The 3-2-1: Game week arrives at UVa

The last time the stands were filled with fans for a football game at Scott Stadium, they all ended up on the field.

As of Saturday, it will have been 645 days since Mandy Alonso stripped Hendon Hooker of the football, Eli Hanback fell on it in the end zone, and Virginia ended its long losing streak to Virginia Tech and clinched the program’s first-ever Coastal Division title with a single 39-30 win.

The Wahoos won five of their six home games last year, but those were all played with barely anyone in the seats amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The gates will reopen in full this weekend when the Wahoos kick off the 2021 season at home against William & Mary. The Hoos are 4-1 on opening day under Bronco Mendenhall, winning the last four after an infamous loss to Richmond in the head coach’s UVa debut. Since the start of the 2018 season, they’re 17-2 at Scott Stadium.

“Man, I hope it’s back to normal,” Mendenhall said Monday when asked about the atmosphere for Saturday night’s opener.

UVa’s head coach, plus cornerback Anthony Johnson and offensive lineman Ryan Swoboda, met with the media on Zoom for his first game-week press conference of the new season on Monday. The program also released its first depth chart of the season.

That means it’s time for the return The 3-2-1.

1. The projected starting lineup is steeped with experience.

This is no surprise, considering how much of the conversation this summer has centered around how many players the Hoos had coming back. But the release of the depth chart on Monday reaffirmed that narrative.

Of the 24 players listed as starters on offense and defense—the offensive depth chart includes Keytaon Thompson starting at FBP (football player) while both Jahmeer Carter and Aaron Faumui are listed as possible starters at nose tackle on defense—17 are either seniors or grad students. That includes all eight "super seniors" capitalizing on an additional year of eligibility.

Juniors Brennan Armstrong at quarterback and Joe Bissinger at left guard and sophomore receiver Dontayvion Wicks are the only non-seniors listed as starters on offense. The defense includes two juniors (Faumui and preseason All-ACC inside linebacker Nick Jackson) and two sophomores (Carter and Mike linebacker Hunter Stewart). Any redshirt freshmen and first-years on the two-deep are listed in reserve roles.

Only three projected starters—Wicks, Stewart and tight end Jelani Woods, a graduate transfer who joined the program from Oklahoma State this offseason—have never started a game in a UVa uniform. Woods made 28 starts in three seasons with the Cowboys.

Having such a veteran-laden roster allowed the Hoos to accelerate the rate at which they installed and practiced packages in camp this summer.

“I think they definitely put an emphasis on workload,” said Swoboda, a fifth-year senior who started all 10 games at right tackle last year, “but I think when you’ve got veteran guys who know how to maximize every rep you can do that.”

2. The Hoos enter the season healthy.

That emphasis on managing workload was also done in part to keep UVa’s veterans healthy entering the season. According to Swoboda at least, that plan was successful.

“My body feels great. At this point in camp I’ve never felt this good, to be honest,” he said. “Usually you’ve got some bruises and you’re sore and stuff like that. So I appreciate the emphasis on the workload.”

Mendenhall on Monday again compared the model for how his team conducted camp to the approach many NFL teams have taken, with more THUD periods and less tackling or blocking to the ground. Johnson, a grad transfer from Louisville entering his first UVa season, said that in those THUD sessions, coaches emphasized playing fast and getting in the right position to make the tackle.

“I’m a believer that we can get the same amount of work done while staying up,” he said.

Another grad transfer cornerback, Josh Hayes, was not listed on the two-deep on Monday. About 10 days ago, Mendenhall revealed that Hayes had missed some time in camp with an undisclosed injury, though the head coach hoped to have him back for the opener. With Hayes absent from the depth chart—and among the players still without a jersey number—the possibility of him playing seemed less likely on Monday.

According to a post on Instagram over the weekend, the Wahoos also lost receiver Nathaniel Beal to a knee injury. But Adeeb Atariwa, who according to defensive line coach Clint Sintim had also missed some practice time this preseason, was listed as a starter at defensive end. Mendenhall on Monday described his team as “in great shape and in really good health.”

“We are as healthy as any team that I've coached probably in my entire career coming out of fall camp,” Mendenhall said. “That doesn't mean perfectly healthy, but our emphasis shows in the health of our team right now, which I'm so thankful for.”

3. The specialists appear set for the opener.

There was no question that the punt returner job belonged to Billy Kemp and special teams coordinator Ricky Brumfield said last week that Florida grad transfer Jacob Finn had out-kicked Brendan Farrell to win the punter job. But Brumfield indicated that entering this past weekend, the kicker and kick returner roles had still not been finalized.

