Cavs face must-win to stay alive in the Coastal Division
After a disappointing 35-21 loss at N.C. State two weeks ago, Virginia (3-2, 1-1) returns home Saturday to host No. 16 Miami (5-1, 2-0) and try to keep pace in a competitive ACC Coastal Division.
The Cavaliers had their two-game winning streak snapped against the Wolfpack and will face a Miami team that they have defeated four of the last eight times the two teams have met.
“It seems like a long time since we’ve played football,” Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall said after the Cavaliers’ bye week. “I guess you want it right where we had it, in the middle of the season and we’ve used this week to get healthy and to firm up some things.”
Virginia has only faced Miami two times in the month of October and has knocked off the Hurricanes on both of those occasions in 2010 and 2011.
Quarterback Bryce Perkins looks to bounce back from his worst performance as a Cavalier as he tossed two interceptions against the Wolfpack, but still has a 11-to-4 touchdown to interception ratio so far this season. Perkins will be going against a Miami defense that is allowing just 18.5 points per game this season, which is good enough for 23rd in the country.
“I think it’s been week to week,” Mendenhall said when asked about the run-pass balance his offense has had. “I think there have been glimpses and moments and games where we’ve done a nice job, and there have been glimpses and moments in games where we haven’t.”
The Cavaliers will need to balance their run and pass game against a Miami defense that has talent everywhere you look. Perkins was held to just 24 yards rushing on 14 attempts against N.C. State, while putting himself in some tough situations against a stout Wolfpack front.