Game Notes: Abilene Christian at Virginia

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Posted on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020, 7:30 pm

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Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Team Notes

  • uva footballSaturday was the first-ever meeting between Virginia and Abilene Christian.
  • Virginia is winners of 16 of its last 18 home games, which dates back to the start of the 2018 season. UVA is 20-5 at Scott Stadium since the start of the 2017 season.
  • UVA held Abilene Christian to 62 yards rushing. It is the 16th time in the Bronco Mendenhall era the Cavaliers have held their opponent under 100 rushing yards. UVA’s record is 15-1 in such games, including 3-0 in 2020.
  • UVA scored on a one-play, 90-yard touchdown play on the final play of the first quarter. It is the second-longest one-play scoring drive in school history. A 93-yard one-play scoring drive against Wake Forest in 1982 is the longest.
  • The 90-yard scoring drive was UVA’s fourth drive of 90+ yards this season (all touchdowns). It was also UVA’s 11th drive of 75+ yards this season. All 11 have resulted in a touchdown.
  • UVA scored on a 90-yard play to end the first quarter and a one-yard play to end the second quarter. It has had an 84-yard pick-6 to end the game.
  • The Cavaliers finished with 518 yards of total offense. It was the first time they accumulated 500+ yards of total offense since the 2019 UNC game.
  • UVA held Abilene Christian to 340 yards of total offense. It marks the 37th time under Bronco Mendenhall the Cavaliers have held an opponent under 400 yards of total offense. UVA is 22-15 in those games, including 2-1 in 2020.
  • OG Joe Bissinger made first collegiate start at LG.
  • DL Olasunkonmi Agunloye**, OLB Dre Bryant, OLB Jonathan Horton**,OG Jestus Johnson III**, OG Jack Keenan, S Darren Klein, OLB D’Sean Perry, and TE Sackett Wood Jr. made collegiate debuts. **-denotes true freshman

Player Notes

  • WR Lavel Davis Jr. caught a 90-yard touchdown pass from QB Brennan Armstrong. It was a career long for both players. It is also tied for the fifth-longest pass play in program history. It is the longest by a Cavalier since Emmanuel Byers found Deyon Williams for 90 yards against Miami in 2005. The pass play is tied for the fifth longest in the nation this season and is the longest in the ACC so far this season.
  • Davis Jr.’s 90-yard touchdown is the second-longest by a true freshman in program history, second only to Tyrone Davis’ 91-yard score in 1991 against NC State.
  • QB Brennan Armstrong finished with a career-high 383 passing yards. It is the first career game with 300+ passing yards.
  • Armstrong set a career high with four passing touchdowns. Coming into the game he had only one pass of 50 yards or more. Three of his four passing touchdowns came on passes of 90, 56 and 52 yards.
  • Armstrong becomes the first Cavalier to throw at least three passes of 50+ yards in a single game.
  • Armstrong is the first UVA quarterback since Bryce Perkins in the 2019 Orange Bowl to throw for at least four touchdowns in a game. It marked the 24th time a UVA quarterback threw for 4+ touchdowns in a game.
  • QB/WR Keytaon Thompson scored on a career-long 56-yard touchdown pass from Armstrong in the third quarter.
  • WR Terrell Jana finished with one catch, extending his streak of active games with a catch to 24.
  • TE Tony Poljan finished with five catches, extending his streak of active games with a catch to 21.
  • Poljan’s 28-yard touchdown in the first quarter was the longest reception of his UVA career.
  • Poljan finished with 77 receiving yards, which is his season high.
  • RB Shane Simpson tied his career high with two rushing touchdowns. Simpson also had two last year against The Citadel when he played for Towson.
  • WR Ra’Shaun Henry scored on a 52-yard touchdown in the third quarter. He has three catches in his UVA career and all three have resulted in touchdowns.
  • WR Demick Starling nabbed his first career touchdown in the fourth quarter when QB Lindell Stone found him on a two-yard pass.
  • DB Elijah Gaines notched his first career sack in the fourth quarter.
  • OLB D’Sean Perry closed the game on an 84-yard interception return for a touchdown, which is the fifth-longest return in program history. Perry made his collegiate debut in the game.