Tale Of The Tape: No. 21 Virginia vs. Old Dominion
Posted on Friday, Sep. 20, 2019, 4:15 pm
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No. 21 Virginia wraps up its three-game home stand with its first all-time meeting against in-state opponent Old Dominion Saturday night at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. A win over the visiting Monarchs (1-1, 0-0 Conference USA) would move the Cavaliers to a 4-0 start for the first time in 15 years and provide some extra momentum and confidence heading into next weekend’s clash at Notre Dame.
UVA (3-0, 2-0 ACC) will be playing its fourth straight contest under the lights (a program record to start a season), and will be facing its first C-USA opponent since 2011, when the ‘Hoos fell to Southern Miss.
ODU head coach Bobby Wilder has had two weeks to get his players prepared for Saturday’s game, as the team had an open date after falling in Blacksburg to Virginia Tech on Sept. 7, 31-17.
The Monarchs opened the 2019 campaign — and their newly renovated home stadium — with a 24-21 win against Norfolk State after finishing 4-8 in 2018.
Junior quarterback Stone Smartt, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound transfer from Riverside City Junior College in California where he was named a first-team All-American last year, won a fierce competition for the starting job in fall camp and has been impressive in his first two FBS starts. Smartt has completed 62-percent of his passes (33 for 53) for 280 yards with no touchdowns and one interception, while rushing for 98 yards and three scores on the ground.
He’s joined in the backfield by redshirt freshman running back Lala Davis, who is leading the team with 143 rushing yards, and redshirt senior Kesean Strong, who entered the season as the leading returning rusher.
Strong, VT transfer Eric Kumah and redshirt sophomore Steven Williams — a converted QB — lead a deep group of receivers, but the Monarchs are averaging just 140 yards through the air through the first two games.
The Wahoo defense is currently ranked No. 2 in the ACC and 16th in the country, and will no doubt give the inexperienced ODU offense fits all evening. Jordan Mack is the top sack-man among linebackers — and eighth overall — in the country with 4.0 (three of those unassisted).
UVA senior quarterback Bryce Perkins had the offense clicking on all cylinders in a beautifully orchestrated, second-half rally against Florida State last week, and will look to keep it rolling Saturday night.
Wayne Taulapapa rushed for three scores against the Seminoles and Wahoo senior receivers Joe Reed (961 yards) and Hasise Dubois (967) are close to adding their names to a select list of currently 39 UVA wideouts to post at least 1,000 career receiving yards. With 10 more catches, Dubois would also become just the 23rd Virginia receiver to register the century mark in career receptions.
It’s an unfamiliar matchup against an unfamiliar foe, and one the ‘Hoos can’t look past, as evidenced by ODU’s notable upset of the Hokies last season.
You can read more about the Monarchs in our preseason preview here.
Tale Of The Tape
The Coaches
UVA — Bronco Mendenhall
4th season at Virginia (19-22); 15th season overall (118-65); Record vs. ODU: First Meeting
ODU — Bobby Wilder
11th season at Old Dominion and overall (77-46); Record vs. UVA: First Meeting
The Depth Chart
Click to enlarge
Broadcast Information
TV: ESPN2
Announcers: Kevin Brown (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst), Ed Aschoff (sideline)
Radio: Virginia Sports Network
Announcers: Dave Koehn (play-by-play), Tony Covington (analyst), Jay James (sideline)
Satellite Radio:
Sirius Channel — 111
XM Channel — 194
Internet Channel — 956
Kickoff Forecast
Sunny, 80 degrees
Precipitation — 0%
Wind — 4 mph
Humidity — 61%
