The final stats don’t tell the whole story, or really any of the story, from Maryland’s 27-13 win over Virginia on Saturday.
Total offense was basically even – Maryland 391, UVA 370.
Maryland had an issue with penalties (8-66 yards); Virginia had just two penalties, but four turnovers, leading to seven Terps’ points, and keeping at least three off the scoreboard on the Cavaliers’ side.
Maryland was 8-of-19 on third downs and 2-of-2 on fourth downs, most of that in the second half (5-of-10 on third downs, 2-of-2 on fourth downs).
Another way to put that one: Maryland, in the second half, kept the sticks moving on seven of the 10 times that it needed to.
Virginia was 1-of-7 on third downs and 0-of-1 on fourth downs in the second half, and 3-of-15 on third downs (and 0-of-1 on fourth downs) for the game.
Virginia got the ball into the red zone four times, and scored 13 points (one TD, two field goals) on those trips; Maryland had 20 points on its four red-zone trips (two TDs, two field goals).
QB Anthony Colandrea
Anthony Colandrea’s 59.6 Pro Football Focus grade was his third sub-60 PFF grade in his 10 career non-mop-up outings, and second in two years against Maryland.
Seventeen of his 21 completions traveled less than 10 yards in the air. Two of his four intermediate passes (10-19 yards through the air) were picked off.
Colandrea did complete three deep balls – he was 3-of-8 for 117 yards on passes that went 20-plus yards through the air.
Maryland blitzed Colandrea on 25 of his 43 dropbacks, and he was 12-of-21 for 164 yards and an INT on those snaps, with two sacks and a 62.4 NFL passer rating.
He gained 24 yards on three scrambles, and seven yards on two designed runs.
O line
With Maryland sending extra guys a lot, the O line held its own, by and large, allowing pressures on 15 of Colandrea’s 43 dropbacks, and two sacks.
Center Brian Stevens had a clean sheet, no QB pressures, and a unit-best 68.9 PFF grade on 50 snaps.
Jack Witmer, the converted tight end who has stepped in for injured left tackle McKale Boley, continues to impress. Witmer played 65 snaps, allowed two QB pressures, and graded out at 64.6.
The lowest grade went to right guard Ugonna Nnanna, who graded at 42.0 on the night, on 50 snaps.
Skill guys
The tight ends had the dropsies – Tyler Neville (three catches/six targets, 57 yards, PFF grade: 44.1) was logged with two, and Dakota Twitty (one target, PFF grade: 45.8) with one.
Colandrea targeted top wideout Malachi Fields 10 times, but Fields (PFF grade: 45.4) only had four catches for 36 yards.
The backs put up good numbers when they were used – the issue being, and this dates back a couple of administrations now, they don’t get used.
Of note: 17 of the 27 rushing attempts were to the left side of the line, behind Witmer and left guard Noah Josey (PFF grade: 59.2).
I looked at the season numbers, and it appears to be a one-game trend: of UVA’s 89 rushing attempts through three games this season, 46 have gone to the left, 43 to the right.
There has been more success to the left – 252 yards on those 46 carries, for a 5.5-yard average, vs. 190 yards on the 43 carries to the right, for a 4.4-yard average.
Back to the Maryland game: backup tailback Xavier Brown had the highest PFF grade (77.4) for a game in which he had 43 yards on seven tries.
Defense
Defensive end Kam Butler had the highest grade – 90.0 – with six QB pressures and five tackles on the night.
Cornerback Corey Thomas graded out at 75.5 with deceptive numbers – he allowed seven catches on eight targets, but the catches went for just 36 total yards, so, literally all short stuff that he kept in front of him.
Safety Antonio Clary had a lower grade (69.4), but he had nice numbers – 13 tackles, two catches on eight targets for just eight yards through the air, with two pass breakups.
Video: UVA Football Report Card
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Chris Graham
