UVA had one of its better defensive efforts in recent years in a 28-10 win over William & Mary on Saturday.
But there is still work to do, from looking at the run-defense numbers, though there is a story behind the numbers.
The Tribe put up 168 yards on the ground on the game, with quarterback Tommy McKee recording 89 yards on 15 carries.
But, and this an important but, the bulk of McKee’s yards were scramble yards, 59 coming on a fourth-quarter drive when the outcome of the game was really no longer in doubt.
That said, it’s still something that Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall will want to fix.
“I’m very self-critical of everything we do as a team, especially on the defense. The number one thing I took away from today was the scramble work,” Mendenhall said.
What stood out most to Mendenhall: his front seven didn’t stick to its assigned rush lanes.
“While I was promoting wild and aggressive play to go after the quarterback, it didn’t take long before the second half where it was just one look downfield and then see what he could do with his feet. We didn’t get tested very much because of our pressure, but we now need to coordinate our rush lanes,” Mendenhall said.
Story by Chris Graham
Support AFP
Share
Chris Graham
