I Wont Back Down
This is another classic Tom Petty song and a perfect theme for Virginia. The Cavaliers, to say the least, are one of the surprise units in the ACC. Count this rankings guru among the many who thought Bronco Mendenhall still had a couple more seasons to go.
But here we are. The 4-1 Cavaliers are playing well and winning, doubling their win total from last season. Unlike many other teams, they still control their own destiny this season.
They have a quality signal caller in Kurt Benkert and some good receiving options in Andre Levrone, who leads the ACC in yards per reception, and Doni Dowling, who had five receptions and two touchdowns in the win over Duke.
They are also starting to develop a bit of a running game with Jordan Ellis, who has rushed for 284 yards and three scores in the past three games.
Their defense is also doing just enough to get by. On the season, Virginia has 14 sacks and six interceptions. They are allowing over 21 points per game, but it’s that “bend don’t break” mentality.
The only blemish on the season is a loss to Indiana. However, the Hoosiers are 3-2 this season, so even that isn’t as bad as it would appear.
Virginia will see if their “don’t back down” mentality will continue this week when they travel to play UNC in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels have won the past seven meetings between these two teams, but if there was ever a time for Virginia to snap that streak, this is the season.
If I were to give Georgia Tech a Tom Petty Song, it would be “Running down a Dream.” The Yellow Jackets were on bye this past week, but if there were ever a song that exemplified their season, that would be it.
Georgia Tech ranks second nationally with 400 rushing yards per game. They will need every yard they can get as they travel to play Miami. The game might be one of the biggest in deciding the Coastal Champ this season.