Scattershooting: Tony on kneeling, quick hits on UVA, ACC football

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Scattershooting around the ACC, while Tony Bennett explains why some of his players kneel during the national anthem …

Several of the Cavaliers players have said that whether they kneel or not, they are all united in support of the military and are protesting racial inequality. Bennett elaborated on what has become somewhat of a controversy among UVA fans.

“Of course it’s their right to do that,” Bennett said of the kneeling. “We talked about it. Why did you kneel? Why did you stand? If you’re going to do that, tell us why, all of us. We had a deep conversation about it.

“The one thing that was clear is we’re absolutely united in our support in how valuable military are, front line workers and support … and also united in our belief that there is racial inequality. Those things we’re sure of. Whether you stand or you kneel, this group is united in those beliefs.”

Bennett said he realizes how it looks from afar, but believes the important thing is what his players do.

“Is there action? How are you going to make a difference to provide some healing?” the coach said. “That’s the substance. I wish it wasn’t such a divisive issue. It’s a hard issue. Those things we are united on, the respect for those who have given us this freedom.”

Next man up

With his defense taking so many blows from pre-season opt-outs, mid-season opt outs, much of the secondary missing for part of the season due to injuries, Covid issues, and season-ending injuries to seniors Charles Snowden and Richard Burney, has this been the epitome of “next man up” in Bronco’s career?

I asked him that question this week.

“Probably at the highest level that I’ve ever experienced,” Mendenhall said. “And you never know at what position or what’s going to happen on a given week. Our coaches do the very best they can to put the next player up in position, prepare them diligently to make up ground and be ready. And that’s what happened this past week and it’s been happening most of the year.”

While UVA regained starting safety Joey Blount last week for the first time since Oct. 17, the secondary was still missing Brenton Nelson (for the same time period). Nelson will not be available Saturday night in Blacksburg either.

Last week the Cavaliers defense was minus outside linebacker Noah Taylor and nose tackle Jahmeer Carter. Both are back at practice this week and expected to play against the Hokies.

FSU: A dumpster fire

Florida State mustered enough players that it’s supposed to finish the season Saturday against Duke, which if the Blue Devils lose, it will be their worst record under David Cutcliffe.

No wonder the Seminoles, 2-6 overall and 1-6 in the ACC, ducked Clemson and Virginia in back-to-back weeks.

FSU has had some Covid issues, but look at these numbers about the dumpster fire in Tallahassee:

• 14 Seminoles have entered the transfer portal since Mike Norvell took over the program
• three opted out and then transferred
• one opted out and entered the NFL Draft
• one other opted out and plans to return next season
• two more quit the team
• two others were kicked off

Quick hitters

# On Friday, Pitt became the second ACC team to announce it would decline a bowl trip this season. Boston College was the first.

# Miami will take on North Carolina on Saturday. It will the the Hurricanes first home game in seven weeks when they last hosted Virginia on Oct. 24.

# Georgia Tech coach Geoff Collins didn’t win many friends Thursday night when, after a 34-20 home loss to Pitt, didn’t shake hands with Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi. It was more of a brush of hands as Collins clearly tried to avoid shaking hands and wouldn’t look Narduzzi in the eye.

Collins blew off the situation when questioned by media afterward saying that he was focused on getting the Tech band to celebrate … huh? “Some things got chippy during the game. I didn’t mean anything by it. It was in the heat of the moment.”

# Our friend Danny Neckel came up with this golden nugget this week, ranking the ACC football teams by record over the past three seasons. Most might be surprised by where Virginia ranks:

1. Clemson: 38-2
2. Virginia: 22-14
3. Miami: 21-14
4. NC State: 21-15
5. Wake: 19-14
6. Pitt: 20-17
7. BC: 19-17
8. VT: 18-18
9. UNC: 16-18
10. Syracuse: 16-20
11. Duke: 15-20
12. FSU: 13-20
13. GT: 13-21
14. Louisville: 13-22

# On the recruiting front, the recent commitment of 4-star defensive tackle Bryce Carter of Chester’s Life Christian Academy, has boosted Virginia’s recruiting rankings for the 2021 class to No. 25 in the country. National Letter of Intent early signing period is next Wednesday.

# Also in recruiting, 2022 defensive tackle prospect Curtis Neal of Cornelius, N.C., yet another 4-star, has narrowed his list to six schools: Virginia, Oregon, Arizona State, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and USC. Schools eliminated in the cut included Georgia, Penn State, Tennessee, Auburn, FSU, Miami, Texas A&M, Alabama, LSU, Kentucky, Louisville and Michigan State.

# Don’t know if you saw this, but former Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub, who is backup to Matt Ryan, the former Boston College QB, won his bet against Mattie Ice last week on the UVA-BC game. Ryan had to wear Schaub’s UVA jersey during the Atlanta Falcons practice last Monday.

# PFF (Pro Football Focus), which analyzes every college player in the country weekly, graded UVA’s Brennan Armstrong with the best performance of any FBS quarterback last week after Armstrong led the Cavaliers past Boston College.

Armstrong had a grade of 93.7, beating out Alabama’s Mac Jones 93.4, UNC’s Sam Howell 93.1, Stanford’s Davis Mills 91.6, and Toledo’s Carter Bradley, 91.5.

By the way, Armstrong ranks sixth nationally in rushing quarterbacks and has six games with at least 200 passing yards and 45 rushing yards. Plus, he missed six consecutive quarters due to a concussion.

# Yet another nugget from Neckel: most home wins in college football over the past three seasons among Power Five conference schools:

• Clemson: 20
• Notre Dame: 19
• Alabama: 18
• Oklahoma: 17
• Ohio State: 17
• Virginia: 17