UVA’s Armstrong not concerned with numbers at this point, only winning

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Seems like every game Brennan Armstrong plays, he sends the record-keepers reaching for the White Out. As his eye-popping numbers continue to swell, so do the accolades, the reputation.

Not enough, though, in the eyes of his teammates and coaches, and Wahoo Nation. After Saturday night’s performance, the “H-word,” as in Heisman, began to make its rounds through Virginia social media.

Dontayvion Wicks, who is carving out his own reputation as one of the nation’s top receivers, flat out told it like it is when asked if Armstrong was getting all the notoriety that he deserved.

“No, not at all,” said Wicks, who had just hauled in six of his quarterback’s passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns. “He’s got a little, but that’s not enough. I don’t think he’s really worried about that right now. He’s just trying to win.”

With UVA on a four-game ACC winning streak and bowl eligible at 6-2, most feel that the remaining four games on the schedule could catapult Armstrong into the national limelight.

He’s already gained helmet stickers from the ESPN late-night college football roundup crew. He’s been ACC Quarterback of the Week four times in eight games. Some of the people who really know football throw accolades his way on an almost weekly basis.

Still, a lot of the nation isn’t aware of how good Armstrong is. Maybe it’s because he plays in the ACC. Maybe it’s because Virginia needs a signature win.

Those opportunities will come, as the Cavaliers face three ranked teams and their state rival over the next five weeks, starting Saturday at No. 25 BYU, followed with a bye week, then hosting No. 11 Notre Dame, and travel to No. 17 Pitt before closing the schedule at home against Virginia Tech.

Still, Bronco Mendenhall is stumped on why more people on the national scene aren’t talking about his quarterback.

“I’m coaching my team and the rest I can’t control,” Mendenhall said after UVA’s 48-40 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday night. “If he’s not [in the national conversation], I don’t know why not, and I don’t know what else you have to do, or what other numbers you have to put up, or how else you have to lead a team.”

Let’s stop right there and check the boxes on the numbers.

Armstrong leads the nation — as he has most of the season — in passing yards with 3,220. The nearest Power Five quarterback is Mississippi State’s Will Rogers at 2,546. Armstrong is No. 2 nationally in total offense with 3,397 yards and fifth in TD passes with 23.

Virginia, which is fourth in the nation in total offense, is averaging 540 yards per clip. The Cavaliers just put up 636 yards on Georgia Tech, which tried everything in its power to prevent Armstrong from blowing them out of Scott Stadium.

“The biggest thing was trying to show [Armstrong] different looks throughout the game,” said Yellow Jackets coach Geoff Collins. “We did do that, but the kid is really good. He was finding the holes, the soft spots in certain coverages.

“We kept trying to change it up and kept trying to change the pressures, and he just kept seeing and finding it. He just has a knack for finding a way to keep plays alive and find his receivers and he keeps his eyes downfield and he makes plays. He found us and exposed us.”

For instance, with Virginia trailing Tech 16-14 midway through the second quarter, the Jackets called for a corner blitz, which Armstrong picked up on immediately. He found Wicks down the right side and Wicks did the rest for a 77-yard touchdown connection.

Defenses can’t rattle the guy. Blitz him at your own risk. His accuracy is actually higher when teams blitz him than when not. 

As Collins said, “Armstrong can make you pay.”

Armstrong did just that to the Jackets. His 495 yards of total offense was the second-highest single-game total in program history of 538 set by guess who … Armstrong, a few weeks ago against then No. 10 North Carolina.

• His 99 rushing yards were the most by a UVA player this season. His 45-yard run in the second quarter was the longest by a Cavalier this season.
• He accounted for a career-high six TDs (four passing, two rushing). UVA is 7-0 when Armstrong rushes for a touchdown.
• His 3,220 passing yards this season are the second-highest in a single season in school history (Bryce Perkins leads with 3,538 in 2019).

We could go on, but by now you get the picture.

“It is what it is,” Armstrong said about Wicks and Mendenhall’s wondering why the rest of the nation hasn’t caught on. “I don’t really care though. We’ve just got to keep winning. That’s how you get your national recognition, not just for me but as a team.”

Armstrong said he really doesn’t peek too much at his statistical accomplishments. He says it’s “awesome” that he’s atop the nation’s passers, “really cool,” but that isn’t important right now. Winning is the only thing. He can look at the numbers down the road.

Saturday night he displayed his running skills once again. Virginia was reluctant to call his number much for a few games after he tweaked his knee against Carolina. The fiery redhead declared his knee 100-percent recovered, thus the 99 yards on a dozen carries against Georgia Tech.

“I don’t feel like I’m quite as fast as I was before,” Armstrong said.

Ask the Yellow Jackets. Armstrong dashed right down their throats for a 45-yard run.

He and offensive coordinator Robert Anae and QB coach Jason Beck all know that if Armstrong can run, it makes the offense even more dangerous.

“It’s like playing 11-on-10,” Armstrong said. “The defense has to account for me.” 

Easier said than done, because he has a knack for running. In fact, it appears he wants to punish the tackler when they get in his way.

“When we’re getting close to the red zone, yeah, I mean, that’s the time when I should put my shoulder down and try to get into the end zone,” Armstrong said. “I had two great blocks in front of me tonight. But yeah, just that type of mentality when we get that close.”

He goes out of his way to acknowledge he couldn’t put up these numbers without his teammates, who consider him the ultimate leader.

When UVA was down 17 at Louisville after three quarters, Armstrong wouldn’t let anyone quit.
“Why would you quit?” he questioned. “That’s not part of my mentality.”

Perhaps if he can continue his assault on Virginia’s offensive records and lead the Cavaliers past a ranked BYU team this week, the accolades, even nationally, will begin to mount.

It’s all about winning. Those are the only numbers Armstrong can appreciate.