After suffering a deflating 27-13 loss to the Maryland Terrapins last week, the Virginia Cavaliers (3-1) responded on the road against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. Controlling the game literally from the opening kickoff, the ‘Hoos handled Coastal, 43-24.

With the win, we’ve got five takeaways for UVA ahead of its first bye week of the season.

Virginia’s running game smokes the Chanticleers’ defense

The Cavaliers ran for a whopping 384 yards on 58 carries versus Coastal Carolina on Saturday afternoon. Racking up 6.6 yards per carry, Virginia finally established the run like head coach Tony Elliott and offensive coordinator Des Kitchings have always preached.

Despite missing three of its five starters, the UVA offensive line manhandled Coastal’s defensive front. Backups Jack Witmer (left tackle), Ugonna Nnanna (right guard), and Jimmy Christ (right tackle) all stepped up and repeatedly opened major holes for UVA’s backs.

Then, Xavier Brown (171 yards), Kobe Pace (57 yards), Anthony Colandrea (46 yards), Jack Griese (38 yards), and Noah Vaughn (32 yards) took care of the rest. The ‘Hoos churned their way down the field drive after drive all afternoon, unlocking their running game and dominating an outgunned Group Five opponent in the process.

If UVA can continue to have success on the ground to complement the threats the team has through the air, then this offense has legitimate potential. Getting starters on the offensive line back should only help.

Xavier Brown is UVA’s best running back

Brown’s performance on Saturday underscores his status as Virginia’s most talented back. Kobe Pace may be more complete as a receiver and in pass protection. But Brown has unmatched juice as a runner which sparked the Wahoo offense versus Coastal.

Brown’s total of 171 yards on nine carries (19 yards per carry!) is a career high as he consistently found space between the tackles and then burst through holes, breaking tackles as he galloped to the second and third levels of the Coastal defense.

His big play ability and breakaway speed were evident every time he touched the ball. Frankly, the fact that he only got nine carries is surprising considering how efficient he was whenever the ball was in his hands.

The Cavaliers have a solid running back room with Pace, Griese, and even Vaughn also providing quality in the backfield. But Brown needs to continue to see his touches increase as UVA enters ACC play after next week’s bye.

Anthony Colandrea takes care of the football

After throwing four picks and losing one fumble across the last two games, quarterback Anthony Colandrea played a far cleaner game in South Carolina. Granted, he only threw 20 passes as the running game flourished. But, when he did take his shots through the air, he was under control.

The sophomore finished 13-for-20 for 131 yards and two touchdowns as a passer. He also added 59 yards on seven carries (discounting sacks). His pair of touchdown throws to Malachi Fields – the first coming on a back shoulder jump ball in the red-zone and the second on a 37-yard deep ball – were beautiful throws.

This is exactly the sort of performance UVA wants from Colandrea. Of course, Virginia will ask him to drop back to pass more than he did today in most of its remaining games.

But seeing him take on the role of game manager and succeed by making plays when necessary, but also avoiding costly mistakes is encouraging. He’s had his bad moments this season. Yet, overall, he’s shown growth through four games in 2024.

The Wahoo defense can win in the trenches

Containing Coastal’s running game was the number one priority for UVA’s defense. The Chanticleers’ entered Saturday averaging 250.1 rushing yards per game. The Cavaliers held them to a mere 82 yards on 24 carries (3.4 yards per attempt).

Safety Antonio Clary (eight tackles), linebacker Kam Robinson (seven), linebacker James Jackson (seven), and nose tackle Jahmeer Carter (five) led UVA in tackles. Meanwhile, Chico Bennett Jr., Kam Butler, Jonas Sanker, and Kempton Shine each made a tackle for loss.

The Wahoo defensive line consistently won blocks up front. Virginia only sacked Ethan Vasko once, coming on Kam Butler’s first of the season. But considering that he only passed the ball 21 times, there wasn’t a bevy of opportunities to bring him down. Plus, the ‘Hoos also registered four quarterback hits.

As UVA’s corners continue to struggle in coverage, the ‘Hoos need to be able to trust their defensive line and linebackers to manage opponents’ rushing attacks and to get to the quarterback. This performance checked that box.

Virginia officially has a path to bowl eligibility

Starting 3-1 is a significant success for UVA in the third year of the Tony Elliott era. Not only does it build momentum, but it also points Virginia in the direction of bowl eligibility.

The ‘Hoos only need three more wins to accomplish what would unquestionably be a successful 2024 season. The final two thirds of the schedule are far from easy. But finding three wins in eight games against Boston College, Louisville, Clemson, North Carolina, Pitt, Notre Dame, SMU, and Virginia Tech is far from impossible.

It’s particularly impressive how UVA bounced back this week. Last Saturday’s loss to the Terps was a tough one to stomach, and it would’ve been no surprise if the wheels had continued to fall off against a respectable opponent on the road.

But Elliott rallied the troops and the ‘Hoos ran their way to matching their season win total from the past two years in just four weeks. That’s a big deal, and it indicates that the UVA football program is back on the up-and-up.