UVA Notebook: Saturday Night Is Alright For Bronco

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Saturday night’s atmosphere in Scott Stadium is exactly what Bronco Mendenhall had dreamed about for his football program when he arrived in Charlottesville four years ago.

An announced crowd of 57,826 showed up to watch the Cavaliers nip Florida State in a down-to-the-wire thriller-diller. It was the most highly attended game at Scott since 2015 when more than 58,000 turned out for Notre Dame’s first-ever football visit.

While all of the top-10 home crowds have been above 61,000 fans, Saturday night’s rekindled memories of those days a decade ago.

Mendenhall was clearly pleased about the fans during his Monday press conference, and said he believed night games are the way to go for UVA.

“I was thrilled with the attendance and the support we received in our stadium,” the coach said. “Clearly made a difference for our team, but also was symbolic just of the momentum we’re building within our program.”

The Florida State game, a 31-24 victory for the unbeaten and No. 21-ranked Cavaliers, was the third consecutive night game to open the season for UVA. When Old Dominion comes to town this Saturday, it will make four night games in a row.

As far as Mendenhall goes, it’s not a bad thing.

“Now that I’ve been here going into my fourth year, I think the night games fit really well at UVA,” he said. “I’m learning enough about the community and the fan base and our student body, and just my sense in that short amount of time is that’s the best fit. It appears that’s when we garner the most support.”

The downside of that is that players have to manage a full day before getting to the stadium and playing games that can stretch well into the night. Several of the players said it’s a bit of a challenge to occupy their time up until it’s time to get to Scott or whatever stadium they’re playing.

“Part of developing and building a program is more of the primetime slots in television exposure,” said Mendenhall, who totally gets it. “I view it all as a sign of progress.

“Yeah, so I’m for it.”

 

Injury Report

Mendenhall revealed to media after Saturday night’s win that backup quarterback Brennan Armstrong had suffered an injury in the William & Mary game the week before and couldn’t participate against FSU.

The coach didn’t identify Armstrong’s injury but did say that he is day-to-day in the recovery process.

So, who’s UVA’s backup for starter Bryce Perkins?

Right now, it’s Lindell Stone, a junior from Dallas, Texas, via Woodberry Forest School, and true freshman R.J. Harvey from Orlando, Fla.

Stone is a more traditional pocket passer, while Harvey, who is only 5-foot-8, 190 pounds, is a “very” mobile quarterback, who can run as well as pass.

Meanwhile, Dejon Brissett, a graduate transfer from the University of Richmond, is healthy again. Brissett played in the FSU game.

“So glad he’s back,” Mendenhall said of the wide receiver. “Before he got hurt (in training camp), we were really impressed and still are.”

UVA had lost true freshman receiver Dontayvion Wicks (Plaquemine, La.) to a concussion last week, the same time that Brissett was returning to the team.

“It’ll be better when they’re both back at the same time, but, yeah, Brissett now is available, and I think it shows the confidence we have in him for the situation we put him in,” the coach said. “I would expect more touches, more inclusion in the script, and usage for him going forward. The timing is really good for us.”

 

Player Of The Week

Perkins was voted the ACC’s Co-Quarterback of the Week along with Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence for their weekend performances.

Lawrence was 22 of 39 for a career-high 395 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-6 win over Syracuse.

Perkins was 30 of 40 (both career highs) for 295 yards and one TD, but also rushed for 46 yards and a magical two-point conversion. In the second half, Perkins was 17 of 19, which included a dropped pass and a throwaway under pressure. During one second-half span, he completed 16 consecutive passes as he shredded Florida State’s defense.

 

ODU Over Oregon

Last season, Virginia hosted Liberty U. from nearby Lynchburg, in the first of a multi-year football series. Saturday night at 7 p.m. (ESPN2), it will be Old Dominion’s turn.

The Monarchs (1-1) are members of Conference USA, and opened the season with a win over Norfolk State (24-21) at their new Kornblau Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium (capacity 21,944), and lost at Virginia Tech (31-17) two weekends ago before going through a bye last week.

The ODU series was scheduled prior to Mendenhall’s arrival, but he’s highly in favor of it. He didn’t know much about the state or ODU at the time the games were announced about the same time he took the Virginia job.

“I like the idea of in-state, close, regional [games] because of the intrigue,” he said. “If I have my choice to travel across the country to play Oregon or stay in-state, I would much rather stay in-state.”

Why?

Mendenhall believes that ACC games are hard enough, and that’s what ultimately the Cavaliers are playing for, to get to the conference’s championship game. Going all over the east coast for ACC battles is enough travel in his mind, and presents some academic challenges for players.

“I would like to continue with [in-state] philosophy in place. I think it’s a natural fit. Virginia Tech has already grasped the same idea,” the coach said. “When you have Liberty as an independent, ODU as Conference USA, man, the quality of FCS teams that are close, it just makes sense.”

