Perkins Looking Forward To Saturday Night Battle Against Hurricanes

The stage is set for arguably the biggest game of Bryce Perkins’ football career Saturday night against No. 16 Miami, and the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Virginia junior “Thorterback” can’t wait.

Perkins’ journey has been long and trying with a couple stops along the way, but when the Hurricanes come calling Saturday under the Scott Stadium lights, he’ll be ready for the spotlight.

“I love it,” Perkins said of facing ‘The U’ Saturday at 7 on ESPN2. “I love hard, tough games, grimy games. Games that you come out and you’re sore and you can barely walk. I mean, I live for those games.

“Those games bring out the best play of everybody and it shows the weak from the strong. So with me, I’m excited to play Miami — especially at home when we have a great home crowd come out and support us, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Sure, Perkins has played in big games before, but Saturday will be a little different. He led his former school, Arizona Western, to last year’s JUCO National Championship game, but even with a record crowd on hand the attendance was a mere 3,148.

Last time out in Raleigh, UVa did get a taste of a large, loud crowd (57,600) and a hostile environment, but most of that noise Saturday will obviously be in support of the ‘Hoos and directed against the opposition.

The Cavaliers have also not experienced a primetime, nationally televised audience this season, especially with Coastal Division implications at stake. A win against the ‘Canes would put Virginia right in the mix, adding to the importance and intensity of Saturday night.

“We have got a great challenge ahead of us,” said Miami third-year coach Mark Richt. “We’re going into their house. It’s going to be at night. Their fans will be riled up, I’m sure.”

Many saw Perkins hurdle over a Louisville defender last month, but Saturday offers the first opportunity for him to truly make a name for himself on a national level. Perkins has brought with him a winning mentality and he’s aware of the progress the Wahoos have made in his relatively short time in Charlottesville.

“I think we’re getting there,” said Perkins, who was named one of 30 Golden Arm Award candidates Monday. “In both of the games that we lost, we showed glimpses of resiliency and fight, and not giving up and keep battling. We’re getting there. It’s not all the way there yet, but guys are starting to buy in, definitely. You see it, what the New Standard is and what Coach is trying to put on us and the thought of that we can go out there and beat anybody and compete with anybody.”

In the losses at N.C. State and Indiana, Perkins recognized that the Virginia run game was not quite up to snuff and that in order to be successful, that must change. When the run is less effective, Perkins said, it puts added pressure on Olamide Zaccheaus and Hasise Dubois to make plays out on the edge.

The Cavaliers are hoping to get guys like Joe Reed, Evan Butts and Tavares Kelly more involved in the passing game, among others, to help take some of that pressure away. Kelly, the speedy freshman, is coming off his most productive outing, as he set career highs of three catches for 57 yards against the Wolfpack.

It will be especially important to spread it out as much as possible against a defense like Miami. The ‘Hoos have been trying to simulate going up against star defensive tackle Gerald Willis III and the rest of the UM defensive line in practice, but it will be right up in their face in a few days.

“We know that they’re going to try to cause havoc with those four guys, which has been resulting in turnovers…,” Perkins said, “so just make sure we come out aggressive up front. In practice we have a jersey with No. 9 on it to simulate [Willis] so that when he’s in, being more conscious about the keys up front and be more conscious about the queues that you have to do and play a little bit more deliberate when he’s lined up in front of you.”

Perkins said he watched last year’s loss at Miami and offered his take on how to avoid a similar setback this time around.

“I thought UVa last year came out aggressive, got up on ‘em, and then we all know [the Hurricanes] got a turnover and then that’s when things started changing,” Perkins recalled. “So, learn from that and then apply it to this year and make sure we have a clean game, and simple mistakes that can lead into turnovers, just eliminate those too.”

Zaccheaus impressed Perkins with the short reception that he turned into a 33-yard touchdown at Hard Rock Stadium last November, and knows that those kinds of plays — no matter who’s making them — are the ones that help you win the big games.

“He can cause separation at a quicker rate,” Perkins said of Zaccheaus’ talents. “You see him separate from people because of his speed and his quickness and it allows you to get the ball out without making such a tight window to throw it, and having yards after catch is a big thing too.”

Perkins will more than likely be required to get rid of the ball quickly Saturday, and having fast, reliable weapons that can turn those types of quick outs into huge chunks of yardage will be key to the success of the offense.

“We’re very comfortable doing that and we’re just going to have to take what the defense gives us,” he said.

Perkins is also just fine with going “full tilt” when running the ball himself, as he explained Monday when asked if he’d like to see more designed runs.

“If that gives us the best chance to win, I’m definitely all up for it and giving a hundred percent,” Perkins admitted. “Sometimes it’s gonna be like that, sometimes it’s not. It doesn’t matter to me — if the ball’s in my hand, I’m gonna try to make a play.”