Elliott praises QB Muskett’s leadership, sacrifice in sparking Wahoos

By Jerry Ratcliffe

We said before the season that Tony Muskett didn’t need to be a superstar or hero for Virginia football, but rather just be a guy who doesn’t beat himself. We’re seeing that solid performance emerge from the Monmouth transfer as the season progresses.

Saturday night in Chapel Hill was a great example of how Muskett is getting the job done, building off the win against William & Mary, then leading Virginia to a 31-point output over the Tar Heels. As UNC coach Mack Brown pointed out Monday, it could have been worse, because Muskett was picked off in the end zone and Mike Hollins fumbled out of the end zone, resulting in a touchback. Had the Cavaliers been successful on those two drives, UVA could have won 45-27.

Muskett, of course, is putting it all on the line, playing with an injured shoulder (sustained in the opening game against Tennessee) that will require surgery in the offseason. At UNC, Muskett ran the ball 12 times — some of those were designed runs, specifically quarterback draws — for 66 yards.

Tony Elliott recognized various qualities in Muskett when scouting him from the transfer portal, and all those qualities are coming through.

“Man, it’s been awesome,” Elliott said Tuesday about his starting quarterback. “I can’t give him enough praise, especially in this day and age. Here’s a guy that had a significant injury to his shoulder, but he’s committed to the program. He’s committed to his teammates. He’s a competitor.”

Muskett has strung together three consecutive 200-yard passing performances, including a 20-for-30 game against the Tar Heels for 208 yards and a TD to favorite target and roommate Malik Washington, who leads the ACC in most receiving categories (see related story).

Don’t think opposing defensive coaches haven’t noticed. Miami defensive coordinator Lance Guidry sure has, having been impressed by Muskett’s play in the upset over then 10th-ranked UNC.

“[Virginia’s] quarterback played a really good game, the transfer kid from Monmouth,” Guidry said. “The quarterback runs, draws … he’s good at running the draw. He’s a little jitterbug up in there, so we’re going to have our hands full for sure.”

Muskett made a bunch of key plays against Carolina:

• First quarter, fourth-and-2, he play-actions to Hollins and finds tight end Sackett Wood for a 22-yard gain and first down, setting up a touchdown.
• After a “Tush Push” first down QB sneak by reserve QB Grady Brosterhous, Muskett returned and found Wood again on another 22-yard pass to set up yet another TD.
• Second quarter, Muskett with a 12-yard run for a first down.
• Third-and-5, he passes to Washington for 9 yards and a first down at the 3, but unfortunately was picked off in the end zone on the next play.
• Second half, third-and-5, 11-yard pass to Washington, first down.
• Fourth-and-2, Muskett kept the ball, but was stopped, so maybe short yardage isn’t his forte.
• QB draw for 20 yards and a first down at the UNC 14, setting up the “dink, dump” pass to Washington, who fought off four Tar Heel tacklers for the go-ahead, eventually winning TD.
• Kept it for 18 yards and a first down to the UNC 35.
• Kept for 7 yards to the UNC 8 with 5 minutes to play just before Holland’s fumble into and out of the end zone. 

Quite a night for Muskett.

“I think you’re able to see what made him successful at Monmouth and what’s making him successful so far here at UVA, is that he’s extremely competitive,” Elliott said at his weekly press conference Tuesday. “He works extremely hard. He prepares like a pro and just his leadership as well that he brought in, and the impact it’s had in the locker room.”

Elliott said that Muskett has built a strong relationship with backup Anthony Colandrea, who started for three games and filled in admirably after Muskett’s injury against Tennessee. Because Colandrea has appeared in four games, UVA his trying to preserve the true freshman’s redshirt year, meaning that if Muskett is injured anytime the rest off the season, Colandrea will be forced to play.

“You would have thought they grew up together as close as they are,” Elliott said about the two quarterbacks. “It’s just a testament to the type of a young man that [Muskett] is.

“And those were all things that we thought and we believed that he had, and now we’re starting to see just the type of competitor and leader that he is.”