Tag: Virginia Cavaliers

Sep 14, 2024; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott encourages his team during a change of possession against the Maryland Terrapins during the first half at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Xavier Brown helps lift Virginia over Coastal Carolina

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Xavier Brown rushed for a career-high 171 yards and Grady Brosterhous ran for two scores as Virginia rolled to a 43-24 nonconference victory against Coastal Carolina on Saturday in Conway, S.C.

The Cavaliers (3-1) have already matched their win total from each of coach Tony Elliott’s first two seasons. Virginia finished 3-7 in 2022 and 3-9 in 2023.

Anthony Colandrea threw for 131 yards with two touchdown passes to Malachi Fields and the Cavaliers piled up 384 rushing yards in the first meeting between the programs.

Ethan Vasko passed for 222 yards with a touchdown and an interception and also rushed for a score for the previously unbeaten Chanticleers (3-1).

Coming off back-to-back games without any turnovers, Coastal Carolina coughed it up twice in the first quarter and Virginia turned the mistakes into 14 points.

The Chanticleers’ troubles began with a fumble on the opening kickoff. Three plays later, Colandrea’s 7-yard pass to Fields gave the Cavaliers a 7-0 lead just 1:24 into the game.

It was another short field for Virginia after Antonio Clary intercepted Vasko at the 35. A 5-yard TD run by Brosterhous made it 14-3 with 4:47 left in the first quarter.

Down 17-3 in the second quarter, Coastal Carolina put together a 90-yard TD drive. Vasko’s 29-yard pass to Jameson Tucker on fourth down trimmed the deficit to 17-10.

The Cavaliers answered with a 1-yard TD run by Brosterhous for a 24-10 lead. They made it 27-10 on Will Bettridge’s 47-yard field goal on the final play of the half.

Bettridge’s 45-yarder early in the third extended the lead to 30-10. After a 75-yard run by Brown, Kobe Pace punched it in from the 1 to make it 37-10.

It was 37-17 after Vasko’s 3-yard TD rush ended a run of 20 unanswered points by the Cavaliers.

In the fourth quarter, Colandrea’s 37-yard strike to Fields put Virginia ahead 43-17 with 12:12 remaining.

Michigan State transfer Noah Kim replaced Vasko and threw a 15-yard TD pass to Bryson Graves with 9:06 left.

–Field Level Media

Coastal Carolina's Christian Washington tries to evade the tackle of Jacksonville State's Malcolm Jones during college football action at Burgess-Snow Field AmFirst Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama August 29, 2024. (Dave Hyatt / Special to the Gadsden Times)

Coastal Carolina aims to bolt out of blocks in clash vs. Virginia

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Coastal Carolina will look for another fast start on Saturday in Conway, S.C., in its first-ever meeting against a Virginia squad coming off a poor finish.

The unbeaten Chanticleers (3-0) have outscored their first three opponents by a combined 79-27 margin in the first half, including recording a 21-10 halftime lead in last weekend’s 28-20 win at Temple.

“We’ve done a really good job of playing fast,” Coastal Carolina coach Tim Beck said earlier this season. “I talk to our team all the time about starting fast and I (have been) very pleased with that.”

The Chanticleers lead the Sun Belt Conference with 251.7 rushing yards per game and rank second in the league in scoring with 41.0 points per game.

Ethan Vasko passed for 103 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 92 yards in the win against Temple. The quarterback is second on the team with 190 rushing yards, trailing Christian Washington and his 206 yards and four touchdowns. Tray Taylor is Coastal Carolina’s leading receiver with 132 yards on six catches with one TD.

The Chanticleers will be facing a Virginia defense that ranks 12th against the run (138.7 yards per game) and 14th in total defense (397.3) in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season.

The Cavaliers (2-1) were outscored 20-0 in the second half as Maryland pulled away for a 27-13 victory last Saturday in Charlottesville, Va. The Terrapins scored on four of their first five drives after the intermission.

“The least important thing in a game is the score at halftime,” Virginia coach Tony Elliott said. “It didn’t matter if we were up or we were down, we’ve got to come out and play the best second half that we possibly could. … We didn’t do that.”

Anthony Colandrea ranks fifth in the ACC with 901 passing yards but has thrown four interceptions in his past two games.

Kobe Pace is the Cavaliers’ leading rusher with 153 yards and one touchdown and Malachi Fields paces the team with 20 receptions for 284 yards.

–Field Level Media

Nov 18, 2023; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott yells at officials from the sidelines against the Duke Blue Devils during the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Virginia vies to pick up steam in clash vs. Maryland

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After starting his Virginia career with consecutive three-win seasons, coach Tony Elliott and the Cavaliers look for a 3-0 start on Saturday night when old rival Maryland visits Charlottesville, Va.

