Virginia Cavaliers Dominate at Scott Stadium in Season Opener Against William & Mary Tribe
The Virginia Cavaliers started their season with a commanding 43-0 victory over the William & Mary Tribe at Scott Stadium. The home team's record now stands at 6-6, while the Tribe falls to 6-5.
The Cavaliers' offense was unstoppable, accumulating a total of 545 yards. The passing game was particularly effective, with the quarterback throwing for 339 yards and two touchdowns, including a longest completion of 65 yards which also resulted in the longest touchdown. The efficiency through the air was complemented by an impressive ground game that racked up 206 rushing yards and three touchdowns; their longest run spanned 40 yards, though their longest rushing touchdown was a nine-yard dash into the end zone.
On defense, Virginia showcased its strength by recording one sack for a loss of ten yards and six tackles for loss totaling thirty negative yards against William & Mary. They also forced one fumble during the game but did not manage any interceptions or recoveries. A highlight on defense was scoring a safety against their opponents.
Special teams contributed to Virginia's dominance as well; they executed flawlessly in both field goals and extra points attempts, maintaining perfect records in both categories with two field goals made (the longest from 39 yards) and five extra points added after touchdowns.
William & Mary struggled throughout the contest as they were unable to score or effectively move the ball against Virginia's defense. Their punting unit saw action twice but failed to make significant headway against Virginia’s punt returners who managed an impressive average of over twenty-two return-yards per attempt across three returns.
As fans look ahead, they can anticipate another home game for Virginia Cavaliers as they are set to face Illinois Fighting Illini at Scott Stadium on September 11th at around ten o'clock Eastern Time. This upcoming contest will be broadcasted on ACC Network for fans unable to attend in person in Charlottesville.