Virginia got back in the win column by beating Syracuse. It was expected that the Cavaliers would win comfortably. That did not happen.
A rainstorm dragged this game into the ugly depths of slipping and struggling — although not all of it was caused by the weather. Virginia, for most of this game, played poorly. The Cavaliers were able to eke out a win due to a late surge and several Orange miscues. Here are position grades from Saturday's showdown:
Quarterback: C-
Beau Pribula was unimpactful for a majority of this football game. Other than one big touchdown to WR Da'Shawn Martin, Pribula threw for under 100 yards against a team that is now 0-3 in ACC play.
At this point, calls for backup Eli Holstein are growing in the stands. Virginia fans booed this team heading into halftime, and a second time in the third quarter. For better or worse, the quarterback is the face of a win or loss.
Running backs: B+
Jekail Middlebrook nearly rushed for 100 yards, including two crucial touchdowns. Xay Davis also had a touchdown and was efficient as a runner. Xavier Brown, Noah Vaughn and Solomon Beebe made essentially no impact — but still, the running game was solid Saturday. All but one of Virginia's scores came on the ground.
Wide receivers: C-
This grade should be much lower, but it is not the receivers' fault that Pribula misfired often. Even so, a collective eight catches for 106 yards is mediocre — especially considering that nearly half of that total came on one catch by Martin.
Tight ends: C-
Dakota Twitty did not start. Instead, Connor Cox got the nod for his superior blocking ability. By game's end, neither of them contributed a single catch in the passing game. John Rogers' two grabs for 16 yards was all the tight ends produced. Rogers and Cox had a few solid blocks in the run game, but overall, the tight ends have consistently struggled this season.
Offensive line: C
For an ordinary offensive line, this grade would be higher. Not this team. Virginia has one of the most talented offensive lines in all of college football, so allowing a sack and seven tackles for loss is unacceptable for their standards.
Later in the game, the Cavaliers started to plow through defenders and pave running lanes. However, it took a while for them to get rolling. This unit is supposed to be completely dominant. A decent outing is below expectations.
Defensive line: B
This defensive line had one of its most complete games of the season. Virginia's line tallied four tackles for loss and a sack against a solid Orange offensive line. The big men up front were able to win their matchups, even though it didn't always result in a big play. Another note — Anthony Britton led the team with nine tackles. This was a technically sound effort.
Linebackers: C-/D+
Virginia's linebackers only recorded one tackle for loss (a seven-yard stop by Kam Robinson). The bigger story, once again, is missed tackles. The Cavaliers often whiffed by taking the wrong angle or failing to bring down the Orange playmakers. In particular, running back Tylik Hill ran for 118 yards and often fell forward after initial contact.
Defensive backs: D
On paper, allowing 267 passing yards and two touchdowns does not seem like a concern. However, that statline was produced by a combination of third and fourth-string quarterbacks from one of the worst teams in the ACC. Jacobie Henderson was burned time and time again, and longtime starter Ethan Minter was benched for Montino Williams.
Star Syracuse receiver Umari Hatcher recorded eight catches for 126 yards and a touchdown. Daunte Bacheiye, his running mate, contributed four catches for 97 yards and a touchdown. Those two beat Virginia's cornerbacks and safeties with ease Saturday.
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