Notre Dame’s offense will be tasked with out-matching the vulnerable Virginia Cavaliers defense. UVA features a capable rushing defense but they leave a lot to desire against the pass. We preview the Cavs’ defense here:
Photo via Notre Dame Athletics
Virginia Head Coach Tony Elliott has his squad one win away from being bowl-eligible. While the offense has carried most of the load, UVA’s defense has shown flashes of great play, especially against the run. Here is how UVA has fared so far in their 2024 season:
vs Richmond (34-13, Win)
at Wake Forest (31-30, Win)
vs Maryland (27-13, Loss)
at Coastal Carolina (43-24, Win)
vs Boston College (24-14, Win)
vs Louisville (24-20, Loss)
at Clemson (48-31, Loss)
vs North Carolina (41-14, Loss)
at Pittsburgh (24-19, Win)
The Cavaliers defensive unit enters Saturday’s game allowing 26.67 points (sixth-most in the ACC) and 395.8 total yards (fourth-most in the ACC) per game. One positive for Coach Elliott, as mentioned in the offense preview, is his team’s discipline. UVA’s 5.11 penalties and 47.67 penalty yards per game are both ranked top 50 among FBS teams.
One obvious struggle for this UVA defense has been their lack of red zone success. The Cavs' defense is allowing opponents to score on 91.4% of their red zone trips, the second-highest percentage among ACC foes. This could spell trouble for UVA as Notre Dame enters Saturday with a top-25-ranked red zone offense.
As briefly mentioned before, Virginia’s defense has had issues stopping the pass all season. Their 262.9 passing yards per game allowed are the third-most in the ACC. A reason for this lack of pass-defense success is due to their lack of quarterback pressure. UVA’s 1.67 sacks (15 total) and 4.6 tackles for loss both rank in the bottom three among ACC teams. This issue should not be fixed on Saturday as Notre Dame features a dominant offensive line, allowing just over one sack per game this season. Let’s preview some key players in this Virginia secondary:
Arguably, the star of this defense is senior free safety Jonas Sanker. The talented defensive back totaled 170 tackles, 13 passes defended, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and an interception in 22 games across the last two seasons. Last season, Sanker led UVA in tackles (107), passes defended (11), and forced fumbles (3) while being named First Team All-ACC. Also, his 73 solo tackles led all ACC defenders. This year, Sanker has recorded a team-leading 69 tackles including seven for a loss, three passes defended, a sack, an interception, and UVA’s lone defensive touchdown which occurred via a 40-yard fumble scoop and score. His interception came last week and nearly added another score but was taken down after a 45-yard return. Sanker’s 5.2 solo tackles per game (47 total) are tied for first among ACC defenders. He has tallied at least three tackles in each game including three games with ten or more. The senior safety has been solid in coverage this season and has provided good tackling.
The Virginia safety core suffered a huge loss this week when Coach Elliott announced starter Antonio Clary will be out for the remainder of the season. Clary attempted to play on a partially torn ACL last week, lasting under one drive before being unable to continue.
Akron graduate transfer Corey Thomas Jr will be tasked with picking up some of the slack given Clary’s absence. Last year, as a senior at Akron, Thomas finished the year with 47 tackles including four for a loss, three passes defended, and a fumble recovery in 12 games played. The safety enters Saturday’s matchup with 34 tackles, two passes defended, a forced fumble, and an interception this season. Before last week, Thomas had recorded at least two tackles in each game. Despite the lack of tackles in last week’s win, the Akron transfer recorded his first interception as a Cavalier. Thomas has excelled against the run this year while providing solid pass coverage. His biggest issue is tackling as he has at least one missed tackle in each of the last six games.
The first cornerback to highlight is junior transfer Jam Jackson. The former Robert Morris Colonial was named Big South-OVC Co-Defensive Freshman of the Year last season after finishing with 40 tackles, five passes defended, and a forced fumble. Jackson has recorded 41 tackles and a team-leading five passes defended so far in his first season at UVA. He had a season-high nine tackles and two passes defended in the loss versus Maryland. Overall, Jackson has struggled in his transition to power-conference football. He has not been valuable as a run-stopper or pass-rusher and tends to get beat in coverage. Notre Dame should target the transfer corner who has seven missed tackles and has allowed 35 receptions for 515 yards and four touchdowns in coverage.
Another transfer cornerback to keep an eye on is Eastern Michigan graduate, Kempton Shine. The grad transfer totaled 169 tackles and 26 passes defended in 41 games across the last four seasons at EMU. Three-quarters of the way through Shine’s first season at UVA, he has tallied 26 tackles and four passes defended. He has finished with three or more tackles in seven games this year. Shine has been great in coverage this season while being a non-factor in the run game. He has had his share of tackling issues, with six missed tackles on the year including three of which occurred in the loss versus UNC.
The last defensive back to highlight is, yet another, transfer cornerback. Graduate transfer corner Kendren Smith joined UVA following 138 tackles, 24 passes defended, two sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles in four seasons at Penn. The 2022 First Team All-Ivy selection is featured as UVA’s starting slot corner. Smith enters Saturday’s matchup with 22 tackles, three passes defended, and an interception this season. He recorded a season-high five tackles and an interception in the win versus Boston College. Smith could be another defensive back the Irish look to target as he has allowed 18 receptions for 280 yards and a touchdown in coverage and has four missed tackles. He is at his best against the run.
