How many points does Richmond score?
I was the play-by-play radio voice on VMI home football broadcasts for several years, and that matters here because the Richmond offense is basically the VMI offense, with former Keydets offensive coordinator Billy Cosh bringing his Air Raid, and his quarterback-wideout combo of Reece Udinski and Jakob Herres.
Cosh’s Air Raid isn’t the one that Virginia fans saw from Robert Anae, who barely used his running backs. Cosh had a first-team FCS All-American at running back in 2019, Alex Ramsey, and the VMI offense was 50/50 run/pass last year.
Udinski, who holds the VMI career record in pass yards, can move the chains with his feet, and in Herres, a 6’4”, 225-pound matchup nightmare in the slot, he has a guy who he has played pitch and catch with for five years now.
Herres is a guy that I thought would get Power 5 offers when he signaled his intent to transfer for his COVID redshirt year. Udinski did get a year at Maryland in between VMI and Richmond, but didn’t get to compete full-on for the QB1 job because of an ACL injury he suffered in the spring 2021 season at VMI.
Richmond will line up in four-receiver sets on early downs, with running back Aaron Dykes (1,197 all-purpose yards in 2021) probing for running lanes in the spread, mixing in five-receiver sets in which you have to account for Udinski on draws and scrambles.
I fully expect them to move the ball and put some points on the board.
It’s an FBS vs. FCS matchup, but it will be a big test for John Rudzinski’s 3-4 stack.
I’m thinking Richmond scores in the 20s or even into the 30s. If the Virginia D can tamp that down, that will be something worth noting going forward.
Can Virginia get pressure on the QB?
My colleague, Jerry Ratcliffe, told a story on our podcast this week about Chris Slade, the former UVA All-American defensive end, now the defensive ends coach on Elliott’s staff, asking for a show of hands at a D line position group meeting of guys who have had a sack in a college game, and seeing four hands shoot up, and two of those were guys who transferred in.
The D line was a weak point a year ago, but could be a position group of strength in 2022, with transfers Kam Butler, Paul Akere, Devontae Davis and Jack Camper and Chico Bennett Jr. coming back from an ACL injury last year adding to the two-deep with returnees Jahmeer Carter, Olu Agunloye, Aaron Faumui and Ben Smiley.
What’s the run/pass split on the Virginia side?
Tony Elliott, as offensive coordinator at Clemson, was pretty much a 50/50 run/pass guy, but Elliott and his offensive coordinator, Des Kitchings, inherit a Virginia offense that has nobody back on the O-line, and nobody in the running back room that has gotten any usage of note at the college level.
Perris Jones, a former walk-on, won the RB1 spot in camp, beating out the favorite, Mike Hollins, who is second on the depth chart, with both expected to get good usage on Saturday.
The temptation is always going to be there to just let Brennan Armstrong and his elite wideout corps air it out, but Elliott and Kitchings are going to need to establish in this FBS vs. FCS matchup that this offense can be productive running the ball.
How many people show up?
There’s a new coach, a returning fringe Heisman Trophy contender at QB, there’s great weather in the forecast.
If we see either side of 40,000 in the 61,500-seat Scott Stadium on Saturday, meh, it’s a here we go again kind of thing.
The magic number isn’t sellout, because we haven’t seen one of those since 2008.
If we can get to 50,000, that should be a goal.
I don’t think it happens, but we have to have a goal.
AFP Game Week Coverage
- Virginia coach Tony Elliott knows Richmond will be no pushover in 2022 season opener
The Virginia defensive brain trust is no doubt studying game tape from VMI to get a feel for how the new-look Richmond offense is going to attack. - Virginia-Richmond preview: Will the ‘Hoos have their hands full on Saturday?
Virginia very well could have its hands full on Saturday with a Richmond team that will bring in a high-powered offense. Jerry Ratcliffe and co-host Chris Graham break things down position unit by position unit. - The reason Brennan Armstrong returned: ‘Bottom line, win’
You wouldn’t have blamed Brennan Armstrong for entering the transfer portal in December. His head coach did. His offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach did. His offensive line did. With a new head coach, a new coordinator, a new QB coach, a new O line, he was going to be starting over anyway. - Virginia looks to true freshman McKale Boley for key snaps on offensive line
True freshman McKale Boley is getting a chance at earning a starting job on the offensive line at Virginia. - James Jackson gets start at weakside linebacker for UVA because of NCAA rules quirk
Because of an NCAA quirk, Virginia sophomore linebacker James Jackson is getting the start at weakside linebacker in the Cavaliers’ season opener Saturday against Richmond. - UVA releases depth chart for season opener: Perris Jones wins starting tailback job
We know who won the battle in UVA football training camp for the starting tailback job: congratulations, former walk-on Perris Jones. - UVA Athletics working on the suboptimal gameday experience at Scott Stadium
The UVA Football gameday experience is suboptimal, and that’s putting it mildly. The folks at UVA Athletics say they’re listening, and have made a few upgrades for 2022 based on fan input and surveys.
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