Report Card: O line doesn’t grade out all that well in UVA win

The reason I’d had optimism about UVA football in 2021 had to do with the depth and experience on the offensive line.

Virginia returned 11 of the 12 linemen who took snaps in 2020, more than 90 percent of the snaps from last year.

That’s a lot, right?

What should be a strength didn’t look like it in the first half. Virginia failed to convert two fourth-and-shorts, and had just 82 yards on the ground all told in the first 30 minutes, 40 of those coming on a wildcat run from Keytaon Thompson in the final couple of minutes.

Sure, the ground game eventually picked up – gaining 206 yards on 32 totes, but it felt like the steam in the second half coincided with William & Mary wearing down, which happens in these FBS vs. FCS matchups.

Here’s the rundown, courtesy Pro Football Focus, of how the O line graded out last night:

• LT-LG Ryan Nelson: 39 snaps (20 run, 19 pass), 69.1 PFF grade (61.7 run, 86.1 pass), 0 pressures allowed
• LT-RT Bobby Haskins: 54 snaps (24 run, 30 pass), 68.7 PFF grade (60.8 run, 81.7 pass), 0 pressures allowed
• LG-RG Joe Bissinger: 58 snaps (25 run, 33 pass), 65.0 PFF grade (60.0 run, 86.1 pass), 0 pressures allowed
• C Olusegun Oluwatimi: 58 snaps (25 run, 33 pass), 61.7 PFF grade (59.2 run, 67.3 pass), 0 pressures allowed
• RT Ryan Swoboda: 33 snaps (15 run, 18 pass), 54.7 PFF grade (55.5 run, 81.5 pass), 0 pressures allowed
• RG-LG-C Chris Glaser: 62 snaps (28 run, 34 pass), 52.5 PFF grade (49.8 run, 54.7 pass), 2 pressures allowed
• RT Jonathan Leech: 6 snaps (5 run, 1 pass), 60.9 PFF grade (60.1 run, 70.4 pass), 0 pressures allowed
• RG Noah Josey: 6 snaps (5 run, 1 pass), 60.2 PFF grade (59.6 run, 70.6 pass), 0 pressures allowed
• C Ty Furnish: 2 snaps (2 run), 60.0 PFF grade
• LG Jack Keenan: 1 snap (1 run), 60.0 PFF grade

PFF graded the team run block effort at 53.8, and the team pass block effort at 79.5.

Story by Chris Graham