 

What About Those Monarchs?

Mendenhall commented that he believed ODU was a good football team and praised the work of Coach Bobby Wilder, who is in his 13th year as head coach of the Monarchs. He was hired to build the program from scratch in 2007.

“The schematics offensively are very sound,” Mendenhall said of ODU. “Same on defense, same on special teams, and the personnel is strong. I know there is intrigue because of the in-state matchup and the game versus Virginia Tech a year ago and this year. I think that’s a fair assessment to say what could this game look like. That game was close and contested, and competitive.”

ODU stunned Virginia Tech in 2018 in Norfolk.

 

Recruiting in the Boot

News leaked out Sunday that Virginia had landed yet another commitment from Louisiana, previously unchartered recruiting grounds for the Wahoos, but no longer.

Mendenhall’s roster has three Louisianians currently on the team, and now has commitments from three more.

Four-star outside linebacker Brandon Williams of Ididore Newman in New Orleans committed the the Cavaliers while on his visit to Charlottesville this past weekend for the Florida State game. He chose the Cavaliers over LSU, Texas A&M, Miami, Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky, Purdue and Oklahoma State.

Williams joined two previous commitments from “the Boot,” to UVA: Defensive back Bud Clark from Alexandria, La., and wide receiver Lavel Davis, of Harvey.

Williams is 6-3, 220 pounds.

UVA has three players from the Pelican State presently on its roster: receiver Terrell Chatman (grad transfer from Arizona State),  and freshmen Mike Hollins (a running back from Baton Rouge) and Dontayvion Wicks (a receiver from Plaquemine).

NCAA rules prohibit Mendenhall or any coach from commenting on commitments, but allow him to talk about the recruiting in general.

“Our view of Louisiana is not state-specific, our view of Louisiana is people-specific in Coach Ricky Brumfield and Jordan Arcement,” Mendenhall said. “I believe it’s who first and then what.

“Those two individuals on our staff, when you consider now where could they make the biggest impact, where could they be great, not just good (recruiting-wise) … there are profile schools and there are profile players that fit Virginia that are in Louisiana. Those two coaches, personnel members of our staff, are exceptional in that state and in those communities.”

Mendenhall said the yield has been so good from that state there is no way to not consider recruiting it hard.

 

First Penalty Flag On Bronco, No Punishment

Mendenhall apologized to his team after Saturday’s win over FSU for drawing an unsportsmanlike penalty during the Seminoles’ last drive. He was protesting a controversial fourth-down pass interference call on corner Nick Grant, who said he didn’t think he committed a foul.

It was back-to-back penalties on the same play, costing UVA 30 yards and keeping Florida State’s drive alive. Mendenhall said afterward that it was the first unsportsmanlike penalty in his career as a head coach (going on his 15th year).

Players readily forgave their coach for the emotional outburst and said they had his back, while also having a little fun with it. Quarterback Bryce Perkins said maybe “Coach should have to do 200 box steps,” as punishment.

Asked Monday about the whole deal, and what did wife, Holly, think about it, Mendenhall was quite candid.

“I didn’t use bad language,” Mendenhall said. “I make it a point to not do that. I didn’t know I had the penalty. Coach (Nick) Howell said, ‘Coach you’re out on the field and they just threw a penalty on you.’ I looked and I saw it.

“There are times where it just seems right to defend your players and the way they’re playing and maybe the outcome of a call. Obviously, I crossed the line, but there was no profanity used. Rarely, if ever, do I do that.”

And from his wife’s perspective?

“Holly said, ‘Holy cow, you got a penalty for that? It’s like the first I’ve ever seen that in your head coaching career, and one time you do that you get a penalty.’ She thought that might be some injustice. There wasn’t a scolding tone, but I don’t think she was really happy with me.”

 

Short Yardage …

• Mendenhall said he would not be interested in playing a “nonconference” game against an ACC opponent from the Atlantic Division like North Carolina and Wake Forest did last weekend. The two were not on one another’s schedule, so they played a game that didn’t count in the ACC standings for either team. Wake handed UNC its first loss of the season.
• ODU quarterback Stone Smartt is a dual-threat, who completed 16 of 30 passes for 120 yards and rushed for 48 yards and two TDs against the Hokies two weekends ago.
• The Monarchs’ top running backs are Lala Davis, 11 carries for a career-high 81 yards, and Kesean Strong, eight carries for 51 yards, against Tech.
• A Virginia win over ODU would give the Cavaliers their first 4-0 start since 2004 when Al Groh’s team bolted to a 5-0 record and a national top-10 ranking before losing at Florida State.
• The Wahoos are ranked No. 16 nationally and No. 2 in the ACC in total defense. 
• With 14 sacks in the first three games, Virginia ranks No. 2 nationally in QB sacks, behind only Florida.