Bryce Perkins: B
The numbers were, at least, clean: 15-of-24 passing, 175 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions, 35 yards on the ground, 53 if you factor out sack yardage, which the college game assesses against run totals, not net passing, as it should.
The fourth-down TD in the second quarter was electrifying, and also, damn, he doesn’t do that Bryce Play, the ‘Hoos get blown out by halftime, the way the game was going at that time.
I want to go higher here, because the issues on offense – 244 yards total offense against a 29-point underdog – were not Perkins’ fault.
But, can’t do it. (See: Total offense, 244 yards.)
Running backs: C
I’m not going to hold the backs responsible for not creating their own holes.
That said, 87 net yards rushing on 27 totes.
Wideouts: C
Again, not holding these guys responsible, in their case, for not having the time to run a lot of routes, considering.
Offensive line: F-
This is where the work needs to be done this week as the focus turns to Notre Dame.
The aforementioned 87 net yards rushing, the lack of time for Perkins and his wideouts, it’s all on this unit.
All respect due to ODU, ODU is ODU.
Perkins was sacked twice, and had defenders in the backfield on dropbacks all night long.
If you can’t block, you can’t run, you can’t do much more through the air than run quick hitters, stuff at the line of scrimmage.
This was a scary bad night for the UVA O line.
Defensive front seven: A
The first three drives were scary bad for the whole defensive side for UVA. ODU had 211 yards total offense on its first three possessions in building a 17-0 lead.
And then: silence.
The front stiffened. Six sacks, 11 (11!) tackles for loss. ODU had 59 yards total offense on its final 10 possessions.
Zane Zandier read a screen, went underneath, picked the pass off and ran it back for a TD.
Without that play, ODU is celebrating this morning.
Secondary: B+
I’d go A here, but Stone Smartt did throw for 206 yards.
The blown coverage on the 47-yard fourth-down TD in the second quarter was a linebacker who got caught in traffic.
Good lockdown stuff on those last 10 ODU possessions.
Special Teams: B
The kick coverage unit caught a break when ODU was assessed for an illegal block on the opening kickoff, negating a return inside the UVA 5.
Griffin Nash averaged just 36.3 yards per punt, and a first-quarter shank set up ODU with a short field that it converted into a TD.
Brian Delaney had a 37-yard potential game-tying field goal blocked. Not his fault, but the blocking up front needs to be better.
Joe Reed set up Virginia’s first TD with a long kick return. That’s entirely where this B is coming from.
Grades by Chris Graham
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