Virginia, with All-Everything QB Brennan Armstrong on the sidelines in sweats, failed to get much of anything going behind true freshman Jay Woolfolk. How did Woolfolk grade out?
Not bad, actually.
Pro Football Focus graded Woolfolk at 63.7. He was 18-of-33 passing for 196 yards and two INTs. I wouldn’t grade him down for either of the INTs: Dontayvion Wicks slipped as he went up for the first one, and the second one hit Keytaon Thompson in the hands and popped up into the air.
Notre Dame made it a point to blitz the crap out of him. According to PFF, the Irish blitzed on 22 of Woolfolk’s 43 dropbacks, sacking him seven times on those snaps.
It didn’t help that tailback Wayne Taulapapa, an excellent backfield blocker, was also not available after suffering a concussion in the BYU loss.
Offensive coordinator Robert Anae compensated by using two tight ends more than usual – Grant Misch got 50 snaps (39 blocking), and Jelani Woods 46 (17 blocking).
Misch allowed two pressures, including one sack.
The lack of time for Woolfolk to throw is reflected in his passing depth numbers. Woolfolk didn’t complete a single pass that went 20+ yards in the air, going 0-of-6 with two INTs on those pass attempts.
For context, Armstrong, on the season, is 32-of-78 on 20+-yard pass attempts, for 940 yards, 11 TDs and three INTs.
More context: Armstrong sees blitzes on 32.6 percent of his dropbacks – Woolfolk was blitzed on 51.2 percent of his.
BA, against the blitz, is 86-of-132 for 1,199 yards, 12 TDs and two INTs and a 118.2 NFL passer rating.
Woolfolk against the blitz last night: 8-of-14, 90 yards, 76.5 NFL passer rating.
Defense
UVA blitzed Notre Dame QB Jack Coan 13 times. Coan was 8-of-11 for 68 yards and two TDs on those dropbacks.
The D got a total of six pressures on Coan. Context: Notre Dame had 16 pressures.
The UVA D had 19 missed tackles. Notre Dame: seven.
Ground game: the Irish ran for 176 yards on 28 carries between the tackles, and gained 68 yards on two reverses.
Secondary in pass coverage
- Coen King: 4-of-6, 22 yards, 72.9 NFL passer rating against
- Anthony Johnson: 2-of-3, 25 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 92.4 NFL passer rating against
- Nick Grant: 4-of-4, 37 yards, 105.2 NFL passer rating against
- Darrius Bratton: 3-of-3, 32 yards, 111.1 NFL passer rating against
- Joey Blount: 1-of-1, 14 yards, 118.8 NFL passer rating against
- Antonio Clary: 2-of-2, 10 yards, 2 TD, 127.1 NFL passer rating against
Snap counts
- D line: Mandy Alonso (45), Aaron Faumui (35), Jahmeer Carter (30), Ben Smiley III (28), Olasunkonmi Agunloye (20)
- LB: Nick Jackson (54), Noah Taylor (48), Elliott Brown (32), Hunter Stewart (30), Josh Ahern (23), West Weeks (17), Mike Green (8), D’Sean Perry (2)
- Secondary: Darrius Bratton (62), Anthony Johnson (61), Joey Blount (53), Coen King (39), Nick Grant (38), Antonio Clary (33), Jonas Sanker (22), Elijah Gaines (1)
Story by Chris Graham
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