Been More Than A Decade Since A UVA Back Did What Ellis Did
Scattershooting around the ACC, while betting that most of you are sitting around wondering when the last time a Virginia running back had the kind of success that Jordan Ellis had last Saturday in Nashville …
Ellis, a senior from Suwanee, Ga., carried the ball 19 times for 171 yards and three touchdowns against Ohio in that game played at a neutral site due to the threats of hurricane activity. Before you get overly excited, remember the numbers were put up against Ohio, which ranks 80th out of 129 FBS teams in rush defense.
Still, it was a memorable performance for everyone who witnessed the game, mostly on TV because there were only 5,000 and change in attendance.
It has been more than a decade since a UVa running back rushed for as many yards as Ellis did against the Bobcats. Gotta go back to Sept. 15, 2007, when Cedric “The Preacher” Peerman, tore up North Carolina’s defense to the tune of 186 yards, but required 30 carries. The only other Wahoo who came that close since then was Mikell Simpson, who had 170 on 20 attempts against Texas Tech in the Gator Bowl loss to the Red Raiders on Jan. 1, 2008.
Bronco Mendenhall realizes as much as anyone how important that having a mobile quarterback influences the running game with Ellis. Clearly, defenses can’t load up the tackle box without risking Bryce Perkins causing damage on the edge.
Defenses have to respect his speed and running ability, and must account for him, usually with a linebacker used as a “spy,” and is assigned to shadow Perkins.
Former UVa star quarterback Shawn Moore said on Jay James’ “Best Seat in the House,” on Thursday night (hear the entire show with Moore, Billy McMullen, and your’s truly via podcast on WINA radio’s website) that he bet Louisville’s defensive coordinator would be losing a lot of sleep this week in trying to figure out how to defend Perkins.
Mendenhall could understand that notion.
“Yeah, that’s the exact point with Bryce, and I guess what college football collectively calls zone read,” the UVa coach said. “If Bryce pulls the ball, attacks the alley or the edge, there has to be width (on the defense). The more the defenses collapse and squeeze down for Jordan, the more susceptible and vulnerable they become to the perimeter.”
In Ellis’ long run for a TD on the first series of the Ohio game, the play hit so fast, the Bobcats’ entire field side of their defense was hesitant to collapse because of Perkins’ threat. Ellis was gone before Ohio’s stunned defenders could react.
ACC Pop Quiz
What team presently has the longest win streak in ACC football?
Answer will appear at the end of today’s column.
ACC Stat Of The Week
OK, so we cheated a little bit this week. So, it’s not really an ACC stat, but I found it incredibly intriguing.
Last Saturday, two college football teams each scored 90 points or more.
South Dakota State defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 90-6. Yes, not a typo, 90 to 6.
On this side of the country, Davidson had a more difficult time winning, beating Guilford, 91-61.
Devil On The Mend
Lots of folks were predicting doom and gloom for Duke after starting quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a broken collarbone in the second game of the season.
David Cutcliffe reminded us why football insiders believe he just might be the best coach in the country, by taking a backup QB to Waco, Texas, and beating Baylor.
Meanwhile, Jones is already back at practice, much to the amazement of the Duke medical staff and Cutcliffe.
“Daniel is actually getting some good practice time in right now,” Cutcliffe said Wednesday. “He’s a tough young man, so he has actually put on pads and gone through practice.”
It’s no-contact, but Jones is moving well, running well, and regaining his confidence. A return to action date is still indefinite, but it seems to be a much better situation for the Blue Devils than what rivals anticipated.
Eye Doesn’t Lie
Speaking of quarterbacks making an impression, how about Boston College’s Anthony Brown?
He gave Wake Forest’s defense fits last week, throwing for five touchdowns and a career-high 304 yards (16-for-25).
NCAA statistics rate Brown as the most efficient QB in the country. What did the discerning eye of BC coach Steve Addazio think about his guy?
“I think he’s made a lot of good decisions and throwing the ball very, very accurately,” Addazio said. “He had a heck of a night [vs. Wake], and is steadily improving. This is a guy that cracked on to the scene last year and was getting better every week, and then we lost him at the end of the year. I think he has picked up where he left off.”