Still, it was no surprise on Monday when Justin Duenkel was listed as the Cavaliers’ top kicker. In each of the three practices open to the media this summer, Duenkel had been been kicking with the first-team unit. Hunter Pearson was kicking with the second group, but Farrell was listed as Duenkel’s backup on both kickoffs and place-kicks.

On kickoff returns, running backs Ronnie Walker and Mike Hollins were listed as the top two options. That was a slight change from the update Brumfield had provided last week, when he said the duo of Perris Jones and Hollins appeared to have the best chemistry among the half-dozen kick return candidates.

1. How will things shake out at running back?

At the outset of camp, Mendenhall indicated that it was on the other competitors to unseat senior Wayne Taulapapa as the top running back.

So it was no surprise on Monday when Taulapapa was listed as the starter, followed by Hollins with the second team. Walker and grad transfer Devin Darrington shared the third-team designation.

Coaches have long trumpeted Taulapapa’s work ethic. He also has 204 carries over the past two seasons. Mendenhall said that experience gives Taulapapa an edge over the other running backs but also conceded that “it is so close.”

“Mike Hollins adds a dynamic ball carrier emphasis that's special. And Ronnie, there is a speed and dynamic component that comes with that,” Mendenhall said. “And Devin Darrington may been the most effective runner through camp. Really hard to say right now who and how many touches and what roles. I mean, it's a photo finish as of Monday going into getting to Saturday, so too early to say what the plan is.”

Swoboda couldn’t offer much in terms of who may emerge against the Tribe either.

“Usually I’m not sure who’s back there any given play,” he said, “and I’ll see a big run break and I’ll be like, ‘Dang, who was that guy?’ Or ‘Who was that guy?’ But it’s really fun just to see so many guys making plays, and I’m sure a lot of them are gonna make plays starting on Saturday.”

2. How many first-years will play on Saturday?

Seven true freshmen were on the initial two-deep. Logan Taylor, Ty Furnish, and Noah Josey were all listed as backup interior offensive linemen. James Jackson, West Weeks, and Mike Green were all second-team linebackers. Jay Woolfolk was the third-string quarterback behind Armstrong and redshirt freshman Ira Armstead.

The depth chart heading into last year’s opener against Duke included six true freshmen, and four played against the Blue Devils. That’s the fewest amount of first-years to play for UVa in a season opener in Mendenhall’s first five seasons as coach.

The fewest to appear in a game all season is nine in 2016, Mendenhall’s first season. In the four seasons since, the Hoos have averaged playing about 15 first-years in a season, including a dozen last year.

The most likely way for guys to get on the field as true freshmen is via special teams. Brumfield said last week that several first-years have looked ready to compete on special teams units in camp. He mentioned defensive backs Jonas Sanker and Langston Long, in addition to Jackson and Weeks.

A total of 12 freshmen have earned jersey numbers entering the season. Furnish, listed with redshirt freshman Jestus Johnson as backups at center, is the lone player on the depth chart without a jersey number.

The Wahoos will look different on the field on Saturday than they did on paper on Monday.

While the release of the initial depth chart can provide an idea of where certain players stand coming out of camp, that two-deep is also not etched in stone.

Mendenhall admitted as much on Monday when asked about the offensive line, where senior Bobby Haskins is listed as the second-team left tackle. Haskins started all 14 games at left tackle two seasons ago but was limited by a back injury last fall.

“I wouldn't be surprised if he is starting on Saturday,” Mendenhall said. “It's that's close between he and the other five.”

The two-deep also listed the projected depth chart for a 3-4 defense that has been the base for the Hoos since Mendenhall and his staff first arrived. But speculation that UVa could rely more on a 3-3-5 scheme this fall has been lingering for months.

If the Wahoos were sworn to secrecy this summer about any scheme changes, they surely wouldn’t reveal it on the public depth chart leading into the season opener. So the two-deep included Johnson behind sixth-year senior Nick Grant at the field corner spot, and Antonio Clary behind Joey Blount at the Sabre safety spot.

But when talking about Johnson on Monday, Mendenhall didn’t sound like he was talking about a second-string cornerback.

“He just keeps making plays and he works really, really hard and he embraced our culture from the beginning,” the head coach said. “He's been the most consistent from the time he arrived until today, and that's how he ended up there. So I've been impressed and so thankful he's here.”

JOIN CAVSCORNER TODAY!

If you are not already a member of CavsCorner, come join us and see what all of the buzz is about.

Click HERE to subscribe and get all of the latest news and join hundreds of other UVa fans in talking about Cavalier football, basketball, and recruiting. You won't be disappointed!