Virginia (2-0) erased a 13-point, fourth-quarter deficit in a 31-30 win at Wake Forest in its Atlantic Coast Conference opener last Saturday. The Cavaliers claimed their first lead with 2:07 left on their version of the “tush push.”

The Terrapins (1-1) were on the wrong side of a comeback in their Big Ten opener Saturday as Michigan State scored the final 10 points for a 27-24 victory in College Park, Md.

Maryland, a member of the ACC from 1953 to 2013, has won the last three meetings with Virginia, including a 42-14 home victory last September. The Cavaliers scored the first 14 points before the Terps took over in that one.

At Wake Forest, Virginia fell behind 17-3 early and trailed 30-17 entering the fourth. Anthony Colandrea threw a touchdown to Trell Harris with 10:37 remaining. The Cavaliers then did their best Philadelphia Eagles impression, with Grady Brosterhous bulling ahead for the decisive 1-yard TD on a play dubbed the “Grady Bunch.”

“It’s a huge win for us, huge team win,” said receiver Malachi Fields, who has eclipsed 100 yards in both games. “We’re just going to keep continuing to grow together and be that team that’s able to finish in the fourth quarter.”

Maryland was not that team on Saturday. The Terrapins took a 24-17 lead against Michigan State on the first play of the fourth quarter on a touchdown pass from Billy Edwards Jr. to Dylan Wade.

The Spartans answered with a 77-yard TD strike from Aidan Chiles to Nick Marsh after a missed Maryland field goal, and Jonathan Kim converted the winning 37-yard field goal with one second left.

“The season is not a loss, it’s not a wipeout,” Edwards said. “We got a really tough game coming on the road down to Charlottesville … against UVA, and we got to get this stuff corrected and be ready for the rest of the season, for next week and so on. It’ll be tough, but we got it.”

–Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2024; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Anthony Colandrea (10) scores a touchdown past Richmond Spiders linebacker Wayne Galloway (9) and Spiders defensive back Bryson Parker (4) during the second half at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Virginia vies for another fast start in game vs. Wake Forest

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Two of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s worst teams from a season ago will seek a fresh start in league play when Virginia visits Wake Forest on Saturday night in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The Demon Deacons finished last with a 1-7 record in the ACC in 2023, just behind the Cavaliers and two other schools at 2-6.

Both Virginia and Wake Forest are coming off season-opening wins against FCS opponents last Saturday, with Wake Forest rolling over North Carolina A&T 45-13 and Virginia beating Richmond 34-13.

The Cavaliers are looking for their first 2-0 start under third-year coach Tony Elliott, who expects a tough challenge from Demon Deacons coach Dave Clawson’s squad.

“We get to evaluate where we are because they play extremely hard, and they’re very, very well-coached,” Elliott said. “(Those) guys have a lot of confidence and they understand the identity of who they are, and those are all things that we’re trying to establish here.”

Virginia scored on its first five possessions against Richmond. Anthony Colandrea completed 17 of 23 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score. Kobe Pace gained 144 yards from scrimmage and rushed for a TD, and Malachi Fields caught five passes for 100 yards.

Defensively, the Cavaliers collected seven tackles for loss, recovered a fumble and allowed the Spiders to convert only 3 of 15 chances on third down.

Wake Forest trailed North Carolina A&T 10-7 early in the second quarter before ripping off 31 unanswered points. Hank Bachmeier threw for 263 yards and three touchdowns, and Demond Claiborne rushed for 135 yards and a TD. Taylor Morin gained 100 yards on six receptions and added a 73-yard punt-return TD.

Clawson was not as pleased with his team’s defensive effort, however.

“I thought we missed a lot of tackles, which sometimes happens in Game 1,” he said. “That’s something we got to get cleaned up.”

Wake Forest is 3-0 against Virginia since Clawson became the coach in 2014. The Demon Deacons have won the last five meetings overall, with the Cavaliers’ most recent victory coming in 2007.

–Field Level Media

Nov 25, 2023; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Anthony Colandrea (10) scrambles from Virginia Tech Hokies defensive lineman Cole Nelson (17) during the first quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Virginia QB Anthony Colandrea to start opener vs. Richmond

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Virginia sophomore Anthony Colandrea was named as the team’s starting quarterback for its season opener next week against visiting Richmond.

Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott made the announcement Saturday with Colandrea getting the nod over senior Tony Muskett for the game at Charlottesville, Va.

Colandrea set single-season freshman records for completions (154), passing yards (1,958) and total offense (2,183) while starting six of the eight games in which he played for Virginia last season. He also threw 13 touchdown passes against nine interceptions.

