Virginia’s offense keeps searching for a clean answer, but Tony Elliott isn’t interested in making a panic move at quarterback.
On Tuesday, the Virginia head coach stood by Beau Pribula and said the Cavaliers’ recent struggles are bigger than one position. Elliott also signaled he is not planning to strip offensive coordinator Des Kitchings of play-calling duties.
“I don't see that making a change right now and saying that the reason that we're sitting where we are is because of the quarterback,” Elliott said. “I don't know if putting another quarterback in there solves your problems. Everybody's got to play better.”
Virginia has lost three of its last four and is now 4-4 overall, 2-3 in the ACC. Over that stretch, the offense has stalled badly, averaging just 16 points and 276 yards per game.
The numbers tell the story of an attack that keeps flashing, then fading. During that four-game stretch, the Cavaliers have averaged 130 rushing yards and 144 passing yards per game, while converting only 27.2% of their third-down chances. Their 4.2 yards per play in that span has made it tough to stay on schedule or finish drives.
Pribula’s line in Friday night’s loss to Duke showed the strain. He completed 15 of 24 passes, threw one interception and was sacked five times.
But Elliott said the breakdowns went well beyond the quarterback. He pointed to three dropped passes, missed pass-protection assignments, a costly Pribula fumble and overall execution issues that kept Virginia from turning possessions into points.
“I don't know how to describe it. The car's running, and it can go, but then it'll kind of sputter, and then it'll backfire a little bit,” Elliott said.
“You see that moving the ball. We're actually more explosive than we've been since the Delaware game.
Had 11 explosives, more explosive in the passing game, but then we have three drops. Everybody's mad at the quarterback, but they're three catchable balls.
They catch the ball, he's 18 of 24. Now he's 75%, right?”
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The bigger question is what Virginia looks like when the game tightens and the offense has to produce under pressure. Thijs De Ridder and Chance Mallory are projected to drive much of the scoring load, and the way they handle those possessions could define a lot of close finishes. Around them, Sam Lewis, Jurian Dixon and Christian Harmon are also in the mix to handle important shots and decisions, which gives Tony Bennett options but also leaves the Cavs with a race to see who emerges when the margin gets thin. [Read more 🡒]
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One of the more intriguing pieces in that conversation is backup quarterback Eli Holstein, who has made a positive impression in practice and is viewed as ready if called on. Elliott made it clear Holstein could be part of the answer if the right moment presents itself, but the larger question for Virginia is whether adding another quarterback wrinkle would actually help steady an offense still searching for the right formula. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Faces Another Ranked Test It Can't Afford To Let Slip
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For the Cavaliers, the challenge is not just surviving another difficult opponent but finding a cleaner offensive rhythm before the schedule tightens again. Wake Forest has been steady enough to make teams pay for mistakes, while Virginia has spent too much of late trying to claw back into games after inconsistent starts. The matchup gives the Cavaliers a chance to reset some of that, but it also asks the kind of questions that have tripped them up recently. [Read more 🡒]