Ranking Virginia’s 2022 Football Games From Least to Most Difficult

Tony Elliott’s debut as Virginia’s head coach needs to be probably the most manageable recreation on the schedule. UVA has dominated Richmond to the tune of a 29-3-2 benefit within the all-time collection relationship again to 1893. The Spiders did hand the Cavaliers a loss again in 2016, however you’d have to return to 1946 to seek out the subsequent most up-to-date time Richmond defeated Virginia. No opponent needs to be ignored and something can occur, however the Hoos ought to be capable to maintain enterprise towards Richmond within the season opener. 

Again in Virginia’s epic 2019 season, the Cavaliers had been practically surprised by Previous Dominion because the Monarchs jumped out to a 17-0 lead. However Bryce Perkins and the Cavaliers bounced again and scored 28-straight factors to finish the sport and keep away from what would have been an embarrassing loss to an ODU squad that completed 1-11 that season. The Cavaliers are actually hoping it’ll take much less drama to beat the Monarchs when these two groups play of their second-ever assembly on September seventeenth. 

The Cavaliers’ first highway take a look at of the season takes them to Champaign in week two to conclude the second a part of a home-and-home collection towards Illinois. The Preventing Illini are coming into their second yr of a rebuild beneath head coach Bret Bielema. Their first season beneath Bielema ended with a 5-7 report and was highlighted by a nine-overtime win at Penn State, however was lowlighted by a 42-14 smackdown at Virginia. UVA’s journey to Illinois needs to be one of many extra winnable highway contests on the 2022 schedule. 

Like Virginia, Duke can also be coming into yr one beneath new head coach Mike Elko. After ending 3-9 in 2021, together with an 0-8 mark in ACC play, Duke’s recreation towards UVA would be the group’s first alternative of the season to choose up an ACC victory for the primary time since 2020. The Blue Devils need to climb out of the gutter of the ACC, however the Cavaliers will not be doing them any favors once they journey to Durham on the primary day of October. UVA has received 16 of the 22 conferences towards Duke this century and the Hoos have crushed the Blue Devils seven instances in a row. 

For 42 years, the Service Dome, now known as the JMA Wi-fi Dome, has served as the long-lasting residence for Syracuse’s soccer, basketball, and lacrosse groups. The Cavaliers will journey to play in that historic venue for the primary time ever on September twenty third. UVA and Syracuse have performed simply 5 instances in historical past and solely as soon as for the reason that Orange joined the ACC, a 44-38 time beyond regulation win for Virginia in 2015 in Charlottesville. The seat is getting heat for head coach Dino Babers, who, after main the Orange to a 10-3 season in 2018, has not coached the Orange to a successful season since then. Babers hopes that the addition of former UVA assistants Robert Anae (offensive coordinator) and Jason Beck (quarterbacks coach) to his workers will assist him get an edge over Virginia. Then again, the thought of Brennan Armstrong slinging the ball to his receivers in a temperature-controlled dome makes us assume the Cavaliers have a superb shot on this one. 

In three years as the pinnacle coach at Georgia Tech, Geoff Collins has but to win greater than three video games in a season. That features two losses to the Cavaliers, however each video games had been determined by one possession. UVA and Georgia Tech all the time appear to play shut and entertaining video games, with all however one their conferences since 2015 being determined by single digits. And on a Thursday evening in Atlanta, that might be the case once more regardless of the Cavaliers having the benefit on paper. 

A missed area purpose on the buzzer helped the Cavaliers escape Louisville with a slim 34-33 victory final season. With that dramatic win, Virginia has now received two in a row towards the Cardinals and three of the final 4. After placing collectively an 8-5 report in his first season at Louisville in 2019, Scott Satterfield has been unable to get the Playing cards again above .500 in both of the 2 seasons since. Malik Cunningham versus Brennan Armstrong should be an ideal quarterback battle as soon as once more, however the Cavaliers ought to have the sting over the Cardinals in Charlottesville. 

Regardless of Brennan Armstrong throwing for a program-record 554 passing yards, North Carolina managed to snap a four-game shedding streak to Virginia with a 59-39 win in Chapel Hill final season. UNC’s star quarterback Sam Howell has departed for the NFL, as has working again Ty Chandler, who rushed for 198 yards and two touchdowns towards the Cavaliers final season. The Tar Heels nonetheless have fairly a little bit of expertise on each side of the ball, together with broad receiver Josh Downs, who had 203 yards and two landing catches towards Virginia in 2021. Hopefully, the Virginia protection will permit one thing considerably lower than the 699 yards of complete offense it yielded to UNC final season. It might be one other shootout, however Armstrong and the UVA passing unit ought to have the sting over the Tar Heels this time round when the Hoos and Heels meet within the first week of November. 

By far probably the most troublesome non-conference recreation of Virginia’s 2022 schedule, Coastal Carolina involves Charlottesville within the second to final recreation of the common season. The Chanticleers, led by 2020 AP Coach of the 12 months Jamey Chadwell, have turned in a 22-3 report within the final two seasons out of the Solar Belt Convention. It stays to be seen if Coastal can maintain this momentum, however a go to to Virginia in late November, which represents Coastal’s sole recreation towards a Energy 5 opponent this season, will definitely be a benchmark for the standing of the Coastal Carolina soccer program. With that in thoughts, the Cavaliers ought to anticipate to get the very best shot from the Chanticleers as they attempt to additional set up themselves as a program on the rise. 

Pittsburgh is a troublesome group to foretell for the upcoming season. With Heisman finalist quarterback Kenny Pickett off to the NFL and Biletnikoff Award-winning broad receiver Jordan Addison gone throughout the nation to USC by way of the switch portal, there may be anticipated to be a considerable drop-off for the 2021 ACC Champions. Nonetheless, the Panthers return a robust protection which might energy them to make one other run on the Coastal title in its closing yr of existence earlier than the convention does away with divisions in 2023. If all goes effectively for each groups within the first two and a half months of the season, Virginia and Pittsburgh might be taking part in for the division title once they meet at Scott Stadium on November twelfth. 

The Hurricanes have one of many highest ceilings within the convention. New head coach Mario Cristobal went to work within the switch portal, securing 11 new additions to a Miami roster that was already laden with gifted gamers who had been former prime recruits popping out of highschool. Will Miami return to its glory days beneath Cristobal and can that transformation occur in yr one? Virginia will get an in depth look when the Canes go to Charlottesville simply earlier than Halloween. Returning quarterback Tyler Van Dyke and the Hurricanes can be longing for payback towards the Cavaliers after final yr’s recreation led to chaotic trend with Andy Borregales’ 33-yard area purpose try hitting the left upright as time expired to present Virginia a 30-28 victory, UVA’s first win at Onerous Rock Stadium since 2011. Anticipate one other battle between the Cavaliers and the Hurricanes with two first-year head coaches going head-to-head. 

There are a lot better opponents on Virginia’s schedule than Virginia Tech. The truth is, Miami, Pittsburgh, North Carolina, and Coastal Carolina will in all probability have higher seasons than the Hokies. Nonetheless, the Commonwealth Conflict will proceed to occupy the title of “most troublesome recreation to win” for Virginia till the Hoos start to push again towards Virginia’s Tech dominance within the rivalry. The Hokies have received 17 of the final 18 matchups, together with the final two video games wherein Virginia misplaced to clearly-inferior Virginia Tech groups. UVA has not crushed Virginia Tech in Blacksburg since 1998. Till Virginia makes the battle for the Commonwealth Cup aggressive once more, this recreation would be the most troublesome one to win on UVA’s schedule.