Virginia can’t run the ball, can’t stop the run, and is 0-5 as a result
Posted on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, 12:00 am
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By Jerry Ratcliffe
Photo: UVA Athletics
As complicated as football appears to be, it’s somewhat simple when boiled down to the basics of the game.
If a team can run the football consistently and prevent the other team from running, it is a winning formula. This philosophy is dependent upon how an offensive line can do its job.
Ah, there’s the rub for Virginia football, winless after five games this season, the worst start for a Cavalier team since George Welsh inherited a mess of a program back in 1982. UVA can’t run the ball and can’t stop the run. The offensive line is often overwhelmed at the line of scrimmage, thusly putting immense pressure on the quarterback to make something happen.
Virginia coach Tony Elliott looked like a man without an answer after Saturday’s 27-24 loss at Boston College when he was asked about his team’s running game — or rather a lack thereof. The Cavaliers had only 66 yards rushing in the game, 28 of those by quarterback Tony Muskett.
Meanwhile, Boston College rushed for 203 yards and posted 12 first downs rushing, as opposed to only four for Virginia.
“Great question,” Elliott replied about UVA’s ground attack. “You want your backs to carry the load, but it comes down to fundamentals: footwork, hand placement, eye discipline, communication.”
Elliott pointed out that Virginia is trying to run against defenses that feature “loaded boxes,” extra defenders within the tackle box designed to stop the run.
“It comes down to individuals trusting their coaching, trusting the techniques, not trying to do too much, not trying to hit the home run, and based on my experience, when you can go for six or seven (yards), eventually you’re going to break the long one,” Elliott said. “Sometimes you can press and try to make the big one, cutting back too early, not having your eyes where they need to be.”
During game-week practices, Elliott made running the football a priority for Boston College. He felt it was a must, but the Eagles had other ideas. They loaded the box to limit UVA’s running game and decided to put the pressure on Muskett, playing in his first game since being injured in the second half of the season opener against Tennessee.
“If No. 11 (Muskett) played, we wanted to get after him and I thought we were a little timid calling [pressure] early,” BC coach Jeff Hafley said. “We were going to go pressure him and make him uncomfortable. We made it too easy for him early in the game. He didn’t feel us. We wanted to make him uncomfortable.”
Other than the running game, certainly changing the way to attack Muskett after the first quarter was a huge aspect of BC overcoming a double-digit deficit and coming back to win the game.
Muskett was 16 of 21 passing for 218 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. The second half was an entirely different ballgame, as an “uncomfortable” Muskett was only 6 of 13 for 29 yards.
“I felt the pressure was good,” Hafley said. “I thought the sacks were good. I thought the pressures we called hit fast and collapsed the pocket immediately, even at the end of the game. You could see [Muskett] was uncomfortable. I thought he was uncomfortable after the second quarter.”
Boston College outgained Virginia 266 yards to 39 in the second half.
The Eagles managed to establish a running game consistently throughout the game.
“I thought our offensive line did a nice job of controlling the second half,” Hafley said. “Virginia came out with a lot of pressure, they’re bringing guys off the edge, they’re bringing two guys in the middle, and I thought we adjusted between the offensive line and the coaches. We did a really good job of adjusting to that.”
BC managed to run the ball in spite of losing its starting right tackle and his backup to injuries during the game.
UVA’s defense did come up with a season-high four turnovers — two interceptions and two fumble recoveries — but the offense only converted those to 10 points, a first-half touchdown drive, and a tying 24-24 field goal with seven minutes to play.
The Cavaliers’ offense was almost non-existent in the second half after holding a 21-7 halftime lead.
UVA’s offense was: punt, interception, punt, punt, field goal, run out of downs in the second half. The last possession was particularly deflating when the Cavaliers took over at their own 28, trailing by three points with 2:11 to play.
Muskett threw four passes, only one complete to freshman receiver Jaden Gibson for seven yards. He also targeted Gibson two other times in that series and threw the other incomplete, a pass well behind Malachi Fields.
Heading into this week, a home game against FCS opponent William & Mary, Elliott’s Cavaliers rank No. 125 out of 130 FBS programs nationally in running the football, averaging 79.2 yards rushing per game (2.17 ypc). In five games this season, UVA has rushed for a mere 317 yards.
Meanwhile, the Virginia defense hasn’t stopped the run either, ranked No. 109 in the country in rushing defense, giving up an average of 178 yards per game and 4.65 yards per carry to opponents.