Muskett transferred from Monmouth to Virginia last season and completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 1,031 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions.

–Field Level Media

Nov 18, 2023; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Malik Washington (4) scores a touchdown as Duke Blue Devils safety Jaylen Stinson (2) chases during the first quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Virginia extends home dominance over Duke, 30-27

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Anthony Colandrea threw three touchdown passes, Malik Washington broke two school records and host Virginia held off Duke 30-27 in Atlantic Coast Conference action Saturday in Charlottesville, Va.

The Cavaliers (3-8, 2-5 ACC) ended a three-game skid and gave the Blue Devils (6-5, 3-4) their fourth loss in five games.

Washington caught eight passes for 112 yards and two scores. His first touchdown broke Virginia’s single-season record for receiving yards and his second TD broke the single-season mark for receptions. It was Washington’s sixth straight 100-yard game and ninth of the season.

Washington has 96 catches for 1,311 yards. Olamide Zaccheaus (93 in 2018) and Dontayvion Wicks (1,203 in 2021) held the previous Virginia records.

Colandrea completed 21 of 30 passes for 278 yards and rushed for 66 yards. Malachi Fields added four catches for 74 yards and a TD.

Grayson Loftis threw for 278 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for Duke. Jaquez Moore ran for 100 yards and a touchdown and Jordan Moore gained 117 yards on nine receptions.

It was Virginia’s sixth straight win at home against Duke, which hasn’t won at Scott Stadium since 2013.

It was also the first ACC home victory for second-year coach Tony Elliott and ended an emotional week that marked the one-year anniversary of the shooting deaths of football players Devin Chandler, D’Sean Perry and Lavel Davis Jr.

It was 10-10 at halftime. Virginia struck first on Washington’s 34-yard TD in the first quarter. Duke responded with Jalon Calhoun’s 7-yard contested catch in the end zone in the second quarter.

The Cavaliers found the end zone on their first two second-half possessions. Colandrea’s 29-yard TD to Fields made it 17-10. After an interception by Caleb Hardy, Colandrea found Washington from 7 yards out for a 24-10 lead.

Duke converted a fourth down from its own 31-yard line before Moore broke off a 58-yard touchdown run to pull within 27-20 with 9:03 to play.

Virginia then used a “tush push” to convert a fourth down at midfield and Will Bettridge’s third field goal, from 30 yards, made it 30-20 with 3:48 left.

The Blue Devils trimmed it to 30-27 on Loftis’ 2-yard TD pass to Mehki Wall with 1:13 remaining but they were not able to recover the ensuing onside kick and Virginia ran out the clock.

–Field Level Media

Sep 15, 2023; College Park, Maryland, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back Perris Jones (2) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-USA TODAY Sports

Virginia RB Perris Jones transferred to rehab center

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Virginia running back Perris Jones was transferred to a rehab center to continue his recovery from a spinal injury.

The school said Friday that Jones is expected to remain at the Frazier Rehabilitation Institute in Louisville, Ky., for several weeks.

Jones was injured as he was tackled in the third quarter of Virginia’s 31-24 defeat at Louisville on Nov. 9.

He was transported to the University of Louisville Medical Center and underwent spinal surgery the next day.

On Tuesday, Cavaliers coach Tony Elliott told reporters he was able to speak with Jones via a Zoom call.

“He was in a position to talk to us. It was good to see his face and man, he was smiling,” Elliott said. “He was happy, focused on his team, telling us to tell the guys to keep fighting.”

Virginia (2-8, 1-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) has two games left, both at home. After playing Duke on Saturday, the Cavaliers host rival Virginia Tech to finish the season on Nov. 25.

Jones, a sixth-year senior from Alexandria, Va., rushed for a career-high 393 yards with two touchdowns on 76 carries in 10 games this season. He caught six passes for 107 yards.

–Field Level Media

Virginia's Perris Jones is carted off the field against Louisville on Nov. 9, 2023.

Virginia RB Perris Jones has movement in extremities

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Virginia running back Perris Jones has regained movement in all of his extremities after being injured in Thursday night’s 31-24 loss at Louisville.

Injured while being tackled after catching a pass in the third quarter, Jones was transported by ambulance to the University of Louisville Medical Center and remained there overnight.

Cavaliers coach Tony Elliott told reporters after the game that the news he received from the hospital regarding Jones’ condition was “encouraging.”

Jones caught a swing pass and was running up the field when he was hit near the Louisville sideline. He fumbled on the play, but Virginia receiver Malik Washington scooped it up and scored a go-ahead 42-yard touchdown.

Louisville’s training staff immediately offered assistance to Jones as officials and players from both teams gathered around him.

Jones’ roommate is fellow running back Mike Hollins, who survived a shooting that killed three of their teammates last November.

