Five Areas of Improvement After Virginia Football's Season Opener

Despite a highly anticipated rush attack led by NC Central transfer J'Mari Taylor alongside Xavier Brown and Wyoming transfer Harrison Waylee, Virginia looked poor on the ground on Saturday night, with the longest rush from a running back being a mere eight yards. None of the three lead backs of Taylor, Brown, and Waylee could break loose for a big gain and open up the Virginia passing attack. Taylor, who took the most carries of the three, averaged 3.2 yards per carry, a number he will look to improve on next week. The struggles stemmed from the offensive line, but this is a holistic issue that must be addressed. 

The Pass Rush 

Shifting to the other trench, the Hoos recorded one sack on Saturday night against a meager Coastal Carolina offensive line. The Cavaliers will face a better version of MJ Morris next week in NC State's CJ Bailey and will need to get him uncomfortable and out of rhythm early. As for a positive, the Cavaliers defensive line recorded three pass deflections. 

Limit the Silly Penalties 

The Hoos recorded two false starts early in the game, which needs to be limited moving forward. The Cavaliers also had a personal foul and unnecessary roughness penalty in the first half, something that's easy to prevent, although overall, Virginia was definitely better about limiting the penalties. The Hoos averaged 5.4 penalties a game in 2024, and in 2025 will need to limit penalties in critical moments moving forward.

Chandler Morris - Don't Force the Ball 

Early into the game, Chandler Morris had two near interceptions where he attempted to force a ball into a tight window. This is an easy area to improve and something that Morris will quickly see when he diagnoses the film. Despite those two blemishes, the North Texas transfer thoroughly looked the part, having thrown for 264 yards, two touchdowns, and five rushes for 50 yards. 

Field Goal Range 

Special Teams Coach Keith Gaither harped on Will Bettridge, having shown he extended his range in the preseason, although that did not appear to be the case on Saturday. When Bettridge was tasked with a 52-yard field goal, he came up short, something that could hamper the Hoos down the road. On the positive side, Bettridge drilled the 32 and 41-yard field goals in the fourth quarter, hopefully building his confidence for next week.

Although a lot of these critiques are rather critical, it's important to address these points early after a clean win rather than letting these errors catch up when it matters most down the road. 

Virginia returns to action on Saturday, September 6th, against NC State in Raleigh, North Carolina.