What You Talking About Willie?
Tallahassee is a hot mess right now after Florida State got blasted by Syracuse last weekend. The Seminoles might get some relief with Northern Illinois coming to town this weekend, but Seminole Nation is in an uproar.
Coach Willie Taggart has asked FSU fans for patience. Some fans blame former coach Jimbo Fisher for letting the program slide. Meanwhile, the team had a players only meeting this week.
The offensive line is not very good and not protecting talented QB Deondre Francois, who showed his frustration after one of four sacks (he was hit 16 times by Syracuse’s defense) in the game.
Taggart said that Francois, coming back off a bad knee injury in the 2017 opener against Alabama, is ahead of schedule considering that he missed spring ball. Francois has learned Taggart’s spread offense, but needs time.
“He had a lot of guys open this past Saturday, he just didn’t have time to get it to them,” Taggart said. “When he does have time, he’s done a good job of getting the ball to his receivers, not just one receiver, but multiple guys. Now we got to make sure we protect him.”
Taggart said when he first took over at South Florida (two jobs ago) that it took time to adjust to the new offense because players weren’t accustomed to going fast in a no-huddle offense. Last year at Oregon, the Ducks took to it because they were used to that style of play. FSU is still adapting.
One That Got Away
Excuse Virginia’s Bronco Mendenhall this Saturday if he looks at Louisville’s left offensive tackle spot with envy.
That’s where sophomore Mekhi Becton will line up against the Cavaliers. Becton, a product of Highland Springs in Richmond, decided on Louisville over UVa. Cardinals coach Bobby Petrino was glad he did.
“Mekhi is a really special young man,” Petrino said on the ACC Coaches teleconference this week. “First and foremost, he’s as big of a guy as I’ve ever been around. He’s 6-8, 355 pounds, but has not any fat on him. He’s a great athlete, can really bend and move. He’s going to be a dominant player before it’s all said and done.”
Petrino said he saw Becton playing in a high school basketball game, where his athleticism was on display.
“Yeah, he did a reverse dunk in a game,” Petrino said.
Quick Hitters …
… Clemson starting QB Kelly Bryant left last week’s win over Georgia Southern with a chest bruise but is expected to be back for the Tigers’ game with Georgia Tech this week. In his stead, true freshman QB Trevor Lawrence threw for 194 yards (12-19).
… Georgia Tech frustrated Coach Paul Johnson so much offensively last week in a loss at Pitt that Johnson said afterward: “We looked like we had never played the game before.” After piling up 602 yards in a loss vs. South Florida the week before, Tech’s offense managed only 386 against Pitt, and 99 of that came on the final drive of the game.
… Thus far, true freshman QB Sam Hartman has done a good job for Wake Forest after replacing veteran starter Kendall Hinton, who is now returning after a three-game suspension to start the season. Hartman is second in the ACC in passing yardage (278 per game), but has thrown five interceptions. If he can’t move the ball early against Notre Dame this weekend (personally I think the No. 8 Irish are overrated), look for Dave Clawson to insert Hinton.
…Speaking of the Irish, Coach Brian Kelly said this after his squad squeaked by Vanderbilt, 22-17 last weekend in South Bend: “We’re still trying to find our identity on offense.” When’s the last time you heard a Top 10 team’s coach utter those words?
…QB Eric Dungey, a tough dude, didn’t return in the second half for Syracuse against FSU last weekend, but is expected to be back for UConn this weekend, one of the worst teams in the nation. If Dungery can’t go, the Orange have an impressive backup in Tommy DeVito, a redshirt freshman, who finished off the Seminoles with a strong second half. Look for ‘Cuse to score at least 50. UConn has given up 167 points in three games. Ouch!
…N.C. State, which hosts UVa next week, got some good news the other day in that USC transfer tight end Cary Angeline, has been cleared to play. He’s expected to see some action for the Wolfpack at Marshall on Saturday.
Quiz Answer
Duke’s Blue Devils have won six games in a row dating back to last season, which represents the fourth-longest current streak in the country.