What a day for the Virginia defense, which put pressure on Duke QB Gunnar Holmberg and held tailback Mateo Durant nearly 50 yards off his season rushing average in Saturday’s shutout win.
Pro Football Focus graded the unit at 78.3, the highest grade for the UVA D in the 2021 season.
Pass defense
The front registered a season-high 22 QB pressures, more than 10 above the season average coming in, led by D lineman Aaron Faumui (PFF grade: 75.9) with four and linebacker West Weeks (PFF grade: 82.1) with three.
Cornerback Nick Grant (PFF grade: 76.6) had an 81.2 coverage grade, giving up four catches on six targets, but for just 24 yards.
Cornerback Darrius Bratton (PFF grade: 73.4) had a 75.3 coverage grade, giving up two catches on four targets for 11 yards, with two pass breakups.
Run defense
Opponents had been exploiting the A and B gaps all season, and Duke had proven adept at running between the tackles coming in, but the ‘Hoos held Durant in check – he had a modest 82 yards on 17 carries, after averaging 131.4 yards per game ahead of Saturday.
Duke tried 21 rushing attempts at the A and B gaps, gaining just 46 yards on those carries.
I’ll highlight here the efforts of linebackers Nick Jackson (PFF grade: 86.0), who had 11 tackles, four for losses, and Noah Taylor (PFF grade: 74.3), who had five tackles, a QB pressure and a pass breakup, for a fine all-around game.
Offense
Odd for a team that won 48-0 and put up 528 yards of total offense, but the PFF grade for the unit – 69.2 – was a season-low.
Pass offense
QB Brennan Armstrong had a 70.2 PFF grade, his second-lowest of the season, for his efforts, which had him throwing for 364 yards and two TDs and adding 49 (sack-adjusted) yards on the ground and a rushing TD.
Armstrong, as has been the case this season, did his biggest damage on throws of 10+ yards: he was 14-of-23 for 247 yards and two TDs on those throws.
Tight end Jelani Woods (PFF grade: 78.5) graded out the best of the receiver corps, with five catches on eight targets for 58 yards and a TD.
Dontayvion Wicks (PFF grade: 72.7) had seven catches on nine targets for 125 yards and a TD.
Keytaon Thompson (PFF grade: 70.7) had three catches on seven targets for 47 yards and added a rushing TD.
Three of Armstrong’s 20 incompletions were drops.
Run offense
The 77.5 PFF grade for the UVA running game was the third-best of the 2021 season, highlighted by backup tailback Devin Darrington (PFF grade: 87.3), who had five carries for 60 yards and a TD.
Offensive coordinator Robert Anae did try his hand at runs up the A and B gaps, to the tune of 11 attempts for 78 yards, for four first downs and one touchdown.
O line
The line allowed 13 pressures to earn a 67.2 pass block grade, and was given a 74.2 grade for its efforts in run blocking.
The leaders: left tackle Bobby Haskins: (PFF grade: 74.6, on 69 snaps), center Olusegun Oluwatimi (PFF grade: 73.0, on 74 snaps) and right tackle Ryan Swoboda (PFF grade: 67.1, on 74 snaps).
Special teams
Placekicker Brendan Farrell (PFF grade: 69.8) was 6-of-6 on extra points and 2-of-2 on field goals, and earned a 67.8 grade on his kickoffs (six touchbacks, three returned, for 57 yards).
Punter Jacob Finn (PFF grade: 70.3) averaged 51.7 yards per punt, with one touchback.
Story by Chris Graham
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