If you think it was a rough Saturday (again) to be a UVA Football fan, you had it easy, compared to, oh, for example, Carla Williams.
Huh?
Not only did Williams witness firsthand (I’m assuming she was in South Bend) Virginia’s comical attempt to make Notre Dame break a sweat to solidify its College Football Playoff resume, but it also got worse as Saturday evening turned into Sunday.
Let me explain.
First, the Cavaliers wasted no time in displaying their ineptness, fumbling the opening kickoff against the Irish, the first of five first half turnovers in a 35-14 loss to Notre Dame.
Trust me, it wasn’t that close.
Then later Saturday, early Sunday, in Albuquerque, this final: New Mexico 38, No. 18 Washington State 35.
The significance of that game and score to Carla Willaims?
Bronco Mendenhall.
You know Bronco Mendenhall, the former UVA Football coach, who decided that for some reason or another it was time to move on from Charlottesville.
After receiving some much-needed R&R from his time working under the current UVA Athletics regime, Coach Mendenhall took over a moribund New Mexico program this season.
Sound familiar?
It should, because Mendenhall did exactly that with Virginia.
New Mexico, overcoming a 21-point deficit, stunned Washington State and ended the Cougars slime CFP hopes.
New Mexico, now one win away from bowl eligibility at 5-6, posted its first victory over a ranked team since 2003.
Did I mention it’s Mendenhall’s first season with the Lobos?
New Mexico quarterback Devon Dampier ran for 192 yards and three touchdowns, threw for 174 yards, and scored on a 1-yard run with 21 seconds left for the winning TD.
A slick-passing, running quarterback.
That sounds like what Mendenhall had at Virginia with a running gunslinger named Brennan Armstrong.
And, like his coach, Armstrong eventually took his talents elsewhere.
I’m seeing a pattern here.
So, New Mexico, is thisclose to bowl eligibility under Mendenhall, in his first year on the job.
A win over Hawaii next week gives the Lobos a bowl invite for the first time since 2017.
Meanwhile, here’s what the Williams administration is facing.
Virginia too is one win shy of a bowl appearance somewhere north of the Mason-Dixon Line.
With one slight exception, it’s not Hawaii standing in Virginia’s way.
Instead, somehow UVA must beat either SMU at home, in at best a half-empty Scott Mausoleum, err Stadium, or the following Saturday in Blacksburg against Virginia Tech.
Tough task for third-year Virginia coach Tony Elliott.
Adding insult to injury, while Mendenhall has a dynamic sophomore signal-caller in Dampier, Elliott now has a QB quandary in Game 11 of the season.
Game 11!
Starter Anthony Colandrea was replaced by backup Tony Muskett Saturday, after Colandrea, was, well, let’s just say ineffective.
You can’t help to think where UVA Football would be today if Mendenhall hadn’t decided he was a round peg in a square hole at UVA.
Or had it decided for him.
No doubt Coach Mendenhall had his quirks, but quirks be damned, he had the ship upright, leading the Virginia program to an ACC Championship appearance and an Orange Bowl in his six seasons.
Something to think about, right?
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