Virginia (6-3, 4-2 ACC) returns home on Saturday to take on #7 Notre Dame (8-1) at Scott Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at ABC.
Broadcast Information
In addition to the ESPN broadcast, fans can stream the game live on ESPN.com or the ESPN app. The contest can be heard on Virginia Sports Radio Networks around the commonwealth and live on VirginiaSports.com. A list of stations can be found here. Fans can follow along via live stats and the Virginia Mobile app and get in-game updates on the team’s official twitter account, @UVAFootball.
UVA Team Notes
Virginia is 4-1 over the last five seasons coming off a bye, including a 16-13 win against then No. 16 Miami in 2018.
Virginia is 4-1 at home this season and since 2018, is 21-3 at Scott Stadium, the second most home wins amongst ACC schools in that span.
Saturday will be UVA’s seventh night game of the season. Virginia is 3-3 in night games in 2021 and are 9-2 under the lights at Scott Stadium in the Mendenhall era (2016-present).
BYU will be the third ranked opponent for Virginia this season (No. 21 North Carolina, No. 25 BYU).
Notre Dame is the first AP top-10 opponent to come to Charlottesville since then-No. 5 Louisville in 2016.
Virginia is seeking its first win over a top-10 opponent since 2005 (No. 4 Florida State, 26-21). The Cavaliers last win over a ranked foe came last season at home against No. 15 North Carolina.
Virginia is in the midst of a three-game swing against nationally ranked opponents, finishing at No. 25 Pitt next Saturday.
Virginia is bowl eligible for the fifth time in six seasons thanks to a 40-48 win over Georgia Tech on Oct. 23 at Scott Stadium. Bronco Mendenhall has been eligible for a bowl in 15 of his 16 years as a head coach and five of six at Virginia.
Brennan Armstrong for Heisman
Quarterback Brennan Armstrong broke UVA’s single season passing record in just nine games.
Going into the weekend Armstrong has thrown a TD pass in 15-straight games, the longest streak in UVA history, eclipsing Matt Schaub’s mark of 14-straight in 2002
Armstrong has thrown for 300 or more yards eight times and 400 yards four times in nine games this season. Prior to this year a UVA quarterback hadn’t thrown for 300 yards more than four times (Matt Schuab and Bryce Perkins) in the same season and thrown for 400 yards twice in the same season.
Armstrong has thrown for 300 yards in four-straight games. No quarterback at UVA had ever thrown for 300-yards in three-straight games prior to this season.
Armstrong owns two of the top eight passing performances by an FBS quarterback this season. His 554 at UNC were the most by an FBS QB this season and his 487 against Louisville were the eighth-most.
Armstrong has accumulated 3,828 yards of total offense this season, the most in the country and the fourth-highest total in a single-season in school history.
Armstrong vs. the ACC Greats
Player, School
Cl.
Year
G
Cm-Att
TD
Yards
1.
Deshaun Watson, Clemson
Jr.
2016
15
388-579
41
4,593
2.
Matt Ryan, Boston College
Sr.
2007
14
388-654
31
4,507
3.
Philip Rivers, NC State
Sr.
2003
13
348-483
34
4,491
4.
Chris Weinke, Florida State
Sr.
2000
12
266-431
33
4,167
5.
Deshaun Watson, Clemson
So.
2015
15
333-491
35
4,104
6.
Jameis Winston, Florida State
Fr.
2013
14
257-384
40
4,057
7.
Mike Glennon, NC State
Sr.
2012
13
330-564
31
4,031
8.
Ryan Finley, NC State
Gr.
2018
13
326-484
25
3,928
9.
Jameis Winston, Florida State
So.
2014
13
305-467
25
3,907
10.
Tajh Boyd, Clemson
Jr.
2012
13
287-427
36
3,896
Brennan Armstrong
Jr.
2021
9
261-406
27
3,557
The Wideouts
Virginia has five wide receivers in the ACC’s top-18 in receiving yards – Dontayvion Wicks (3rd – 972), Keytaon Thompson (7th – 663), Billy Kemp (12th – 562), Ra’Shaun Henry (15 – 493) and Jelani Woods (18th — 446). Only one other ACC School has three (Pitt).
Virginia is one of two schools (Ohio State) with three receivers in the top-84 nationally in receiving yards
Wicks earned his second-straight ACC Wide Receiver of the Week award on Oct. 25 after catching six passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns. His 77-yard catch and run in the second quarter against Georgia Tech was the longest play from scrimmage for UVA in 2021. Wicks is the first UVA wideout since Herman Moore in 1990 to win back-to-back ACC Wide Receiver Week honors.
Wicks is tops in the ACC and fourth in the country with 23.14 yards per reception. His 972 yards receiving are the third most in the ACC and rank 10th in FBS. Wicks has hauled in nine touchdowns on the year, third most in the conference and tied for sixth most among FBS receivers.
Virginia has five receivers record 100-yard performances this season (Kemp-1; Wicks-5; Woods-1; Henry-1; Thompson-1) . Only Ole Miss (6 receivers) and Virginia have had five or more receivers with 100 yards this season.
Going into Saturday against Notre Dame, Dontayvion Wicks has three-straight 100-yard receiving games. Germane Crowell (1997) is the only other UVA wideout with three-straight 100-yard receiving games.
Wicks became the 9th Cavalier ever with five 100-yard receiving games in a career. All five have come in 2021. Olimade Zaccheaus (5 in 2018), Kris Burd (5 in 2011) and Germane Crowell (6 in 1997) are the only UVA wide receivers with five 100-yard games in the same season.
The Cavaliers have had two players with 100 yards receiving in the same game twice this season. Wicks (183) and Kemp (104) each eclipsed 100 against North Carolina while Thompson (149) and Henry (179) went over 100 against Louisville.
Single Season Receiving Yards at UVA
1.
Herman Moore (1990)
1190
2.
Hasise Dubois (2019)
1062
3.
Billy McMullen (2001)
1060
4.
Olamide Zaccheaus (2018)
1058
5.
Dontayvion Wicks (2021)
972
Jelani Woods
Jelani Woods has a touchdown in six of the eight games he’s played this season. He had caught four scores in three seasons (34 games) against Oklahoma State and eclipsed that mark in six games played at UVA.
Single Season TD Receptions by a UVA Tight End
1.
Heath Miller (2002)
9
2.
Jelani Woods (2021)
6
Ed Carrington (1965)
6
Heath Miller (2003)
6
Tony Poljan (2020)
6
KT
Senior Keytaon Thompson is listed on the UVA depth chart as a “FBP” or “Football Player”. The versatile Thompson has lined up under center, in the backfield and out wide during his time at UVA.
Thompson, a transfer from Mississippi State, is also known as “Trick Bag”, a nickname given to him in high school as a tribute to his athleticism.
Pro Football Focus has Thompson rated the most “elusive” player in the country. The outlet’s “Elusive Rating” distills the success and impact of a runner with the ball independently of the blocking in front of him by looking at how hard he was to bring down.
Thompson has started a career-high seven games this season, six at wide receiver and one at running back.
Chris Graham, the king of "fringe media," a zero-time Virginia Sportswriter of the Year, and a member of zero Halls of Fame, is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, or subscribe to his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].
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