Dominant start to season thus far for the Cavalier defense
The No. 1 goal for the Virginia defense each week is to hold its opponent to under 24 points. Through two games this year, the Hoos have surrendered 14.
Total.
That’s the fewest points allowed by a UVa defense through two games in more than a half-century, since the Wahoos opened the season with three straight shutouts in 1952. Illinois ended this year’s season-opening scoreless streak by finding the end zone twice on Saturday, but it was still a strong performance defensively in what ultimately proved to be a lopsided 42-14 Virginia win.
“I think the numbers reflect how we’re executing,” fifth-year safety Joey Blount said after the victory. “Of course, the two touchdowns they had today, I really don’t think they should have gotten those. Just mishaps on the defensive side, little things that we’ve got to be better on. But overall executing, I noticed in the offseason and these games are making it more and more clear for us that we’re just a different team.”
Through two games, the numbers back up Blount’s claim: At just seven points allowed per game, UVa ranks fourth in the country in scoring defense and the 260 total yards per game the Hoos have allowed is 18th nationally. Both stats are vast early improvements from a year ago, when the defense gave up 29.6 points and 442.9 total yards per game.
Pass defense plagued the Cavaliers a season ago, when they ranked among the worst teams in the country after giving up 304.4 yards per game through the air. UVa’s first two opponents this season, William & Mary and the Illini, have thrown for 310 yards combined. Last year’s season low in yards allowed came against Abilene Christian, when the Hoos gave up 340 total yards; that’s more than either opponent has put up this year.
“It says a lot about how hard we work and how hard we’ve emphasized our pillars, and it’s showing,” outside linebacker Noah Taylor said Saturday of the way the defense has performed statistically early this season. “Hopefully we’ll keep that going for the rest of the year.”
William & Mary racked up just 183 total yards last weekend, the fewest allowed by a UVa defense since the arrival of head coach Bronco Mendenhall and defensive coordinator Nick Howell prior to the 2016 season. Illinois finished Saturday’s game with 337 total yards, including 66 yards on a meaningless final drive before time expired.
Without that final drive, UVa would have held back-to-back opponents under 300 total yards for the first time since October 2019.
“We played consistent for the majority of the game,” Mendenhall said of Saturday’s defensive performance. “There was very few breakdowns and very few things that didn’t fit exactly right and when we didn’t, Illinois exploited those on both drives they had scored. But 14 points in two games is a really nice start to a season defensively.”
Mendenhall also mentioned how many players were factors for the defense on Saturday. Blount and Taylor were among four UVa players, along with linebacker Nick Jackson and safety Antonio Clary, who tied for the team lead with seven tackles apiece. Mendenhall was pleased with the way defensive linemen Nusi Malani and Ben Smiley held up in place of Adeeb Atariwa, who missed the game after getting hurt in practice. Another D-lineman, first-year Michael Diatta, finished with two tackles and a hurry in his first college game.
Making his first start, linebacker Hunter Stewart followed up a strong performance against the Tribe by recording three tackles and his first career sack. UVa’s other two sacks both came from Taylor, with both coming on 3rd downs in obvious passing situations. It was the first two-sack game of his career.
“My heart starts racing. It’s like, ‘Oh man, we get to rush the quarterback,’” Taylor said of those 3rd-and-long situations. “That’s what most of us specialize in.”
Taylor also had one of seven pass breakups on Saturday. The other six came from a secondary that forced a pair of late takeaways, the first two of the season for the UVa defense. Corner Anthony Johnson recorded the team's first interception in another 3rd-and-long situation in the fourth quarter, and on the next Illinois offensive play safety Nick Grant forced a fumble that was recovered by first-year linebacker West Weeks.
“There’s weapons on defense,” Blount said. “We’re trying to implement more rotations with the defensive backs. For the game, keep people healthy, but also long-term. Injuries come down the season. If we can keep rotating players in, getting their experience up and keeping people healthy, it’s gonna be important for us down the road.”
If there’s a caveat behind the two stout defensive performances it’s that both have come against opponents who entered the season with low expectations. William & Mary was picked 11th in the 12-team CAA this year; Illinois was picked to finish at the bottom of the Big Ten West.
That won’t be the case this weekend, when the Wahoos go on the road for the first time to open ACC play against No. 21 North Carolina in Chapel Hill. UNC is led by quarterback Sam Howell, a projected first-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft.
Howell just bounced back a from a three-pick performance in UNC’s season-opening loss at Virginia Tech to throw for 352 yards and two touchdowns—and run for 104 yards and two more—in a 59-17 win against Georgia State on Saturday. In a loss to UVa at Scott Stadium last November, Howell finished 15-of-29 for 353 yards and four touchdown passes.
Blount believes Howell will have a harder time lighting up the UVa defense this time.
“Last year to this year is night and day,” he said. “So I don’t think those easy passes he got on us last year are gonna be the ones that beat us. We’re gonna be ready for them.”
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