Monday marks the one-year anniversary of the deaths of Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry.

–Field Level Media

Sep 23, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Tyler Van Dyke (9) warms up prior to the game against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Andy Lewis-USA TODAY Sports

QB Tyler Van Dyke expected to lead Miami vs. Virginia

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After a one-game injury absence, Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke appears ready to return Saturday when his Hurricanes host Virginia in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup.

Miami (5-2, 1-2) is coming off its first win over Clemson since 2010, and the Hurricanes did it with true freshman quarterback Emory Williams making his first career start.

Virginia (2-5, 1-2) is coming off its first-ever road win over a Top 10 opponent, knocking off then-No. 10 North Carolina 31-27. The Cavaliers lost their first 30 road games against Top 10 foes before last Saturday’s shocker.

“What you saw,” Virginia coach Tony Elliott said, “is a group that believed.”

There’s a good amount of belief on the Hurricanes’ side, too, especially after they knocked off Clemson 28-20 in two overtimes last week.

Miami would’ve had just one loss this season had coach Mario Cristobal ordered Van Dyke to take a knee in the final seconds against Georgia Tech. Instead, a fumble led to an upset and a two-game skid that was broken last Saturday.

Now Van Dyke, who sat out last week due to an apparent leg injury, is poised to return.

“He was really close to being able to play (against Clemson),” Cristobal said. “So yeah, we feel good about (Van Dyke facing Virginia).”

Van Dyke ranks second in the ACC in passing yards per game (286.8). He is completing 70.5 percent of his passes for 16 touchdowns, with six interceptions.

Virginia shuffled its two quarterbacks — Tony Muskett and Anthony Colandrea — earlier in the season. But it’s been all Muskett the past three games, and Virginia is 2-1 in those contests.

Against UNC, Muskett completed 20 of 30 passes for 208 yards and one touchdown, with one interception.

Saturday’s game will feature the top two pass-catchers in the ACC: Virginia’s Malik Washington (56 receptions) and Miami’s Xavier Restrepo (54).

As for head-to-head battles, watch Virginia’s offensive line against Miami’s defensive front. Virginia rushed for 228 yards and a 4.2 average against the Tar Heels. The Hurricanes lead the ACC in fewest rushing yards per game (79.6) and fewest yards per carry (2.7).

The last five meetings in this series have been decided by one-possession margins. Miami won 14-12 in four overtimes at Virginia last season.

–Field Level Media

Sep 2, 2023; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; Boston College Eagles quarterback Thomas Castellanos (1) celebrates after a touchdown during the second half against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Boston College seeking turnaround against winless Virginia

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Boston College and Virginia look to right the ship after different types of games produced the same Week 4 result.

The Atlantic Coast Conference foes meet for the first time since 2020 on Saturday in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

A week after going down to the wire with then-No. 3 Florida State, the Eagles (1-3, 0-2 ACC) are coming off a 56-28 loss at Louisville in which they racked up 400 yards of total offense for the third consecutive game — a mark they reached only three times all of last season.

Thomas Castellanos had a hand in all four BC touchdowns. Two of his three through the air went to Lewis Bond.

The UCF transfer has passed for 909 yards and eight touchdowns and leads the Eagles with 280 rushing yards.

“I think he is starting to be more consistent and the wideouts are probably more comfortable with him now because he’s played more,” BC coach Jeff Hafley said.

However, the Eagles need to start faster. They were down 28-0 before scoring and allowed touchdowns on Louisville’s first six possessions last week.

“We looked a little sluggish and slow at certain positions,” Hafley said. “Our guys are excited to get the taste of that game out of their mouth.”

Virginia (0-4, 0-1) enters with the ACC’s worst scoring defense and offense — scoring 20.8 and allowing 37.8 points per game — and remains the league’s only winless team after losing 24-21 on a last-second field goal last Friday against NC State.

NC State was the first opponent the Cavaliers outscored in the fourth quarter this season, but even freshman Anthony Colandrea’s last-minute touchdown drive — bouncing back from two fourth-quarter interceptions — was not enough.

“He’s a competitor. I think that’s what makes him special,” Virginia coach Tony Elliott said. “He believes he can make every throw.”

Colandrea is expected to be replaced this weekend by Tony Muskett, the Monmouth transfer who started the season-opening loss to Tennessee but was sidelined with a shoulder injury.

Malik Washington became only the third Cavaliers player to ever record three straight 100-yard receiving games in a season. He had a career day with 10 receptions for 170 yards and two touchdowns against NC State.

Though Virginia is 0-4 for the first time since 1982, its late fight was a positive sign.

“I think they’re starting to understand and believe what it takes to win consistently, right?” Elliott said.

–Field Level Media