Sunday Couch QB: Pittsburgh

By Josh Burton

The University of Virginia Football team picked up a 24-19 Saturday night win at then #18 ranked Pittsburgh. This brings the Hoos to 5-4 on the year and one win away from bowl eligibility.

Offense

This was about as balanced of a game as they could have offensively, as the Hoos had both 170 yards on the ground and through the air.  Xavier Brown and Kobe Pace each saw double digit touches while averaging over 4 yards per carry and scoring a touchdown apiece. After beating the ground game drum for the majority of the year, I was very pleased to see the combined effort by the offense to move the ball on the ground against a good conference opponent.

Xavier Brown has now rushed for 400+ yards this season.

Brown is the first UVA player with 400+ rushing yards since 2020 and the first RB since 2019.

— Preston Willett (@PrestonWillett) November 10, 2024

Quarterback Anthony Colandrea didn’t have a great game through the air, but I was very impressed by his ability to compete. Colandrea caught a pass to set up the Hoos first score, then later managed to stand in and deliver a throw deep downfield for a huge third down conversion just before taking a big hit. While not statistically a great performance (143 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions) it was a very gritty performance.

Defense

I really thought this was one of the best defensive efforts the Hoos have had under Coach Elliott. The defensive line played its best game of the year, getting some pressure and also controlling the gaps to slow down Pitt's ground game.

The secondary also earned high marks in this one, as Jonas Sanker showed why he’s one of the best safeties in college football with 5 tackles (two for loss) , an interception and a blocked field goal attempt. Pittsburgh native Corey Thomas Jr. came through as well by snagging a critical interception as time was winding down to seal the victory for the Wahoos.

Special Teams

Special teams continued to be a roller coaster as they have all season. Kicker Will Bettridge was perfect on his extra points and his lone field goal attempt, while punter Daniel Sparks had an up and down performance with two punts going for over 55 yards apiece while three went for under 40 yards each.  The blocked field goal by Sanker was the special teams play of the game.

Going forward, I’m just looking for more consistency in the special teams units. They have been making strides all year and should continue to improve each week. 

Next Up

This week, the Hoos travel to South Bend for a showdown with #10 Notre Dame. This one will start at 3:30 and will air on NBC. With only three games left, how are you feeling about where the Hoos are? Will they make their first bowl game since 2019? Join the discussion with us over on the Locker Room Access forum!

(Featured Image Credit: Jamie Holt/UVA Athletics)