Perkins Has Barely Dealt With Rain, Much Less A Hurricane

It’s always sunny in Arizona.

No, that’s not an advertisement by that state’s Chamber of Commerce. Instead, it came from Arizona-bred Bryce Perkins during Monday’s Virginia football interviews.

Perkins was asked about the whole bizarre hurricane thing, UVa having to relocate its home game to Nashville, Tenn., to avoid the threat of Hurricane Florence over the weekend, something the junior quarterback was totally unfamiliar with.

When a reporter asked him if he’d ever been involved in a game being moved because of a hurricane, Perkins took full advantage of the situation.

“Never,” the QB smiled. “I’ve barely been around rain.”

In fact, after UVa’s game in rain-soaked Bloomington, Ind., the week before, Perkins had mentioned to this reporter that he had never really thrown passes in the rain while in high school, at Arizona State, or at Arizona Western Community College, from where he transferred to UVa.

“I was shocked [about the hurricane warning],” Perkins said. “It’s always sunny in Arizona.”

Perkins wasn’t exactly pleased with his first experience in a downpour, going 12-for-24 for 106 yards and two scores. UVa’s slot receiver, Olamide Zaccheaus, was upset with his game against the Hoosiers as well. He had five catches for a mere 15 yards as the Cavaliers’ offense could never get on track in the driving rainstorm.

When media informed Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall during Monday’s presser that Perkins had told reporters minutes earlier that Zaccheaus was really ticked off after the Indiana game because he didn’t make much impact, the coach wisecracked: “Makes two of us.”

What had to impress Mendenhall was something else that first Perkins mentioned, then was confirmed by Zaccheaus.

When Virginia returned home to Charlottesville, the quarterback-receiver combo, along with a couple teammates, decided to get more accustomed to the passing game in bad weather.

Perkins said the next day they went out and practiced throwing with soaking wet footballs. Coaches didn’t ask them to do it, they did it on their own.

“I was sick to my stomach [over the Indiana performance],” Zaccheaus said.

He noted that after a really good week of practice he lost focus because of the rainstorm in Bloomington and some other external factors.

Certainly he and Perkins made up for it last weekend in Nashville under sunny skies and 90-degree temperatures as Virginia defeated Ohio, 45-31, at neutral site Nashville, Tenn.

Zaccheaus broke one of Virginia’s oldest records with 247 receiving yards, breaking Ken Shelton’s mark of 241 set against William & Mary in 1974. Zaccheaus’ performance also tied for the 10th-best all-time in ACC history.

The fact that Zaccheaus and Perkins (who was 25-for-30, 379 yards, three TDs), worked out on their own with the wet footballs, said a lot to their coaches.

“The best teams I’ve coached and the best programs that I’ve been with are reflected by the best players being the hardest workers and caring the most,” Mendenhall said. “Caring meaning it shows in the extra things they do.”

The coach pointed out an example of his days at New Mexico when Brian Urlacher played there. The Lobos won only three games Mendenhall’s first year there, then four, then five.

“Anyway, he never had a winning season with us, but what he did is teach the younger players,” the coach said. “His legacy was actually stronger when he left. We won, five, six, seven, eight [games] over time because of his example.”

Mendenhall said the same kind of culture is being formed at Virginia with the likes of Chris Peace, Quin Blanding, Micah Kiser, Smoke Mizzell, and others, such as Andrew Levrone.

Getting back to the weather though, Mendenhall has seen a little bit of everything in his three years in Charlottesville, and even before, when his favored BYU team came to Scott Stadium a few years ago and lost after perhaps the longest storm delay in UVa’s home history.

So far this year, Virginia’s season-opener against Richmond was delayed briefly by threatening storms in the area, the second game at Indiana was marred by a severe rainstorm for the entirety of the game, and last weekend’s home game with Ohio was moved to Nashville to avoid the threat of a hurricane.

What is Mendenhall’s thoughts about the weather in Charlottesville during his tenure?

“Yeah, there’s a conversation we just had,” he said about his family. “My son, Cutter, is on his mission to Uruguay, and [wife] Holly creates a newsletter _ she calls it the Ivy Connection _ (that’s where the Mendenhall’s live) each week that she shares with him that updates him on family and different things happening.”

Mendenhall said there seems to be a weather update every week, so it’s a big topic around the family household.

“We’ve talked about weather more in the past three years than we have in our entire marriage and my entire life probably,” Mendenhall smiled. “What I would say about the weather is it just doesn’t stop.”

