CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Bryce Perkins is quickly emerging as one of the top quarterbacks in the Atlantic Coast Conference. After engineering a comeback win over Florida State last week, the senior transfer will lead the No. 22 Cavaliers at home against Old Dominion in the first-ever meeting between the in-state schools Saturday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2. LINE: Virginia -28.5.
Recommended Videos
Virginia scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including two in the final 6:02, to down the Seminoles 31-24, as Perkins went 17-of-19 in the second half, including 16 consecutive completions after the break. Perkins, who started his career at Arizona State before joining the Cavaliers last season, completed 30-of-41 passes - both career highs - for 295 yards with one TD and added 46 yards rushing. "How do you stop him?" said fourth-year coach Bronco Mendenhall, who has the Cavaliers 3-0 for the first time since 2005. "We're not growing the program at the rate we're growing it without Bryce Perkins. He plays within the system really well and he plays outside the system really well, and we need both." Old Dominion, which had last week off after dropping a 31-17 decision at Virginia Tech, has lost eight straight road contests to Power Five schools by an average of 30 points.
ABOUT OLD DOMINION (1-1)
Quarterback Stone Smartt completed 16-of-30 passes for 122 yards, rushed for 48 more and two scores, while Lala Davis rushed for a career-high 81 yards on 11 carries as the Monarchs fell short of winning two straight against the Hokies, whom they beat 49-35 in 2017 when the Hokies were ranked 13th. Old Dominion trailed 17-3 at the break and pulled within 24-17 early in the fourth after Stone's second TD run, but the Hokies scored less than two minutes later to restore a two-TD cushion. "Offensively, it was really the tale of two halves. We had 24 plays for 70 yards in the first half, and really it all came on that first drive, the field goal," coach Bobby Wilder said. "After that, we just couldn't get anything going. ... Then we came out in the second half and we ran 49 plays for 254 yards. We converted three times on fourth down in the second half."
ABOUT VIRGINIA (3-0)
Wayne Taulapapa, a 5-9 sophomore running back who missed Virginia's Sept. 6 win over William & Mary with an injury, had 18 carries for 53 yards and a career-high three touchdowns. "I love Wayne," Mendenhall said. "His heart, his consistency, his trustworthiness, how physical he is, how mature he is. The combination between him and Bryce in the short-yardage situations, they just wouldn't be stopped." Joe Reed had a career-high eight catches for 83 yards and a score, while Terrell Jana finished with career highs of seven receptions and 85 yards for the Cavaliers, who finished with 415 yards and 39:44 of time of possession.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Virginia is 1-3 against current Conference USA teams with all three losses coming since 2013.
2. Cavaliers LBs Zane Chandler (25 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks) and Jordan Mack (20 tackles, five, four) have combined for 45 tackles and six sacks through three games.
3. Virginia will be playing its fourth straight game after 3:30 p.m. Saturday and has a fifth lined up next week against No. 7 Notre Dame. The Cavaliers had a total of seven late starts in the first three years under Mendenhall.
PREDICTION: Virginia 44, Old Dominion 7