No. 25 Virginia’s disciplined defense creates challenges for WVU football’s offense
Virginia\'s disciplined defense creates problems for WVU
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MORGANTOWN -- Virginia's offense gets a lot of attention. There’s a lot of talk about quarterback Beau Pribula being a true dual-threat, who looked commanding in the first two games in a new system, and the veteran offensive line. As good as the offense has been, the defense has been just as dominant.
The Cavaliers have allowed 11 points through two games, which includes against Power Four and conference opponent N.C. State. The 11 points, meaning 5.5 points per game, ranks fourth in the FBS. Virginia's 195.5 yards per game is the ninth-best in the country.
Ahead of Saturday’s matchup of No. 25 Virginia and West Virginia, Rich Rodriguez watched a lot of tape of the defense and saw that it doesn't make any mistakes.
"I saw a quote from Michael Vick after they played him and said, 'They make you earn every blade of grass that you get,' with their defense, the way how disciplined they are.”
Former Air Force defensive coordinator John Rudzinski is in Year 3 of being the DC of the Cavaliers after a highly successful 2025 campaign. Last year, Virginia had the second-best defense in the ACC, allowing 19.6 points per game, and Rudzinski retained a lot of those players for this season.
It starts with Virginia's linebacker room of Maddox Marcellus, Caleb Hardy, Justin Rowe, Kam Robinson and Landon Danley. Brown and Marcellus both have 10-plus tackles already, Rowe has a pick-6 and Hardy has a sack.
The Mountaineers have been efficient on the ground so far. WVU averages 298.5 yards per game rushing, which is ninth in the country. The only time the rushing attack struggled was in the second half against Coastal Carolina, where the Chanticleers sold out to stop the run. With the experienced linebackers, Virginia has a top 15 rushing defense, so it might be hard for WVU to run the entire game.
Quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. and the offense might have to air it out more than it has through two games. But, the UVA secondary is just as elite. Safety Brandyn Hillman is second in the country with three interceptions through two games. Cornerback Jacobie Henderson is tied for fourth in the country with three pass breakups.
The Mountaineers could rely on the explosive plays to progress. WVU had four plays 50 yards or longer after two games, and two of them were for touchdowns. Virginia is one of the best teams at not allowing big runs or passes because the defense is so disciplined.
"Very rarely do you see something bust out for a big play or anything like that because they’re a pretty experienced group that knows how to play," Rodriguez said.
Virginia makes it difficult to move the ball.
Rodriguez said the way to attack a dominant defense is for the offense to eliminate the negative plays. There can't be pre-snap penalties, penalties in general, turnovers, tackles for loss or sacks.
Through two games, WVU hasn't had too many issues with negative plays. Hawkins has been sacked once, and he hasn't thrown a pick, so that's a positive. The nine penalties and two fumbles through two games could be cleaned up.
"You got no negative yardage plays and no turnovers, you win 100% of the time," Rodriguez said. "You can’t beat a good team with those kind of mistakes that you control: the turnovers and the mental errors. We control that."
If Rodriguez's statement is correct, the formula for WVU's upset over Virginia seems simple. But it's much easier said than done. Rodriguez recalled that, in his 20 years of being a college football head coach, there's only been one time (Arizona's 2013 upset win over Oregon) when he had a game with close to no negative plays.
It’s going to be hard to be the first team Rodriguez has coached to achieve what seems to be an impossible feat against Virginia, who has one of the top defenses in the country.
"They are very well coached," Rodriguez said. "They’ll be in the right spot where they’re supposed to be all the time."