Film Room: Thompson is a key weapon for Virginia

Bronco Mendenhall said this week that he anticipates his offense will score “lots of points.” After a slow start to 2020, UVa’s offense did improve dramatically in the back half of last season. Those gains seem to have translated into offseason momentum, with expectations high going into the second year of Brennan Armstrong’s reign under center.

One of the offense’s most intriguing players heading into next month’s opener is do-it-all athlete Keytaon Thompson. Originally brought to Charlottesville from Mississippi State to play quarterback, a fall camp injury forced Thompson into a different role. Playing as a wide receiver and wildcat QB, he saw plenty of action before his role was expanded dramatically in the second half of the season.

Offensive coordinator Robert Anae did a great job finding creative ways to get Thompson, one of the team’s top athletes, the ball. Down the stretch, UVa had defenses off balance, having to worry about a very strong running quarterback in Armstrong, and Thompson, equally capable of making a defense pay with his legs.

Expectations are high for Thompson going into his second year with the Cavaliers. He is more familiar with the offense and should see an expanded role this season, something that players and coaches have been cagey about in preseason media availability.

In the latest Film Room, we take a look at how Thompson was used last year, and look forward to what the New Orleans native is capable of producing in 2021.

Production: Thompson played in nine games in 2020 and was used in a variety of ways. At his primary position of quarterback, he battled through a shoulder injury but threw three passes. Thompson completed just one attempt, for a 3-yard loss. More often than not he was used as a runner. On the ground, Thompson racked up 234 yards and three touchdowns on 39 carries, averaging just over 6 yards per carry. He didn’t have a single carry in the first three games of the season but his usage went up as the Cavaliers got deeper into the campaign.

With Armstrong out against Wake Forest, UVa turned to Thompson and fellow quarterback Ira Armstead to create gains on the ground. In a losing effort, Thompson rushed 10 times for 71 yards. He would match that rushing attempt total with a 43-yard effort against North Carolina, including the game-clinching 1st-down carry on a fake punt late in the game.

Thompson peaked in the early December win against Boston College, rushing nine times for 86 yards and a pair of touchdowns. For the season, he finished fourth on the team in carries, fourth in rushing yards, third in rushing touchdowns, and second in yards per carry.

Thompson lined up at wide receiver quite a bit and was used more as a traditional receiver earlier in the season. In nine games, he hauled in seven passes for 98 yards and three touchdowns. A seldom-used receiver, Thompson could see an increase in targets in 2021.

Thompson as a Runner: UVa found several effective ways to leverage Thompson’s talents in the running game. When Armstrong missed time early in the season, Thompson was primarily used in the backfield in a wildcat-like role.

In the first clip, the play uses misdirection to freeze Wake’s front seven before Thompson keeps the ball and barrels through the line. His shiftiness and ball-carrier vision are on display here as well.

Here is a similar play from the same game and with a similar result. Thompson does a great job accelerating here after he shifts inside of his blocker for a 10-yard gain.

The play below is another quarterback draw from the backfield but this time, Wake is ready. The Demon Deacons blow it up but Thompson makes a quick decision to bounce the run outside. His acceleration allows him to run around several chasing defenders and turn a potentially busted play into a nice gain.

The next play is another example of Anae getting creative with Thompson in the backfield. On 3rd and short, Thompson comes up behind the center and takes a quick snap, pushing forward in what looks like a rugby scrum. Thompson is as strong as he is fast and has a knack for staying up around would-be tacklers. Boston College’s defense struggles to bring him down and the result is an easy 1st down.

On the very next play, Anae goes back to Thompson. UVa uses Armstrong as a bit of a diversion, with Thompson taking a direct snap. He takes a quick jab step and bursts through the hole for a long touchdown run.

These types of plays can be a nightmare for defenses with so many options to account for, and Thompson is such a strong runner that an extra second of indecision can be disastrous when he has the ball.

UVa used Thompson creatively on sweep plays as well. This first example, in the win against North Carolina, demonstrates how the Cavaliers liked to use him around the goal line and on critical downs.

On this play, Thompson comes in motion and takes a handoff from Armstrong, going right to left. The defense has to account for both Thompson and Armstrong in the running game, and the play is blocked well on top of that. The result is a walk-in touchdown for No. 99, who is too fast for Carolina’s front and finds the hole into the end zone.

The next play is similar, with an additional wrinkle.

On this sweep, Thompson takes the handoff and fakes a pitch backward before keeping the football. He does a great job finding the hole and cutting back and when he does, the path to the end zone is wide open as he rolls to paydirt.

Finally, Thompson’s longest “receiving” touchdown of the season came on a similar play. Technically a pass from Armstrong, he takes another sweep and cuts back into the teeth of the Abilene Christian defense. Would-be tacklers have no luck getting Thompson on the ground and the result is a long scoring play.

As a Receiver: Thompson didn’t have a massive impact as a receiver last year, which is not too surprising considering how new he was to the position. But he did show flashes of ability in the passing game during his first year at UVa.

In this next clip, Thompson runs a relatively simple in-breaking route from the right side of the field, getting in front of the defender and making a tough catch in traffic. The route is straightforward, but Thompson’s toughness going across the middle and making a touchdown catch bodes well for his ability to step up his game as a receiver this year.

There is plenty of potential for Thompson to be great this year, simply by repeating what he is shown doing in the plays above. Once UVa’s coaches found the best way to pair Thompson with Armstrong to create a two-headed running monster, the offense began to take off. Thompson is great in space and also is tough to bring down, meaning that he can take any run the distance but also do damage around the goal line while grabbing the tough yards.

The biggest area for growth this year is as a pass catcher. The former Mississippi State Bulldog has received rave reviews from coaches and teammates this summer as they have spoken about Thompson’s growth in that facet of the game. He has drawn praise for his hands and improved route running, which could turn him from a capable runner with the potential to catch a pass into a truly versatile player that is a nightmare for defenses.

It’s also fair to note that Thompson was a career quarterback, and after transferring to a new school had to overcome an injury and learn a new role in a new offense. Now, with a year under his belt, Thompson should feel more at home in his role in Anae’s scheme, and conversely, the coaching staff should have a better idea how to use their playmaker.

If Thompson can build on what he accomplished last season, specifically in the back half of the schedule, he could ultimately be one of the surprise performers in the ACC and take UVa’s offense to the next level. The players and coaches seem excited about the potential Thompson brings to the Cavalier offense in 2021 and fans should likely be just as enthusiastic.

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