2018 College Football Team Previews: Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia Cavaliers
Location: Charlottesville, VA
Coach: Bronco Mendenhall (8-17 @UV, 107-60 overall) 3rd Season at Virginia
Stadium: Scott Stadium (Capacity 61,500)
CSJ Projections:
14th: ACC (7th in Coastal Division)
3rd: Virginia
76th: FBS
80th: Division I
2017 In a Sentence: Virginia started off strong in 2017, going 5-1 to start the season. Once they got into the meat of their ACC schedule, the Cavaliers dropped 6 of their last 7 games struggling to put up points in many contests.
Biggest Shoes to Fill: QB Kurt Benkert Virginia will be breaking in a new quarterback in 2018 with the graduation of Kurt Benkert, currently a member of the Atlanta Falcons. Benkert threw for 3207 yards with 25 touchdowns against just 9 interceptions.
Key Player: QB Bryce Perkins. UVA fans are excited about the arrival of JUCO transfer Perkins to take the reins at quarterback from Benkert. Perkins is a dual threat X factor that could drive Virginia higher in the standings than the pundits expect. Perkins has running back skills when he takes off. Can his arm keep the Hoos in the game? Time will tell.
Fearless Prediction: Virginia will struggle to compete in the top heavy ACC. A .500 record appears to be the ceiling for the Cavaliers this year.
Jamie is a proud 2002 graduate of James Madison University. He’s witnessed the growth of the program from no one in the stands in 1998, to the hiring of Mickey Matthews, to the 2004 National Championship, to the 2008 team, to the struggles in the early 2010s, and finally the rebuild under Mike Houston. He also allegedly really enjoys Washington, DC-based Stanley Cup winners.
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