Live Blog: UVA football kicks off 2016 against Richmond

AFP’s Chris Graham and Scott German will report live from Scott Stadium as UVA kicks off its 2016 season against Richmond.

The game is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.

Chris and Scott will provide live updates and commentary from the press box.

UVA Opens 127th Season of Football
• The University of Virginia opens its 127th season of
football Saturday against Richmond.
• Richmond is ranked No. 4 in the nation in the preseason FCS poll.
• It is the 86th season the Cavaliers have played in Scott Stadium.
• UVA is 80-37-9 (.676) all-time in season openers.
• The Cavaliers are 74-20-7 (.767) in home season openers and have won 17 of their last 21 season openers in Scott Stadium.
• In his career as a head coach, Bronco Mendenhall is 8-3 in 11 season-openers. His last loss in a season opener came in 2013 at Scott Stadium (19-16) to Virginia, snapping a streak of six straight season-opening wins.
The Mendenhall Era Officially Begins
• Bronco Mendenhall makes his Virginia coaching debut Saturday. He is the 40th head coach in program history.
• Virginia coaches are 28-9-2 in the first game of their UVA head coaching career.

Virginia vs. Richmond, CAA
• Virginia owns a 28-2-2 edge in the all-time series with Richmond. UVA has won the last 10 meetings, including a 45-13 win the last time these teams met in 2014.
• Richmond’s last win in the series came in 1946, a 19-7 victory in Richmond.
• The Cavaliers own a 58-9-3 record against current members of the CAA.

Five Top Storylines
• Virginia is opening its season against Richmond for the sixth time. UVA is 5-0 all-time when opening a season against the Spiders with wins coming in 1893, 1894, 1979, 2010 and 2012. All five of the previous season openers against Richmond were also played in Charlottesville.
• During UVA’s current 10-game winning streak against Richmond, the Cavaliers are outscoring the Spiders 328-74.
• Bronco Mendenhall is facing an FCS team for the ninth time as a head coach. He is 8-0 all-time against FCS competition. Eastern Illinois (1-0), Eastern Washington (1-0), Idaho State (2-0), Northern Iowa (1-0), Savannah State (1-0), Wagner (1-0) and Weber State (1-0).
• Virginia returns the ACC’s top two tacklers in 2015 with Micah Kiser (9.8) and Quin Blanding(9.6). Besides the ACC, none of the other nine FBS leagues in 2015 had teammates finish No. 1-2.
• Richmond head coach Danny Rocco is a former UVA assistant head coach (2001-05).