N.C. STATE 38, VIRGINIA 21 U.Va. finds fighting chance in QB Stone
Backup nearly guides Cavs to comeback with Armstrong hurt
CHARLOTTESVILLE — Opportunity can bloom from the most dire circumstances, and when Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong left the game against N.C. State with an injury, Lindell Stone heard the knock.
Staring down a 24-point deficit, Stone entered the game and gave the Cavaliers a chance to shock the Wolfpack, but the comeback fell short in a 38-21 defeat at Scott Stadium.
“Lots of things can be improved from where I thought we were,”
Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall said, “and today made it clear we weren’t as far along as I anticipated.”
Virginia (1-2 overall and ACC) pulled within 31-21 with six minutes left in regulation, but a failed fourth down and ensuing N.C. State touchdown sealed the result.
“I thought Lindell did a great job leading our team and giving us a chance to fight back and possibly change the outcome and come from behind,” Mendenhall said. “He showed a lot of courage, a lot of grit and saw the field well, and our team responded well to seeing his effort.”
Before the game, Stone’s career numbers were sparse and dismal: 4 of 12 for 31 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions.
However, Stone didn't need long to find a rhythm as N.C. State defenders provided plenty of cushion with the big lead. Stone finished 30 of 53 for 240 yards, three touchdowns and an interception that was returned for a touchdown by N.C. State defensive lineman Alim McNeill.
Devin Leary, N.C. State's sophomore quarterback making just his second collegiate start, dissected Virginia's defense with the composure of a veteran in the first half while Armstrong threw two interceptions.
“I didn't think we approached the game as we normally do in our own stadium,” Mendenhall said. “… I'm not gonna say or jump to the conclusion that we took it for granted, but we just didn't compete at a level to get the outcome we wanted.”
A new 17-0 deficit worsened when Armstrong was decked by a charging Tanner Ingle during a scramble. Ingle was disqualified
for targeting on the play, and Mendenhall did not have an update on Armstrong's injury after the game.
N.C. State (3-1, 3-1) padded the lead with a 35-yard run by Zonovan Knight.
Stone — donning a rarely seen number for a quarterback (36) — engineered a 75-yard two-minute drill before halftime, capped by his 2-yard pass to Billy Kemp.
Stone also notched a 1-yard TD to Tony Poljan and a 5-yard score to Lavel Davis.
“I think we left a lot out there,” Stone said, ” and left our defense in bad positions. I thought we moved the ball effective at some points, but there was a lot more that could have been done.”
Virginia travels to Wake Forest next week at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Three things we learned
Two interceptions by Armstrong set back Virginia drastically as N.C. State's offense hummed immediately behind Leary,
who never was sacked. Virginia also failed on fourth-and-goal from the N.C. State 1, had a punt blocked, lost a fumble and had a fourth-quarter interception returned for a touchdown. The Wolfpack scored 17 points off those turnovers, and what was the final point differential? Seventeen.
Football can be a cruel sport in that injuries can cost a player his job. Armstrong exited the game in the second quarter after a brutal hit to the head near the sideline. With two straight losses, the Cavaliers obviously want Armstrong healthy, but they also want to win. Was Stone's surprise performance one that can earn him the starting job this season in his final year, or will the Cavaliers stick with the younger Armstrong and accept growing pains? “Once we get an update on Brennan, we'll re-evaluate where we are at quarterback,” Mendenhall said.
Another slow start by Virginia has everyone scratching heads. Despite extra focus on starting fast, the Cavaliers were down quickly. “It wasn't an acci
dent or a fluke,” Stone said. “We didn't prepare well enough to win and we didn't have the right mindset coming into the stadium.” Added Mendenhall: “My job's to predict (the mindset and slow starts), and I didn't see it coming … so I have to do a better job of anticipating it and seeing it. I really thought our preparation was in a different place.”
The spark that almost turned the game
Nash Griffin jumped and released the ball in a high arc that found the hands of Nick Jackson. Run-of-themill passing play, right? Not quite. Griffin is Virginia's punter, and he executed a perfect fake-punt pass to Jackson, a linebacker. The play kept alive an important drive that eventually ended with a touchdown to cut the deficit to 24-14. It felt like a turning point in the moment. “I think the fake punt was kind of that spark, and at that point, once we scored, I think we all felt like we were going to win the game,” Stone said.