The Bourbon Bowl

Ever since Louisville joined the ACC and replaced Maryland as Virginia’s crossover partner, it has been a fairly interesting series. UVa leads the series in games played in Charlottesville by 2-to-1, while Louisville leads overall, 4-2, including last year’s 38-21 game in Kentucky.

Wahoos fans have a couple of nicknames for the rivalry: the Battle for I-64, since that interstate runs through both cities; and my favorite, the Bourbon Bowl. Can’t remember exactly who the UVa fan was that recommended it, but I do remember how he described it.

“Yes, the Bourbon Bowl, because they (Louisville) make it, and we (UVa fans) drink it,” the fan cracked.

It’s a huge early season game for both teams. Louisville is coming off a less-than-impressive, 20-17 home win against winless Western Kentucky. The Cardinals were down 14-0 early in the game and had to rally late to win, while improving their record to 2-1. Louisville’s other win came against Indiana State (31-7), while the Cards were crushed in the opener by No. 1 Alabama, 51-14.

Mendenhall sees it as a game Virginia needs to win. His 2-1 Cavaliers are a 3-point favorite.

“Every home game, whether it’s ACC or not, is critical,” Mendenhall said. “Every time you can get an advantage in this league, at any level, no matter how miniscule or how significant, you have to leverage it because they don’t come very often.”

UVa plays seven home games this season, although last weekend’s home contest was moved to Nashville, Tenn., due to the threat of Hurricane Florence.

“Everyone has good coaches; everyone has good players,” Mendenhall continued. “It’s a challenge every single week. So, if you have a chance to be at home or any advantage you can possibly get, to squander that is very difficult to get it back.”

Kicking Job up for Grabs

After sophomore A.J. Mejia missed a 30-yard field goal against Ohio on Saturday, Mendenhall said he will reassess the place-kicking position.

Mejia, who was 8-for-12 last season, has started out 1-for-3, missing from 30 and 35. His lone make was from 32 yards. As a freshman, Mejia was 8-for-8 on every attempt inside 38 yards.

“That competition is open,” Mendenhall said, “and Hunter [Pearson] will have every chance to earn the job. It’s basically at ground zero and starts again. Now that I’ve seen three games, and I’m willing to take into account this week’s performance, that will probably drive who’s the field goal kicker regardless of range going into this week.”

Previously, Mendenhall stated that he would use Mejia for shorter kicks and either Pearson, a true freshman from Seneca, S.C., or possibly even sophomore kickoff man Brian Delaney for longer distances. Now, that appears to be out the window.

Switch at Punt Return

Virginia used sophomore Chuck Davis as its punt return man in the first two games of the season but switched to true freshman Tavares Kelly against Ohio on Saturday.

Kelly brings more speed to the position, with the threat of a breakaway return, but also brings inexperience. He fumbled away a punt return against Ohio that essentially negated any positives he brought to the table.

In most every head coach’s mind, the most important thing about a return man is his ability to catch the ball. Fumbles are not allowed. Davis did not light things up as a return guy, but is the player Mendenhall trusts most when it comes to catching the football.

Mendenhall said Monday that competition is also open.

“There is a clear trade as we all saw,” the coach said in reference to Kelly’s fumble. “I will err on the side of catching the ball going forward as Tavares is being developed. We already saw even with safe punt, the defense out there, when [Kelly] did get the one opportunity to return it. He’s dynamic.

“Part of the dynamic is also being immature and unseasoned,” Mendenhall sadded. “That really was reflected on the last opportunity he had to return the ball. So, yeah, I’ve got to do a really nice job of deciding when and where _ Chuck is baseline, so we start there _ and then when, and where, and if Tavares is able to contribute to that role.”

Man Without a Number

True freshman Derek Devine, a 6-6, 285, rookie from Pittsburgh, is now listed as the backup left offensive tackle behind redshirt freshman starter Ryan Nelson.

One problem. Devine doesn’t have a number. He hasn’t earned it yet in Virginia’s “earned, not given” system.

“Yeah, he’s got to earn one, otherwise the depth chart is just pretend,” Mendenhall said. “You can’t play without a number.”

Still, Devine, a three-star recruit out of North Allegheny High in the Steel City, caught the coaching staff’s collective eyes to move into that spot on the two-deep.

“Two things, he has done a nice job against our defense, but simply also depth at our offensive line [is an issue],” the coach said. “Both of those things have contributed to considering him.”

Meanwhile, Ohio State transfer defensive lineman Dylan Thompson had not earned a number either as on Monday’s press conference.