Cavs aim to offset key losses
Bronco Mendenhall knows he is in for a challenge entering his third season at Virginia.
Mendenhall must live up to third-year expectations while replacing key contributors, including standout linebacker Micah Kiser, defensive back Quin Blanding and quarterback Kurt Benkert.
After 15 spring practices and no spring game, Mendenhall believes his team is starting to fill those holes.
As a result of the major player departures and a tough schedule, Virginia is No. 94 in Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel’s preseason 2018 college football rankings. Murschel ranked all 129 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country. The Sentinel staff takes a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 129 to our projected No. 1 team. Virginia Bronco Mendenhall (6-7, entering third season; 8-17 overall) 6-7 overall, 3-5 in Atlantic Coast Conference; tied for 4th in Coastal Division
Virginia’s bowl game defeat, a 49-7 thumping against Navy in the Military Bowl, may have left a sour taste for Mendenhall and his players to end last season. The Cavaliers started the year winning five of their first six games, only to win one of their final seven games.
But Virginia believes it has set the foundation for the future after Mendenhall’s first two seasons on campus. After all, Virginia made its first bowl game in six years.
The Cavaliers hope to make more progress this year, focusing on earning the program’s first bowl win since 2005 and first winning season since 2011.
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3 LB Micah Kiser, DB Quin Blanding, QB Kurt Benkert, DE Andrew Brown, WR Doni Dowling, WR Andre Levrone.
WR Olamide Zaccheaus, RB Jordan Ellis, LB Chris Peace, DB Brenton Nelson, DB Juan Thornhill, LB Jordan Mack, KR Joe Reed, P Lester Coleman.
Standout AllACC defenders Micah Kiser and Quin Blanding may be gone, but the Virginia defense returns plenty of talent. Mendenhall said senior linebacker Chris Peace, junior linebacker Jordan Mack and senior defensive back Juan Thornhill emerged as the leaders of the defense this spring.
UVA also has a deep group of defensive backs behind Thornhill with Bryce Hall, Tim Harris and Brenton Nelson.
On offense, UVA hopes receiver Olamide Zaccheaus (85 catches, 895 yards, five touchdowns) and running back Jordan Ellis (886 yards rushing, six touchdowns) can continue to lead and dynamic kick returner Joe Reed can make a bigger impact.
Mendenhall tried to temper expectations of his first-year starting quarterback after spring practice, but juniorcollege transfer Bryce Perkins may spark some optimism. Mendenhall named Perkins his starting quarterback after spring practice, giving the Arizona native a glowing endorsement.
“He's humble. He's driven. He's zero drama. … He's a quick learner, a natural leader and just a productive and dynamic athlete,” Mendenhall said of Perkins, who completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 1,311 yards and seven touchdowns at Arizona Western Community College last season.
Perkins’ dual-threat capabilities — he rushed 69 times for 353 yards (5.1 yards per carry) with four touchdowns last season — could bring life to Virginia’s offense moving forward if he can avoid turnovers.
“When he’s in the open [field], we don’t catch him,” Mendenhall said of Perkins.
Virginia may be the second-to-last ACC team in our rankings, but the Cavaliers could be a surprise in the conference if they are able to plug holes on both sides of the football. The Cavaliers, like every team nationally, lost key starters, but Peace, Mack, Thornhill, Zaccheaus, Ellis and Perkins could help Mendenhall live up to his high expectations for his third campaign.