There’s no rest for the weary.
After a 35-14 loss to Notre Dame, Virginia returns to Charlottesville to face an explosive SMU offense.
Kevin Jennings leads SMU’s offense. The dual-threat quarterback has thrown for 15 touchdowns with a completion percentage of 65.4%. Jennings is second on the team in rushing with 315 yards. Jennings took over for Preston Stone. Stone was the initial starter at quarterback.
Brashard Smith leads the Mustangs’ bruising running game. Smith has rushed for 1,026 yards and 12 touchdowns.
SMU is a three-point loss to BYU, away from being undefeated.
The Cavaliers started last week’s Notre Dame game with former Fighting Irish David Tyree fumbling the opening kickoff.
Anthony Colandrea threw three interceptions before being replaced by Tony Muskett. Colandrea is listed as the starter for Saturday’s game, but let’s see if head coach Tony Elliott has a quicker hook.
Keys:
Protect the Ball: Virginia had five turnovers against Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish didn’t take advantage. SMU’s offense will not give the Cavaliers the same courtesy. Turn the ball over five times against the Mustangs and the score is going to be worse than 35-14.
Captain Hook: If Colandrea gets off to a slow start, Elliott should go to Muskett sooner. The argument for not doing that is that Colandrea is the future in a season where the Cavaliers aren’t going to make a bowl game, but, at some point, Virginia needs to show that being competitive is important to the program, not just the future.
Take Away the Run: If Virginia is going to lose tomorrow, it needs to be on Jennings’s arm. If SMU’s running game gets started, the Mustangs’ playbook will be wide open, and that’s an offense that can go for 35+ points. Selling out against the run will open up big play opportunities in the passing game, but it will also have its own level of risk, which can help the Cavaliers’ defense.
