LOUISVILLE, Ky. – With sights set on an Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal crown and the first double-digit win campaign since 1989, Virginia dropped consecutive games road games against Notre Dame and Miami after a 4-0 start. The Cavaliers rebounded in a big way last week against Duke and seek to stay atop the division when they visit Louisville on Saturday.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network. LINE: Virginia -3.5.
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Virginia scored the first 27 points of the game against the Blue Devils, forced five turnovers for the first time since snaring six against the Blue Devils in 2016 and rushed for 154 yards and five scores in the 48-14 win. The Cavaliers, who are 3-1 in conference play and already owns a win over 2-1 Pitt, held Louisville to a season low in yards (214) and points (three) in last season's 27-3 thrashing, but the Cavaliers are just 5-25 in ACC road games since 2012, including 38-21 and 38-31 losses the last two trips here. "For this year's team, for us to win the Coastal Division, for us to take another step in advancing our program, for us to be a contender on the national scale, for us to remain building and having the unbroken growth that we're after, you have to play well regardless of where, when and how you're scheduled," coach Bronco Mendenhall told the media Monday. Louisville, coming off an upset of No. 23 Wake Forest, had its modest two-game winning streak snapped in a 45-10 loss to second-ranked Clemson last weekend despite two first-quarter interceptions that made the game interesting for a bit.
ABOUT VIRGINIA (5-2, 3-1 ACC)
Bryce Perkins rushed for three touchdowns - his first multi-rushing touchdown game of the season, the fourth of his career and first three-TD game by a Virginia quarterback since at least 2001. Despite playing without All-American cornerback Bryce Hall (leg), Virginia forced three fumbles and two interceptions, scored 20 points off those miscues and added five tackles for loss to go along with seven pass breakups; the defense held Duke to 73 total yards in the first half, while forcing four three-and-outs. Joe Reed returned his fifth career kick return for a touchdown (95 yards), and the wide receiver by trade is the only player in FBS history to have 2,700 kick return yards with a career kick return average of 28.
ABOUT LOUISVILLE (4-3, 2-2)
The Cardinals were held to season lows of 10 points and 263 yards against the mighty Tigers after rolling up a combined 103 points in wins over Boston College and Wake, as both Malik Cunningham and Evan Conley completed 4-of-11 passes for a combined 107 yards, six sacks and two picks. "I think probably both of them played some of the worst ball they've played this year. I give Clemson a lot of credit for that. They do the most I've seen a defense do. It's going to be confusing for quarterbacks when you're looking at that defense." Freshman Javian Hawkins provided the only spark for the offense, rushing 26 times for 129 yards and a TD to push his season total to 751 yards (fourth in the ACC), four TDs and a 5.5 yards-per-carry average.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Virginia held its seventh opponent this season under 400 yards of total offense for the first time since the 1995 team held the first seven teams under 400 yards. Last week's 48-point outburst matched its largest total in an ACC game since 2010.
2. Perkins was responsible for 152 of Virginia's 153 yards of total offense in the first half, passing for 111 yards and rushing for 41.
3. Hawkins has four 100-yard outings in 2019, the first Cardinals freshman to top 100 yards in a game since Kevin Parks in 2011.
PREDICTION: Virginia 24, Louisville 16