to the William & Mary 11-yard line. On his very next carry, a 3-yard gain to the 2, Vaughn laid sprawled on the Scott Stadium grass, grasping his lower leg.

He was helped off the field by UVA’s medical team and did not return, finishing his day with a career-high 101 yards rushing on only eight carries (12.6 ypc).

Afterward, Tony Elliott was encouraged by the medical report he received in the locker room.

“Components of a high ankle,” Elliott told media. “We’ll get more detail. As far as I know, the X-Rays look good. We’ll just see how it swells within the morning. We got some reassurance walking out from Doc that everybody’s going to be OK. I don’t have a timetable yet, but I’ll know by the time we have a press conference on Tuesday.”

700 Big Ones

It was quite a day by the Virginia offense as it stacked up 700 yards of total offense, a school record, breaking the previous mark of 691 set by the prolific Cavaliers offense of Coach George Blackburn in 1968 vs. Davidson.

UVA won that game, 41-14, with Frank Quayle and the late Gene Arnette setting the pace.

Unfortunately, there are no statistics of any kind or coaches quotes in the Virginia box score archives of that game, only the play-by-play. It was the only game from that entire season that has no detailed record of the contest, other than the play-by-play.

However, our research turned up an Associated Press game report that provided more insight into the game in which Virginia broke five ACC records that day, including 691 yards of total offense and 456 rushing yards. The Cavaliers also broke the conference record for most yards penalized in a game that day with a whopping 231.

Quayle set the ACC career record in points and touchdowns scored that day with his 25th touchdown. The running back piled up 153 yards on 17 carries against the Wildcats and hauled in four passes for 85 more yards in the game, scoring two TDs.

Meanwhile, Arnette was 8 of 10 passing for 161 yards and three TDs, including two to flanker Charles Mooser. Jeff Anderson also had 131 yards rushing on 25 carries.

Team Notes

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

• UVA improved to 33-6-1 in the all-time series with William & Mary, dating back to 1908. Saturday’s contest was the 40^th all-time meeting of the series. 
• The game was UVA Strong Day at Scott Stadium, dedicated to the memories of Lavel Davis Jr., Devin and Chandler and D’Sean Perry, who were killed in an on-Grounds shooting on Nov. 13, 2022, upon returning from a class field trip. Their families along with Mike Hollins and Marlee Morgan served as honorary captains. 
• The Cavaliers finished with a program-record 700 yards of total offense (379 rushing, 321 passing). 
• Virginia’s 55 points are its most in a single game under head coach Tony Elliott and most since 2020, when the Cavaliers also tallied 55 against Abilene Christian. In the game against Abilene Christian both Lavel Davis and D’Sean Perry scored touchdowns. 
• UVA has now won the last seven meetings of the series and 13 of the last 14. 
• UVA scored 42 points in the first half, which tied for its most in a half since the BYU game in 2021.  
• Last time UVA had six rushing touchdowns in a game was vs. Temple in 2005. UVA’s six rushing TDs are tied for third all-time in school single-game history. 
• Eleven different Cavaliers combined for 379 yards rushing. UVA hit the 200-yard mark on the ground with 12 minutes remaining in the second quarter. It marked the most rushers in a single UVA game in at least 25 seasons. 
• It also marked first time UVA had consecutive games with 200 rushing yards since 2023 and first time having 150 or more yards in three-straight games since 2021. 
• Through its first three games, UVA has yet to allow a single sack this season. It marks the first time since 2011 that the Cavaliers have not surrendered a sack in three consecutive games. 
• The Cavaliers entered the contest as the nation’s leader in 3rd-down defense and held William & Mary to 2-for-13 on third downs Saturday. Opposing offenses are now 4-for-34 (12%) on third down against UVA’s defense. 
• UVA did not punt for the first time in a game since the Cavaliers defeated 52-17 William & Mary in 2019. 
• Former UVA head coach Mike London – who was also a UVA assistant – is the current head coach of the Tribe. London is now 0-5 all-time against UVA as opposing head coach. 

Player Notes

• Harrison Waylee’s 97-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter is the longest in UVA history. It eclipsed Mikell Simpson’s 96-yarder in the 2008 Gator Bowl against Texas Tech. Coming into week three, the longest rush in FBS was 94 yards (Hahsaun Wilson, UTEP). 
• Waylee finished with three rushing TDs, which tied his career high. It was his third multi-TD game of his career and first since he had three against Ball State in 2022 when he played for Northern Illinois. 
• Saturday marked the first time since 2004 in which UVA had a player scored three rushing touchdowns in consecutive games (J.Taylor at NC State & Waylee vs. William & Mary). Wali Lundy scored three rushing TDs in three straight games against Akron, North Carolina and Temple in 2004. 
• Waylee went over the 100-yard mark for the first time as a Cavalier and the 14th time for his career. 
• Waylee (151) and Vaughn (101) are UVA’s first running back tandem to rush for 100 yards each in a single game since Daniel Hamm and Kevin Parks did so in 2013 against VMI. It’s also the first that two Cavaliers rushed for 100 yards each in the same since the 2022 season opener against Richmond (QB Brennan Armstrong and RB Perris Jones).
• Receiver Kam Courtney scored his first career touchdown on a 23-yard end-around pitch, his first rushing attempt of the season and third of his career.  
• J’Mari Taylor scored the game’s second touchdown. He now has six rushing TDs on the season. Dating back to his time at NC Central, he has scored a rushing touchdown in 14-consecutive games. 
• Noah Vaughn left the game in the second quarter with an injury but compiled a career-high 101 rushing yards on eight carries, including the longest rush of his career (54 yards). 
• John Rogers caught his first pass and first touchdown of his collegiate career. He finished the day with three receptions and 30 yards. His three receptions are the first three of his career. 
• Placekicker Will Bettridge finished with 13 points (2-2 FG, 7-7 PAT) to move into sole possession of seventh on UVA’s all-time scoring list. He now has 228 points in 34 career games.