By Jerry Ratcliffe

Virginia’s offense found its rhythm again out in California last weekend, which is a good sign going forward.

The rediscovery was part J’Mari Taylor getting back into the groove at running back, part having wide receiver Cam Ross back in the lineup, part UVA’s offensive line being healthy again (PFF noted that Virginia’s pass blocking grade for the Cal game was 89, the highest recorded since 2017).

Perhaps the biggest part of the formula was quarterback Chandler Morris getting back on schedule.

Virginia’s veteran QB was 24 for 36 passing, his highest percentage (66.7) since the Florida State game, good enough for 262 yards (his highest since Stanford), no interceptions and 38 yards rushing, his highest since the NC State game.

“I felt like that was really the first time in probably three weeks that it kind of felt like us offensively,” said Morris, who said the Carolina game the week before was his worst game he had played. “We didn’t put up as many points as we wanted to, and I think we left a lot out there, a ton out there, but we’re still hungry, still chasing our best game.”

Morris, who said he believes Virginia’s offense can put up 40 points or more on any opponent, not only looked more comfortable throwing the ball, but also running it, and that made a difference.

“The thing that I really challenged myself on this past week was being able to use my legs,” Morris said. “I think I kind of had gotten away from it a little bit and that’s not on the coaches, that was on me. So I think that was big for us.”

While that’s important, don’t ever forget that the Texas transplant is a gunslinger. Last Saturday’s total through the air pushed him over the 2,000-yards passing mark for the season and 8,276 for his career to go along with 59 touchdown passes to only 22 interceptions and a career completion percentage of 64.8.

Browsing through Morris’ playing history, we stumbled across his first start at TCU back in 2021 when he blew Horned Frogs fans away with a spectacular performance.

That day against Baylor, Morris passed the Bears to death, throwing for 461 yards and a pair of scores, completing 70 percent of his passes (29 of 41). Oh yeah, and he ran for 70 more yards, a plus-500 yards game for him.

“It was my first-ever college start,” Morris grinned. “Baylor should have made the playoffs that year, honestly. They won the Big 12 championship. But that game was a lot of fun. Some could call it an overnight success because it happened quickly once after that start. I won some national awards and stuff like that, so it was a really cool experience.”

UVA offensive coordinator Des Kitchings never saw that TCU-Baylor tape, but knows what his QB is capable of doing.

“He still has that in him,” Kitchings said.

Virginia fans may not have seen a 400-yard passing night out of him yet, but they have seen him get in “a zone” where he completes a string of passes to sting opponents. When that happens, he looks unstoppable.

“I do, yeah,” Morris said confidently. “I think kind of getting into that rhythm early on is a key, and I think once I get in that zone and that rhythm, I think it’s going to be a long night for the defense.”

That’s what Virginia fans want to hear from their QB. A guy who wants to thoroughly destroy the opponent.

Tony Elliott has coached some pretty good quarterbacks in his day, a few NFL guys, and he believes in terms of a QB being able to keep plays alive and still keep his eyes focused downfield to find open receivers, even if he’s on the run, that Morris is as good as any he’s coached.

“I’d say he’s probably up there at the top in that aspect of being able to get out of plays and turn them into positive plays, and then extend plays with his legs and with his passing down the field,” Elliott said.

Kitchings likes the way Morris leads the team on and off the field and how he exudes confidence.

“That’s what attracted all of us to him, not only his play at North Texas, but the confidence and aura that he brings, because he’s been there, he’s done it, right?” Kitchings said. “He’s been in some battles. He’s been a part of a program that got to the College Football Playoff and has an understanding of what that looks like. Obviously, he wants a taste of it for himself as being ‘the guy.’ You want that type of belief out of your quarterback.”

Because Morris has been there, he knows how to block out the noise, so when Elliott instructed his players to simplify their lives, it didn’t take much of an adjustment by his quarterback.

“I think I’ve really simplified it,” Morris said. “I go to the [football] facility and go home. That’s really what it’s been like for however many months now.”

He talks with his father, Chad, almost daily. Chad Morris has been a head coach or an offensive coordinator at major programs for quite some time. Now, he helps Chandler get ready for what’s next.

Chad helps, but doesn’t critique his son’s performances.

“No, he doesn’t,” Chandler said. “I don’t know how I’d respond to that coming from dad, and he understands that. Instead, he helps me out a ton with opponents early in the week.”

How?

“So, it’ll be Sunday or the next day after a game, and he’ll send me his notes on our next opponent,” Chandler said. “He’s been watching them in advance, so that’s been really helpful for me in just trying to kind of really getting a head start on these other teams.”

Certainly Morris got a head start on Wake Forest, an opportunity to build his resume and get Virginia’s offense back in high gear.

Saturday’s ACC Schedule

SMU at Boston College, Noon (ACCN)
Syracuse at Miami, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Duke at UConn, 3:30 p.m. (CBSSN)
Stanford at North Carolina, 4:30 p.m. (The CW)
Wake Forest at Virginia, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
California at Louisville, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Florida State at Clemson, 7 p.m. (ACCN)