As a team, Virginia has been solid against the run all season. While their 132.9 rushing yards per game allowed is only the ninth-fewest among ACC teams, it does rank within the top 50 among all FBS teams. Let’s preview some key players involved in this rush defense:
The first linebacker to highlight is sophomore Kam Robinson. As a true freshman last season, he finished with 71 tackles (led freshman ACC defenders), five tackles for loss, and two interceptions including a pick-six. Robinson was selected to ON3’s Freshman All-American First Team following this campaign. This year, he has totaled 49 tackles including five for a loss, four sacks, a fumble recovery, and an interception in eight games played. Robinson missed UVA’s game versus Maryland due to a knee sprain, he will be ready to go this week. He has had six games with five or more tackles including a six-tackle and one sack performance in last week’s win at Pitt. Despite the impressive stats, Robinson has not been truly impactful this season. While he has been solid against the run, he has 14 missed tackles and has allowed 21 receptions for 218 yards and two touchdowns on just 28 targets in coverage. In my opinion, given the proper development, Robinson could be a notable 2027 NFL Draft prospect.
Another key linebacker is senior James Jackson. In 22 games played across the past two seasons, he has totaled 140 tackles and five passes defended. The senior has missed UVA’s last three games due to a foot injury but should be back in a limited capacity this week. He has 43 tackles including five for a loss and two sacks in six games played this season. Jackson has six-plus tackles in five of six games including a season-high 12 versus Maryland. The senior linebacker is an average tackler and pass rusher who struggles in coverage, having allowed ten receptions for 142 yards on just 13 targets. He has also struggled to stop the run this season. It will be interesting to see how Jackson performs coming off his injury.
The final linebacker to watch for is junior Trey McDonald. The versatile backer, who lines up in various linebacker roles throughout games, is experiencing a breakout season. He enters Saturday’s game with 39 tackles and a sack on the year. McDonald has tallied at least one tackle in each game and recorded a season-high 11 tackles at Clemson. Notably, the junior will miss the first half at Notre Dame due to a targeting violation committed in the second half of last week’s win at Pitt. Overall, McDonald is a solid linebacker. He has been good in coverage and is an average pass-rusher and run-stopper. His biggest issue is tackling as he has seven missed tackles this season including four in the loss versus Maryland. If UVA has the score close at halftime, the second-half addition of McDonald could provide the Cavaliers some real momentum.
On the defensive line, Virginia features left edge rusher Kam Butler. The graduate student and former Miami (OH) transfer totaled 166 tackles including 42 for a loss, 21.5 sacks, and five forced fumbles in 44 games played across the last five years at Miami and UVA. Butler transferred to UVA following his 2021 First Team All-MAC campaign. This season, he has recorded 32 tackles, two sacks, and two forced fumbles. The defensive end has at least two tackles in each game including a season-high five tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble in the win versus Boston College. Overall, Butler is a very polished edge rusher. He is great against the pass, specifically as a rusher, but has been reliable in coverage when needed as well. The former RedHawk has also provided value as a run-stopper. A critique for Butler would be to clean up the tackling as he has six missed tackles this season.
Off the right edge, Virginia starts another graduate student, Chico Bennett Jr. The former Georgia Tech transfer had 68 tackles including 13 for a loss, seven sacks, and two forced fumbles in 21 games across the last two seasons at UVA. Bennett, a 2022 All-ACC honorable mention, has 29 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and an interception this season. The defensive end has a well-rounded game, he could perhaps improve as a pass rusher and clean up his tackling. Overall, I think Bennett is a very solid player for this UVA defense.
The Virginia interior defensive line features four men who could play a factor in this week’s contest. First is sophomore tackle Anthony Britton who is having a breakout season. He has 29 tackles and one and a half sacks including at least one tackle in each game this year. Over the past two games, Britton appears to be getting hot, having tallied 13 tackles and one and a half sacks during this time. The sophomore tackle is a good tackler but has struggled against the run and as a pass rusher.
The second interior lineman to watch for is graduate student, Jahmeer Carter. The veteran tackle had totaled 87 tackles in 34 games across the last three seasons. This season, Carter has 26 tackles and a sack including seven multi-tackle games. He is a solid run-stopper, however, he has been a poor tackler and not efficient as a pass rusher.
Another veteran on the interior is senior tackle Michael Diatta. He is having his career-best season with 21 tackles in eight games played. The senior missed UVA’s contest at Coastal Carolina but is healthy for this week. When on the field, Diatta has been a great tackler and reliable run-stopper. While he does struggle as a pass rusher, the senior deserves more than the 25 snaps he is currently receiving per game.
The last Cavalier defender to highlight is junior lineman Terrell Jones. The versatile defender is capable of lining up anywhere across the line. Jones has recorded 21 tackles this season, including five or more in each of the past two games. The junior has provided solid tackling and has been good against the run, especially during the last two games. However, Jones has struggled as a pass rusher this season.
All-in-all, this should be another efficient showing from the Notre Dame offense. This game has the potential for Irish quarterback Riley Leonard to explode through the air while still providing with his feet. The Irish may not be able to run as easily as the past few weeks, however, a depleted UVA secondary could be the decider to Notre Dame rattling off another win.
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