THE COLUMN: Virginia at Miami Complete Preview

TIME: 8:00 PM (EST)

DATE: October 11th, 2019

LOCATION: Hard Rock Stadium | Miami, FL

HOW TO WATCH: ESPN

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The Lowdown

With the Notre Dame loss now in the rear-view mirror, Virginia is looking ahead to its attainable aspirations of securing the ACC Coastal Division title. The Hoos are now entering the most important stretch of the season against the majority of their divisional opponents. While the play in Coastal Division has been somewhat uninspiring, these games will still obviously be huge tests. Before Virginia starts to look ahead, the team needs to find answers to lingering questions about their offensive line, running game, and play calling.

This week features a matchup with the Miami Hurricanes, one of the many Coastal Division teams that hasn’t quite figured things out yet. They lost last week against a struggling Virginia Tech team and pulled their starting quarterback Jerren Williams in favor of N’Kosi Perry in the process. Despite their quarterback issue, the Hurricanes are still ranked an impressive 11th in passing offense and have compiled 315 yards per game between Williams and Perry.

Conversely, Virginia boasts the 20th best passing defense, allowing only 184 yards per game through the air so far this season. Miami’s quarterback play versus Virginia’s secondary will undoubtedly be one of the main themes to watch. The Cavaliers’ offensive line will also be a main point to watch, as they got torched in the Notre Dame matchup. Quarterback Bryce Perkins needs his O-line to clean things up so he can find offensive consistency while limiting turnovers.

Despite the glitz and glamour of the Turnover Chain and Touchdown Rings, Miami’s play remains still remains unpolished. Virginia, on the other hand, has quietly created its own football culture and a team to back their new image up. But for the Hoos to really be the new standard in the ACC, they still have to beat the teams that have historically been so.

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The Statistics

from Danny Neckel

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Hoo’s Hoo?

Virginia Cavaliers

Dillon Reinkensmeyer, OL

Virginia’s offensive line struggled mightily against Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish recorded eight sacks, three of which caused Perkins to fumble. The Cavalier’s starting right tackle, Dillon Reinkensmeyer, was swapped out with Ryan Nelson (the usual left tackle). With center Tyler Fannin out for the season, Coach Bronco Mendenhall will have to find some creative solutions to the o-line issue if the Hoos are to find consistency on offense.

Virginia Cavaliers

Joey Blount, S

Son of Tony Blount, a standout safety for Virginia in the late 70s, Joey Blount has developed into a key defensive player for the Hoos. The junior had a team-high nine solo tackles against Notre Dame and has been a consistent tackling presence for Virginia all year long. Currently, Blount is second on the team in tackles at 35. Alongside fellow third-years Brenton Nelson and De’Vante Cross, the secondary corps for Virginia has proven to be a formidable one.

Virginia Cavaliers

Terrell Jana, WR

Third-year Terrell Jana has established himself as the No. 3 option for the wide receivers. He really came out against Florida State, where he caught seven balls for 85 yards. Miami has a fair passing defense, 43rd in yards allowed, and it’ll be a challenging matchup for Virginia’s wide outs. Joe Reed and Hasise Dubois are the main options for Bryce Perkins, but Jana has the ability to make a major impact on the game.

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Miami Hurricanes

Jarren Williams, QB

The quarterback position at Miami is in flux right now. Williams started the first four games but then was benched last week in favor of N’Kosi Perry after throwing three interceptions. The freshman quarterback had actually not thrown any interceptions previously this season. Williams is actually day-to-day due to an injury his sustained in practice. If healthy, Williams will most likely start. But, don’t be surprised if we see Perry instead.

Miami Hurricanes

Shaquille Quarterman, LB

Senior line backer Shaquille Quarterman decided to forego the NFL Draft last year to play one last season with the Hurricanes. Last year, he picked up 82 tackles, 5 sacks, and an interception. This year, he currently has 32 tackles and one sack. Quarterman could be the main disruptor to watch in this game. His performance will be especially important this Friday given Virginia’s struggles at the offensive line so far.

Miami Hurricanes

Brevin Jordan, TE

Sophomore Brevin Jordan is the leading receiver for the Hurricanes this year. The tight end has 369 receiving yards and two touchdowns so far. He’s become a focal point for the Hurricanes, after a low-key freshman season where he compiled 287 receiving yards. Jordan could be a mismatch for Virginia, as the Hoos haven’t really faced a team that utilizes their tight end so often.

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#tbt

hoosfootball.com

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