2022 University of Virginia Football Preview
August 10, 2022
The Cavaliers of Virginia had been slowly but steadily building over the past half-decade or so. That’s why it was a bit of a shock to average college football fans when Bronco Mendenhall stepped away from the head coaching position this past December. “There was sense of clarity to me that I need to step back from college football and reassess with my wife as a partner, our future and the next chapter of our lives.” Mendenhall stated in April of this year.
In reality, Mendenhall realized that he couldn’t take the next big step at UVA. He was getting out-recruited and just never saw light at the end of the tunnel. After finishing seasons 2018 & 2019 with winning records, Mendenhall and his Hoos put together back to back .500 campaigns. It just wasn’t working.
Enter Tony Elliot. He was Clemson’s offensive coordinator and assistant head coach in recent years. He had a ten year stint with Clemson and was there during both championships. He is a solid selection for head coach.
2022 UVA Players
Luckily for the Cavaliers, their big QB with the big arm is back in 2022. Brennan Armstrong has a very appropriate surname indeed. He threw for 4,449 yards, 37 TD’s and just 10 INT’s. He can run some too, scoring 9 TD’s on foot. Some NFL scouts have already taken notice.
The receiving corps is strong and there is no reason this team cannot repeat the success they had through the air last season, unless the QB gets no protection and is on his back the entire time. That’s because the offensive line is replacing all of their starters (they all transferred out) and are basically starting over. RB is a question mark too. They have a couple of backs who have a total of a couple hundred yards from scrimmage. Still, offense should be OK.
Defensively, the Hoos may be in trouble. They finished last season ranked 121st in all the land. Opponents could seemingly score at will. Miami transfer Kam Butler will hope to inject new life into an ineffective defensive line. Leading tackler Nick Jackson is back in the middle. The defensive backfield is full of question marks however.
2022 UVA Football Schedule and Predictions
| Date | Opponent | Prediction |
|---|---|---|
September 3rd | Richmond | Richmond isn't bad for a smaller program. They went 6-5 last year but UVA should be able to get this win. |
September 10th | at Illinois | UVA can get this win but don't be terribly surprised if they drop this game. |
September 17th | Old Dominion | ODU will put up a fight but UVA should simply be able to outscore them in the end. |
September 23rd | at Syracuse | This game may be a tough one for the Hoos. 'Cuse is returning 80% of their offensive production from 2021. This is a team that beat VT, BC and only lost to Clem by 3. |
October 1st | at Duke | This would be a great basketball matchup. Hoos get the win here. |
October 8th | Louisville | This one should be a shootout since both teams can score. LOU may be slightly favored and the game could go either way. |
October 20th | at Georgia Tech | Another less than stellar matchup. GT was 3-9 last year. They have a decent QB with experience. Again, either team's game to lose. |
October 29th | Miami | Miami is in a reboot. Take the Cavs to pull out the win. |
November 5th | North Carolina | UNC allowed teams to run all over their D last season, much like UVA did. But the advantage of playing at home and having a great QB sees the Hoos winning this one. |
November 12th | Pittsburgh | USC transfer Kedon Slovis takes over for departed Kenny Pickett. Pitt's D isn't that good. Again, another game with team could win, so why not pick UVA? |
November 19th | Coastal Carolina | Coastal is playing well for a lower echelon program. They have the pieces to duplicate last season's 11 win record. But playing at Charlottesville won't be an easy win by any stretch. I say bet the OVER on this one and forget about the spread. |
November 26th | at Virginia Tech | Rivalry time. Throw out the records. The ACC is just plain bad. VT is another team with a first year head coach and some of its stars having transferred out. UVA actually has the advantage here in my mind. If VT is favored take UVA + the points. |
Conclusion and Odds
The 2022 UVA story is unique one. It is a story of a new coach, a bad defense and what would be bad offense if not for the stellar QB and receivers. They are everything to this team. If they can spark some energy that rubs off on the defense and special teams look out for a conceivable 8 wins. This is because the schedule lines up very favorably. The teams they are playing are bad. And UVA gets some of the more challenging teams at home (Coastal, UNC, Pitt, and Miami).
The Total wins Over-Under for UVA is 7.5 at sportsbooks. I can see this team winning 7 or 8 so there is no clear play.
Odds to win the national title are a very long +50,000 at sportsbetting.ag. This means if you are crazy enough to put $100 on UVA to win it all and they do, you clear 50 large and you are buying the drinks for the other Wahoo fans.
