Bronco Would Welcome A Game With #2 Clemson

By Jerry Ratcliffe

For the past week, lots of folks have wondered aloud why would Virginia want to win the Coastal Division? Doesn’t that mean the Cavaliers would have to face No. 2 Clemson?

Bronco Mendenhall didn’t shy away for a second about taking on the Tigers if fate should shine on the Wahoos. UVa has to win out at Georgia Tech this weekend and at Virginia Tech the following weekend, a place where the Cavaliers haven’t won in 20 years.

All Pitt has to do to clinch the Coastal is beat Wake Forest on the road this weekend, and the Panthers are 8.5-point favorites.

While the odds are that Pitt will clinch and Virginia will not win the division, Bronco doesn’t mind explaining why he’d like a shot at Clemson.

First of all, it would signal incredible progress in a three-year span, from 2-10 to division titlists, and a chance to play for the ACC Championship, in addition to a pretty good bowl invite. Bronco believes there’s more.

“Well, for those that have kind of been paying attention along the way, we like hard things as a football team,” Mendenhall said at his Monday presser. “I love hard things to the point where I chose to leave home and family and travel across the country, find 14 others (coaches) maybe crazy enough to come with me, and take it on.

“That’s exactly what we want [shot at Clemson],” Mendenhall explained. “You can’t get to where you want to go until you go through whatever you choose to call an exceptional football team. How do you truly know until you play? I would like nothing more than to truly know and then learn and apply whatever I need to learn and apply after that.”

Coastal Talk

Mendenhall hasn’t hesitated to talk about the Coastal dream, either.

When he addresses his team each Monday, he’s addressing the previous game, framing the next game. He has shown standings, then talked about UVa’s mission, goals, acknowledging where things stand.

“Yes, we want to win the Coastal,” Mendenhall said, realizing the odds are stacked against the Cavaliers. “We’re part of the ACC and we want to win the conference championship. You don’t win that unless you win the Coastal.

“To be able to talk about that sincerely and honestly in year three, in week 11, how could I not talk about it? I believe we can win as many games as we truly want to. That’s what I believe.”

Virginia isn’t take its eyes on the nearest challenge, attempting to win at Georgia Tech, a place the Cavaliers haven’t won since 2008. Mendenhall knows that UVa needs help, that Pitt has to stumble, but a guy can dream can’t he?

Injury Report

Mendenhall wasn’t sure about the status of several of his injured players.

Defensive back Joey Blount missed the Liberty game with a high ankle sprain, and Mendenhall said he had not yet received a report on one of the team’s best tacklers.

“[Center] Dillon Reinkensmeyer had a concussion in the [Liberty] game and he’s going through protocol. Some players take weeks, others take days. Usually that’s tied to the number of concussions they’ve had. Not always, but usually. So, Dillon we’ll wait to see.”

UVa actually used three centers against the Flames because after Reinkensmeyer was concussed, backup Gerrik Vollmer suffered a knee injury (no update on his status). The Cavaliers had to move Jake Fieler to center and shuffle its offensive line.

The Cavaliers did get linebacker Rob Snyder and defensive backs Juan Thornhill and Brenton Nelson back for the Liberty game.

Mendenhall was surprised that Nelson managed to come back and play. Nelson wore a walking boot the entire week and was able to practice a little last Thursday. If a player isn’t capable of practicing by Thursday, Mendenhall doesn’t allow them to play in the game.

“I would say what was remarkable or impressive about Brenton’s performance on Saturday was just simply that he played,” Mendenhall said.

Tim Harris Ups His Game

For a while this season, veteran cornerback Tim Harris was playing behind sophomore Darrius Bratton. Then, something switched for the senior.

What happened is anyone’s guess.

“You know, I’m not sure,” Mendenhall said. “He trusts us and he’s really good about receiving feedback and wants to know what he can do better.”

The coach said he had some brutal, fact-hard conversations with Harris that essentially went like this: “Simply, Tim, if it remains like this, this will not happen _ talking about his goals, dreams, aspirations or even helping our team,” Mendenhall said.

Sometimes a player takes that to heart and springboards from it. Sometimes they go the other way.

Harris became a standout player that his teammates can count on.

“So to have earned the nod over Darrius at this time, that’s been very challenging because we think Darrius is a good player,” Mendenhall said. “I think the story you’re talking about with Tim has been one of the most gratifying to this point of the season, seeing that start to turn and emerge I would say about the last five weeks.”

