Without spring ball last year, as well as the customary time in the summer to work with his receivers, Brennan Armstrong was moving into UVa's starting job without anything resembling normal.

With spring underway and things looking at least somewhat like they're reverting back this offseason, QBs coach Jason Beck wants his starter to keep working on the lessons he learned last year.

And it’s safe to say that the Ohio native has heard Beck’s recommendations loud and clear.

“It was a risk coming into the year,” Beck said Tuesday of the turnover issue, “and something that we were working very carefully [on], to be on top of because of that issue with any young quarterback, especially with certain style of players. So we did know that. But just as the games slowed down for him a little bit, it worked itself out with him being a little cleaner.

“Part of it is, in those early games just trying to do too much and some of those situations caused it,” he added. “There’s just some growth that took place there. As much as you talk about how valuable that football is and how huge turnovers are, you really really feel it when you cherish that at a higher level.”

“Main one is turnovers,” Armstrong said later when asked about the takeaways from last fall. “Beginning of the season, it was a lot of turnovers. And also just being efficient. I think short-gain stuff, being a lot more efficient on that. I feel like we can take more shots down the field now with the weapons we have but also engaging when I should take those shots and when I should be efficient with the ball.”

A 6-foot-2, 215-pound redshirt junior, Armstrong tied for the lead among FBS quarterbacks with six 200+ yard passing and 45+ yard rushing games in 2020. He also tied for the most single-season games (four) with 200 yards passing, 45 yards rushing, and at least one TD through the air and one on the ground.

Having finished third in the league and 18th nationally with an average of 296.6 yards of total offense per game, Armstrong heads into his second year as QB1 with plenty of reason for optimism.

But it was his 11 interceptions against 18 touchdowns that caused the most concern, both for Armstrong and his position coach.

“We’re wanting to take a step forward with everything he’s doing across the board,” Beck explained. “With more efficient play, being able to hit more big plays when the opportunities are there, cut down on those turnovers…[and] just improve his game across the board. He’s ready for that and working really hard to grow and develop as a player and in his performance.”

“I would say the biggest one, it’s the turnovers man,” Armstrong said about lessons he learned as a starter. “That’s the main thing. Those turnovers, those are the things that kill ya. I put my defense in situations sometimes where we’d get down on the scoreboard. Field position, that was huge. And those turnovers killed that. We need those type of things to win ballgames.

“Efficiency: I need to be smarter with the ball,” he added. “Using my legs when I have to. I feel like I did a lot better with that obviously in the second half of the season.”

Another aspect of being QB1 is being a leader. Selected as a team captain last fall, that’s been something that Armstrong has worked on a great deal.

“He’s always led by example,” Beck said. “He works really hard. He’s early. He’s just doing everything you’d want a person to do. But he was in that quarterback role, so you’re looked to more as a leader more verbally also. And I have seen a growth in that. Having played and having had success on the field, his personality, he had to earn that right to be more vocal, telling his teammates what to do and when to do it. With him demonstrating the performance on the field, you can tell he feels more comfortable with taking more of that ownership. So, he’s still doing all those other things at a really high level but there is definitely an increase in his verbal leadership to the group.

“He’s kind of the clear-cut leader on the offense and then we’re fortunate that we have some experience up front, where we get some great leadership out of the O-line with returning players there,” he added. “So, it is a good dynamic with those guys.”

“I would say that, in every shape and form,” Armstrong said of feeling more comfortable. “I think I’ve become a lot more comfortable with it. Every aspect of that leadership role. Being a quarterback, playing the game, having a season under my belt, understanding what goes on during the season, all of that. Everything that comes with it.

“I feel like I’m so much more comfortable with it now,” he added, “and I can just portray that to my team now. They have confidence in me that I can be more of a vocal leader on certain things. I would just that comfortability has 100 percent gotten a lot better.”

One of the challenges of his upcoming season is how to balance both being more efficient with the ball but also making sure to take the kinds of downfield chances UVa needs him to take. Bronco Mendenhall has made clear that the Cavaliers need to take advantage of the skill players they have, including WR Lavel Davis, Jr.

“I think the offseason, developing chemistry, consistently throwing to each one of those guys that we want to go 50/50 with, that’s just going to be a huge part,” Armstrong said. “I think having this offseason, going through spring ball right now, is going to be a big thing for that. Hopefully it’s more like 75/25. Hopefully it’s more like one of those things where we’re on the same page. So, a guy’s playing a certain [coverage]? Boom, back shoulder. Little things like that. Hopefully those 50/50s turn more into 75/25.”

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