By Any Means Necessary! #21 UVA defeats ODU in comeback 28-17 (9-21-19)

By: Tyrone Montgomery Jr.

Headline Photo Credit: Darrell Owens-LMS Network

It wasn’t an easy victory but with football, you take a win by any means necessary. Homecoming Weekend, the fans wanted a show. A show is exactly what they got. However, nerves were shaken and plenty of beer was purchased to keep everyone calm. ODU got off to a quick start. In fact, that quick start gave them a 17-0 lead early in the first half. It was a slow start for UVA. Their offense just couldn’t seem to get it going in this matchup vs. ODU. The Monarchs ended the 1st half having all the momentum with a 17-7 lead.

Things changed a bit for both teams in the 2nd half. ODU QB had a pick 6 that rocked the whole Scotts Stadium and sent every fan on their feet. Once ODU got the ball back, ODU QB Stone Smartt nearly threw yet another pick 6. However, the officiators ruled it a dead ball as is softly grazed the ground. UVA had a few coachinf errors. Despite ODU QB Stony Smartt being rattled with his TO, the game was far from over and there was still plenty of time left in this matchup. This was anybody’s game. It came down to who wanted it more. UVA got into FG range and somehow managed to miss a FG that would have tied the game. Still, ODU failed to take advantage of UVA’s mishaps. What we all thought was a quick 3 & out managed to be a quick 4 & out. What complicated matters for ODU was the fact they were still in their own territory. This put UVA in perfect scoring position. They capitalized on ODU’s coaching error and never looked back. As a matter of fact, ODU didn’t score at all in the 2nd half and The Cavaliers took care of business edging the Monarchs 28-17.

This was a tale of 2 halfs. One UVA player said he was shocked at the outcome of the first half. But Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall told the team at the half to just forget about the first half and think of the game as 0-0 heading into the 2nd half. The Cavaliers did just that. Good teams find ways to win games. UVA proved they are a good team. They proved that they earned that Top 25 Ranking for a reason. Despite them moving on to 4-0, they must improve in their play calling.

UVA QB Bryce Perkins is a very serviceable QB. As you can see, you can definitely win games with the Senior. But they must help him to help them. This team is best when they’re running the ball down their opponents throats. This isn’t just about RB’s Wayne Taulapapa, Mike Hollins, or PK Kier. This is about Bryce Perkins too. A dual threat QB, he has the ability to beat you multiple ways. After he took a quick scare for the worst with a possible injury, UVA’s coaching staff has to be thinking we have to trust more in the running game. This was a good win for the Cavaliers. UVA can thank the defense for this win. On to the next one as the undefeated (4-0) UVA Cavaliers are on the road to Notre Dame to take on the 2-1 Fighting Irish.