While Harris had struggled some in the past, didn’t measure up to expectations, that’s no longer the case.

“He’ll receive my strongest endorsement for anyone that wants a really good player at corner with now a competitive, fierce mindset, a strong work ethic, and the production to go with it,” the coach said.

Is Reed That Third Receiver?

All season long, the offensive coaches have been waiting for another receiver to emerge, a third receiver, that would take some of the pressure off slotback Olamide Zaccheaus and wideout Hasise Dubois.

Most believe it would be junior wide receiver Joe Reed (6-1, 215, and fast). Reed’s development was slow. The coaches couldn’t figure out how to properly teach him, get through to him, and bring out his best.

Saturday’s win over Liberty might have signaled Reed’s coming out party. Not only did he return a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, but also caught two passes for 20 yards and two touchdowns.

That earned him the honor of “Breaking the Rock,” and gave coaches hope that he is the guy that helps bring the offense alive for the remainder of the season. Reed, by the way, leads the ACC and is No. 6 in the nation in kickoff returns with an average of 27.9.

“That [performance] is something we’ve been hopeful for and looking forward to for a long time,” Mendenhall said of Reed’s numbers. “I would love to see Joe complement Zaccheaus and Dubois, and Perkins, and Jordan Ellis, Evan Butts. That becomes a more powerful and dynamic of an offense to stop.”

Into the Mouth of the Dragon

When Virginia plays at Georgia Tech on Saturday, the Cavaliers’ young defensive line will be thrown into the fire, facing Paul Johnson’s storied option offense for the very first time.

Junior Eli Hanback, who can play either defensive end or nose tackle, is the only defensive lineman that has faced the Tech option. Freshman Aaron Faumui, redshirt freshman Tommy Christ, freshman Jordan Redmond, and graduate transfer Dylan Thompson (Ohio State), will be getting their first look at Johnson’s monster.

“They’re developing,” Mendenhall said of his young defensive front.

The Cavaliers have lost veteran defensive ends Mandy Alonso (injury) and Richard Burney (unspecified medical condition), so it’s all young up front.

“Basically Christ, Redmond, Faumui, and I’ll put Dylan Thompson in that mix even though he is a grad transfer … he’s still learning and adjusting to our culture and the expectation and effort,” Mendenhall said.

“Really you have Hanback and the other four who are at similar places, and this is I would say close to where Burney was a year ago as he moved from tight end. It will be a trial by fire for all of them in terms of their first look at option football. That’s a lot to be learned.”

Especially against Johnson’s current team. The Yellow Jackets are better than the team Virginia defeated in Charlottesville last season.

Georgia Tech is averaging 362.4 yards rushing per game, the most ever by a Johnson team at Tech. The previous high was 342.1 in 2014, so the Cavaliers have their work cut out. Get this: the Jackets are averaging 60 rushing attempts per game, and less than 10 passing attempts per outing.

Recruiting Atlanta

Virginia has six players on its roster from Georgia, including some of its best players, such as Jordan Ellis, Rob Snyder, Joey Blount, and Jordan Mack.

It’s definitely a hotbed of high school football talent and the Cavaliers would like to continue to mine for players there.

What does an appearance in Atlanta mean for Virginia?

“Means a lot,” Mendenhall said. “Georgia or Atlanta is in our footprint. It’s not that far away in terms of driving. Certainly about an hour flight. We have a strong following, as well as the coaches in that area, and the players have strong interest in Virginia.

“There is huge momentum being gained down there,” Mendenhall said. “We can sense it, we can feel it, and the results are certainly starting to show that.”

ACC Honors Reed

Joe Reed was voted the ACC Specialist of the Week for his 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Liberty, one of three TDs by him in the game. Two scoring receptions only added to his performance.

Reed returned the opening kickoff of the second half for the score and helped ignite a 45-24 Virginia win. His 193 yards in kickoff returns vs. the Flames was the fifth-best, single-game total by an FBS player this season.

It was also his third kickoff return for a TD in his UVa career, tying for seventh among active FBS  players, while also setting a Cavalier record.

Reed is the seventh Wahoo to earn an ACC weekly honor this season.

Black Friday Kick Off

If you live under a rock, you may not have heard by now, but Virginia’s game at Virginia Tech on Friday, Nov. 23, will kick off at 3:30 p.m.

The game will be nationally televised by ABC.

Virginia hasn’t won in Blacksburg since 1998.