- November 17, 2021
- Comments: 0
- Posted by: admin
Virginia quarterback Jay Woolfolk (16) runs out of the pocket for a gain against Notre Dame during the first half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021, in Charlottesville, Va. (AP Photo/Mike Caudill)
Virginia senior wide receiver Keytaon Thompson had nine catches for 110 yards in the Cavaliers’ home loss to Notre Dame on Saturday night. He was a bright spot for an offense that produced only a field goal.
Notre Dame’s Kyren Williams reaches over the goal line to score a touchdown against Virginia during the first half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021, in Charlottesville, Va. (AP Photo/Mike Caudill)
Notre Dame wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. (4) makes a touchdown catch ahead of Virginia defensive back Anthony Johnson (3) in the second half an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021, in Charlottesville, Va. (AP Photo/Mike Caudill)
Virginia quarterback Jay Woolfolk was sacked seven times in the Cavaliers’ loss to Notre Dame on Saturday night. The backup, a former Benedictine standout, filled in for injured starter Brennan Armstrong.
CHARLOTTESVILLE — Jay Woolfolk could have quarterbacked Virginia past No. 7 Notre Dame on Saturday night. The first true freshman to start at the position for the Cavaliers since 1977 needed a lot more help from his teammates, though.
Missed tackles. Penalties. A shanked punt. A missed field goal.
Woolfolk needed the rest of Virginia to be at its sharpest. It was anything but.
“Everyone else has to now be better,” UVA coach Bronco Mendenhall said. “We need everyone to do more.”
That didn’t happen and the result was a 28-3 loss that never felt within the home team’s reach. From the moment punter Jacob Finn’s first punt sailed all of 14 yards and gave Notre Dame the ball at the Virginia 43-yard line to start its second possession of the game, it was clear the Cavaliers weren’t going to be their sharpest.
With Brennan Armstrong, they can still win on nights like this. Without him? Not a chance.
That’s not an indictment of Woolfolk, who showed flashes of his enormous talent and a considerable moxie, Armstrong’s signature trait. He finished 16 for 28 for 170 yards. He didn’t become the first true freshman to quarterback Virginia to a win since 1972, or the first in program history to start and throw a touchdown pass for the Cavaliers.
Woolfolk was indecisive at times and, understandably, not ready to overcome the team’s shortcomings.
And the rest of his team came up short on a nationally televised stage.
“I don’t think we did a good enough job as receivers and as an offense as a whole to just help him out and take some of that pressure off of Jay,” said senior wide receiver Keytaon Thompson, who had nine catches for 110 yards.
Virginia (6-4) hasn’t beaten a top 10 opponent since tripping No. 4 Florida State 26-21 in 2005. It’s easy to think that could have changed if Armstrong, the nation’s leader in total offense, were healthy and available.
But even with Armstrong behind center, Virginia would have struggled to block Notre Dame’s defensive front, although the Irish might have been less inclined to blitz the more seasoned and prolific Armstrong. Saturday night, they sacked Woolfolk seven times. He held the ball too long on some plays and didn’t have the experience to take recognize and take advantage of blitzes the way Armstrong has this season.
Certainly, Armstrong’s presence wouldn’t have helped UVA’s defense, which continues to struggle with its tackling, turning numerous apparently well-defended plays into big gains for the Irish. Kyren Williams, Logan Diggs, Lorenzo Styles and Braden Lenzy all broke off runs of 20 yards or longer.
Armstrong couldn’t have done much to help Finn on his shanked punt, or Brendan Farrell on his 44-yard missed field goal attempt in the third quarter.
Now, the question facing Virginia is when might its red-haired, left-handed offensive dynamo return? After the loss, Mendenhall said the team is taking things “day by day” with Armstrong, but declined to give a timetable for his return.
Despite disappointing back-to-back losses to ranked opponents, UVA still controls its destiny in the ACC’s Coastal Division. With wins over Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech the next two weeks, it would win the division title.
With Armstrong, that seems infinitely possible. Without him, far more challenging.
Especially if Virginia can’t offer more support for his replacement.
Notre Dame 7 14 7 0 — 28
Virginia 0 0 0 3 — 3
First Quarter
ND—Mayer 6 pass from Coan (Doerer kick), 4:53.
Second Quarter
ND—Lenzy 4 pass from Coan (Doerer kick), 14:11.
ND—K.Williams 22 run (Doerer kick), 4:33.
Third Quarter
ND—Austin 15 pass from Coan (Doerer kick), 1:41.
Fourth Quarter
UVA—FG Farrell 34, 12:16.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing–Notre Dame, Williams 14-70, Diggs 9-64, Styles 1-37, Tyree 6-32, Lenzy 1-31, Buchner 3-10, Coan 3-7, (Team) 1-(minus 2). UVA, Hollins 9-44, Woolfolk 16-15, Darrington 2-12, Thompson 3-11.
Passing–Notre Dame, Coan 15-20-1-132, Buchner 3-3-0-42. UVA, Woolfolk 18-33-2-196, Wicks 0-1-0-0.
Receiving–Notre Dame, Mayer 7-84, Austin 3-38, Lenzy 3-23, Williams 2-15, Evans 1-8, Styles 1-4, Tyree 1-2. UVA, Thompson 9-110, Kemp 4-37, Wicks 2-32, Woods 2-13, R.Henry 1-4.
Missed FG–UVA, Farrell 43.
mbarber@timesdispatch.com
Twitter: @RTD_MikeBarber
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Virginia Tech dismissed football coach Justin Fuente on Tuesday, ending a six-year tenure that began with an ACC Coastal Division title but sp…
Justin Fuente was among 10 Power Five head football coaches hired to long-term contracts during the 2015-16 carousel. After Fuente’s exit from…
In disrepair on multiple fronts, Virginia Tech football needs a reboot. Legions of fans lost faith long ago, and with an inferior roster, espe…
The huge financial cost of Virginia Tech’s decision to part ways with coach Justin Fuente
CHARLOTTESVILLE
“There’s very, very few people in the world like John and his wife, and those people shine a little bit of light in this dark world.”
A challenging early season non-conference test has been a staple of most of UVA’s schedules under Bennett.
“He exudes confidence. And he can flat out throw the football.”
Virginia quarterback Jay Woolfolk (16) runs out of the pocket for a gain against Notre Dame during the first half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021, in Charlottesville, Va. (AP Photo/Mike Caudill)
Virginia senior wide receiver Keytaon Thompson had nine catches for 110 yards in the Cavaliers’ home loss to Notre Dame on Saturday night. He was a bright spot for an offense that produced only a field goal.
Notre Dame’s Kyren Williams reaches over the goal line to score a touchdown against Virginia during the first half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021, in Charlottesville, Va. (AP Photo/Mike Caudill)
Notre Dame wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. (4) makes a touchdown catch ahead of Virginia defensive back Anthony Johnson (3) in the second half an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021, in Charlottesville, Va. (AP Photo/Mike Caudill)
Virginia quarterback Jay Woolfolk was sacked seven times in the Cavaliers’ loss to Notre Dame on Saturday night. The backup, a former Benedictine standout, filled in for injured starter Brennan Armstrong.
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.