Tony Elliott understands the magnitude of Virginia's assignment this week.
His Virginia Cavaliers (4-2, 2-1 ACC) travel to SMU (4-1, 2-1) looking for a statement victory that would keep them in contention for a spot in the conference championship game. There are plenty of obstacles, not least being the Mustangs' potent offense.
Here are key takeaways from Elliott's weekly press conference on Tuesday:
The Cavaliers are hobbled
Starting cornerback Omillio Agard is out for the season with a torn ACL and will be replaced by Justin Ross. Standout receiver Rico Flores Jr. won't play due to a knee injury, nor will backup defensive end Devon Baxter (shoulder).
Star safety Brandyn Hillman is expected to be a game-time decision due to an ankle injury. Linebacker Maddox Marcellus (stingers) and corner Jacobie Henderson (shoulder) are expected to play but won't be at full strength.
"It's that time of the year where, man, you knock on wood, you pray you don't get to this point, but it's a gladiator sport where you're going to have some collateral damage on the body," Elliott said.
SMU's Kevin Jennings is legitimate
After stifling N.C. State's CJ Bailey in the opener, Virginia's defense has struggled against standout quarterbacks. Now the Cavalers will try to contain SMU's Kevin Jennings, who has thrown for 1,588 yards and 14 touchdowns in five games.
It would be a challenge even if Virginia's secondary were completely healthy. Without Agard (and potentially Hillman), it gets even trickier. John Rudzinski and his defensive staff will spend most of the week trying to find ways to disrupt Jennings' timing.
"He's got complete understanding of the system that they're running right?" Elliott said. "I mentioned this to the staff--like at the college level; he's kind of the ideal quarterback, right? Because he can make the passes from the pocket, right? He's deadly outside the pocket. He can pull it down and run it and take it the distance, right? And then he's got poison leadership that everybody around him. He just makes the other guys better, right?"
Offensive inconsistency
In the final three quarters of their 38-7 loss to Florida State and the first three periods of last Saturday's 28-25 win over Syracuse, Virginia's offense was almost nonexistent. The Cavaliers produced a combined 298 yards and seven points in those six quarters.
Elliott cited a variety of factors for those struggles. For instance, he said that Syracuse used far more five-man defensive fronts against Virginia than it had showed on film after seeing that formation work for FSU. He also lamented his own defense's inability to get off the field, including a 16-play drive for the Orange that was sustained by three 15-yard third-down penalties.
Most of all, though, he invoked the weakest-link theory, saying that one missed assignment can sabotage even the best-laid plans. His vaunted offensive line hasn't always lived up to its hype, and a single slip can be costly.
"It comes down to all 11 being on the same page. And if one guy is off, it can impact a play," he said. "... Everybody has to do their job in order for us to be successful."
Travel and logistical challenges
This will mark Virginia's earliest kickoff of the season (noon Eastern time, 11 a.m. Dallas time). In addition to facing arguably their toughest opponent of the regular season, the Cavaliers will have to alter their game-day routine and be prepared to go to battle before lunchtime. They are 9.5-point underdogs, according to DraftKings, marking the first time this season they have not been favored.
"The biggest thing will be more so later part of the week when we travel and then kind of how we try to manage the night before the game," Elliott said. "That'll be a little bit different than the previous weeks just cause we've had a little bit of time and then trying to get ahead of the recovery. The hydration, the nutrition. And then also challenging the guys to accelerate their clock without throwing themselves out of rhythm."
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