Duke vs Virginia: Get To Know The Cavalier Offense
By Ethan Novak
Oct 5, 2013; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback David Watford (5) gestures on the field against the Ball State Cardinals in the fourth quarter at Scott Stadium. The Cardinals won 48-27. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
With Duke and Virginia just three days away from kickoff, it is time to take a serious look at what the Blue Devils’ defense is going up against on Saturday afternoon.
The Numbers
Total Yards Per Game – 375.5 (85th in the nation)
Passing Yards Per Game – 186.7 (104th in the nation)
Passing Efficiency – 97.53 (119th in the nation)
Rushing Yards Per Game – 188.8 (48th in the nation)
Points Per Game – 22.3 (100th in the nation)
Third-Down Conversion – 36.8% (83rd in the nation)
Turnovers – 14 (104th in the nation)
Red Zone Scoring – 81.8% (67th in the nation)
The Scheme
Nov 19, 2011; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Colorado State Rams head coach Steve Fairchild on the sidelines during the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Virginia’s offense is ran by Steve Fairchild, who is in his first year as the Cavs’ offensive coordinator. As a coach, Fairchild is a bit of a wild card. For the most part, he has stuck to a pro-style offense throughout his various stops at both the college and NFL level, but the way he runs the scheme has varied drastically. He has ran pass-heavy styles, run-heavy styles, balanced styles and so on. He isn’t a coach that stubbornly sticks to a single style of attack, but adapts to the hand he is dealt nearly every single game.
So far this year, Virginia has operated out of numerous formations, including the spread, ace, shotgun, pistol and the strong-I. They’ve kept a fairly balanced attack, throwing the ball 232 times and rushing it 267 times, although they’ve been far more successful rushing the ball.
The Quarterback
Sophomore QB David Watford is in his first year as starting quarterback for the Cavaliers, and I’d imagine he imagined it going much smoother. It hasn’t been all his fault (we’ll get into that later), but Watford has struggled to consistently make accurate throws and quick reads, resulting in his ugly seven interceptions and 59.5 completion percentage so far this year.
Despite his inconsistencies, he did have his most impressive performance of the season last week against a strong Maryland defense. Not only did he throw for 263 yards and a touchdown, but he also ran for 34 yards on seven attempts, showing much improved pocket presence in the process.
There is no way of currently knowing whether the performance was a fluke or if Watford is legitimately starting to come on as a quarterback, but I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if he continued to build on it, especially when you consider how strong of a running attack Virginia boasts.
The Ground Game
Junior RB Kevin Parks has been great for Virginia this year, racking up 692 total yards and six touchdowns through six games. Parks is a neat little combination of speed, shiftiness and power. He doesn’t do any of the three at an elite level, but he does it all well enough to make him a very high-quality running back. I have no doubt that he’ll give Duke’s defense fits, and his performance will be the key to making the Cavs’ entire offense run. If he isn’t getting the job done, Watford will struggle that much more.
After Parks, Virginia runs a steady rotation of junior Khalek Shepherd (29-223-1), freshman Daniel Hamm (23-141-2) and freshman Taquan ‘Smoke’ Mizzell (21-57), who was a very high-profile recruit out of Virginia Beach.
The Pass Catchers
Sep 28, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers tight end Jake McGee (83) prior to playing the Pittsburgh Panthers at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh defeated Virginia 14-3. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Arguably the biggest reason for Virginia’s struggles this year, the receivers have been pretty darn bad. TE Jake McGee, the Cavs’ leading receiver, had a breakout game last week, grabbing eight passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. Until last week, however, he had been very quiet on offense and currently sits at 27 receptions for 233 yards and two touchdowns on the season.
Outside of McGee, it has been quite a struggle. No other member of the team has reached the 200-yard mark on the year, and only three wide-receivers have passed the 100-yard mark (Tim Smith – 148, Darius Jennings – 128, Zachary Swanson – 111).
Not only do the receivers struggle to get open, but they haven’t been able to catch the ball when they do. In the Cavs’ 14-3 loss to Pittsburgh back on September 28th, the receivers combined to drop ten passes.
Ten.
…
Ten.
The Offensive Line
The offensive line has been a merry-go-round so far this season, due to both performance and injury issues. Fortunately for Virginia, the insertion of true freshman Eric Smith at RT has given some much needed stability, and the Cavs appear to be on the mend with G Conner Davis returning from a three-game absence last week, which allowed Luke Bowanko to move back to center.
Overall, the line would probably be considered average by most. Despite allowing 34 TFL, they’ve only given up nine sacks in six games, which is tied for 41st in the nation. Like most lines you’ll watch in college football, there are plenty of ups and plenty of downs.