Colandrea was the right choice as UVA’s starting QB

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Anthony Colandrea was the right choice as Virginia’s starting quarterback, because Colandrea is the future of the Cavaliers program.

Tony Elliott made a wise decision in tabbing Colandrea as starter over incumbent, fifth-year QB Tony Muskett. Elliott has been quoted as saying that the battle for the starting job was one of the best training-camp competitions he’s ever been around.

Our opinion is that if the race was almost a photo-finish, then it made perfect sense to go with the sophomore Colandrea. Here’s why:

• Giving the nod to Colandrea could potentially give the Floridian the starting job for the next three years. That’s huge. It has been a long time since Virginia has had the same starting QB for three consecutive seasons, and when you’re attempting to rebuild a program, having that kind of continuity at the most important position on the field is a really big deal.
• Last season as the backup, Colandrea played in eight games (seven full games) and smashed all of UVA’s freshman passing records. So it’s not like he doesn’t have experience. In fact, because he played in only seven games, it wasn’t enough to make him eligible in all the league’s or NCAA’s statistical categories. However, his numbers were so good that he would have finished second among ACC quarterbacks in total yards per game (307) and eighth among Power 5 QBs.
• What made Colandrea so good last year was unbridled confidence and his swashbuckling style. What made him good is also what made him vulnerable. His Brett Favre-esque cockiness that he could thread the needle between three defensive backs often negated all his positive numbers (he was picked off nine times in 246 pass attempts). Virginia’s coaches have charted every move that Colandrea and Muskett made in spring ball and training camp, with particular attention to passing accuracy and decision-making.
• Elliott said that both players improved in both categories, and that Colandrea had eliminated much of his poor decisions, willing to eat the ball or throw it away rather than forcing passes into coverage. Certainly, Colandrea will have to improve his throwing accuracy, which was 62.6 percent last year. Still, his percentage should rise because he will have a lot more capable receivers to choose from this season. Last year, he and Muskett essentially had two receivers they could trust. This year there will be 7 to 10 receivers (including tight ends) that have earned the trust of the coaching staff.
• The Flash Factor. While the coaches wanted to tame Colandrea’s talents to eliminate some of the risky plays, at the same time, they didn’t want to totally take that away. Colandrea is a playmaker and playmakers are going to make mistakes from time to time, they’re going to throw interceptions. The staff just wants to keep those miscues to a minimum. However, Colandrea is an exciting player to watch. He moves the chains, he has good chemistry with receivers, he’s bold, he’s not afraid to run the ball, he’s good throwing on the move and isn’t limited to the pocket. If the protection breaks down, he can still make something happen and that’s a turn-on for the fans. It gives them hope, he makes things fun. After all, football is a form of entertainment. Even in so many close losses last season, much of the buzz was about that freshman QB and what he might do for the program in the future. The future is now.
• Colandrea doesn’t have a history of injuries, while Muskett struggled to stay healthy last season. In the offseason, Colandrea has built his body to withstand more punishment.

Because Virginia is a 10.5-point favorite over Richmond in Saturday’s opener, if the game gets away from the Spiders, don’t be surprised to see both Colandrea and Muskett play. No, we don’t think there will be rotating series, and Colandrea will likely get the opportunity to play the entire first half as long as he’s moving the offense and putting points on the scoreboard.

Should that be the case, Muskett could get some time in the second half. Coaches will be reluctant to pull Colandrea if he’s struggling in the first half in order to maintain his confidence. Should he return to last year’s form and throw multiple interceptions, all cards are off the table.

If Colandrea is successful, then he could gain enough trust to play the entire game at Wake Forest next week in what looms as a huge game.