Last season, Brennan Armstrong and the offense were incredibly explosive in the passing game. This season hasn’t been the same.
Armstrong is completing a little over 50% of his passes and he only has two touchdown passes on this season. Consider this. Armstrong hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in two games. Last season, he had, at least, one touchdown pass in every game.
There are reasons for this. A new coaching staff came in and the offense changed. There has also been drops by all the receivers. With that being said, Armstrong has had his share of bad passes including missing receivers who are wide open.
“He’s (Armstrong) trying to make every single play for us because he had that freedom last year in the system. He was confident and again he’s a playmaker. Where is here, I want him to play within the system.
UVA Head Coach Tony Elliott
The change in philosophy has impacted Armstrong and the offense as a whole. Elliott alluded to it. The last coaching staff asked Armstrong to go out and make plays and it will be an adjustment for everyone. It’s hard to ask a player, who had an offense built around him to all-of-sudden to an about face and seek out balance.
The struggles could come from the simple fact that you have a roster full of players that were recruited to play a style of football that the new coaching staff doesn’t want to play.
UVA (2-1) isn’t Clemson but Elliott is doing the right thing in establishing his culture from day one. The challenge will be is, can Elliott recruit to his system at UVA?
Syracuse (3-0) is coming off a last second 32-29 win over Purdue. The Orange offense has over 30 points in every game this season.
Quarterback Garrett Shrader has completed 66.2% of his passes and 8 touchdowns. Sean Tucker and Oronde Gadsden II have 12 catches a piece in the Orange’s first three games.
Syracuse is the most explosive offense the Cavaliers have faced so far. Scoring 16 points like they did against ODU isn’t going to cut it nor can the offense expect the defense to shut down the Orange.
The Cavaliers will need for Armstrong to adjust faster to Elliott’s system and it will need to start tonight at Clemson.
