After 238 days since the last time a Virginia team took the field, there was much anticipation for week 1 of the 2018 season. With all of the excitement, every program had their own set of questions. New quarterbacks, new conferences, a legendary coach retiring, and a new coach at Hampton, 2018 marks a year for change throughout the state. It was a great weekend for some, a dreadful weekend for others, but week 1 did not disappoint.
Flames spark fire
On February 16, 2017, Liberty announced their move to the highest level of play, FBS and many were skeptical. How would a team that struggled to sustain success in FCS, find success at a higher level? As for the long term, that question remains to be answered. This Saturday wasn't about answering that question though. Instead, this game was about the start of an era that the late Jerry Falwell, Sr. once dreamed and set the foundation to occur.
Before this game got underway, Turner Gill announced that multiple players were suspended for the first half. Additionally, a thunder storm pushed the game back from original start time of 6 PM to 7 PM. Once it started though, Gill's squad appeared more than ready. Just six minutes into the game and the Flames built a 14-0 lead. Old Dominion showed life and cut the lead to 4 by halftime. Then the second half happened. Liberty went on to outscore ODU 38-0 in the second half, en-route to a 52-10 win over the Monarchs.
ODU entered this game as a 6.5 point favorite and a potential bowl team. They left Lynchburg with a crushing defeat and fans skeptical if the team can regroup before their home opener against Florida International. Particularly discouraging is the performance of the offense. Liberty is a team that ranked as one of the worst rushing defenses in all of FCS last year. Yet, ODU couldn't run the ball and QB Steven Williams really struggled, completing under 50% for just 132 yards. Blake Larussa actually stepped in behind center for a drive and completed all four of his passes. Head Coach Bobby Wilder has given no indication of a change at Quarterback, but considering the play, few would fault him for making a switch.
Ben DiNucci era begins for JMU
The 2017 FCS runner up made the trip down to Rahleigh to face NC State. Many people, including College Gameday's own Kirk Herbstreit, believed the Dukes had a great chance to pull of their second consecutive win against a FBS opponent. Before the game even started though JMU fans were dealt a huge blow with the news that preseason CAA Defensive Player of the Year, Rashad Robinson, will miss the entire year after suffering a foot injury.
Even with the loss of Robinson though, the Dukes' defense held their own, keeping the Wolfpack under 400 yards. NC State QB still had his way for the most part though, throwing for over 300 yards and 2 TD's. However, the most impressive part of the Dukes' defense was against the run. State only ran 83 yards and only averaged 2.9 yards per carry. When you consider all of the great backs in the CAA, this is very encouraging despite the loss.
As for the new QB, Dinucci got off to a great start completing all of his first 14 pass attempts. But as JMU was nearing the goal line, the ball slipped out of his hands and resulted in a costly turnover. Additionally, most of his completions were screens or short out routes. Those plays continually put JMU in scoring position, but it also forced HC Mike Houston to settle for field goal's twice. Overall though, he had an exceptional performance against a strong FBS foe. He certainly proved capable of carrying the offense through the rest of this schedule.
Bryce Perkins is for real
These past several months have been one of the most exciting off-seasons for UVA fans. Much excitement and discussion has centered around JUCO transfer Quarterback, Bryce Perkins. With game one in the books, he looks to be the real deal. Bryce picked up 185 passing yards, 108 rushing yards and 4 total touchdowns, leading the Cavs to a 42-13 win over the Richmond Spiders. His performance wasn't perfect though. As the offense was driving into Richmond territory in the first quarter, he threw a pick six, giving the Spiders an early 7-0 lead.
Perkins wasn't the only highlight of the night. WR Olamide Zaccheaus lived up to expectations with 6 receptions for just over a hundred yards and a touchdown. Running back Jordan Ellis provided the thunder to Perkins' lightning, tallying 146 yards and two touchdowns. If Perkins, Zaccheaus, and Ellis do this on a consistent basis, UVA could have one of the more potent offenses in the ACC.
As for the Spiders, the loss of Kyle Lauletta proved to be a major problem. Kevin Johnson completed just 11 passes and threw two interceptions. The running game struggled mightily as well as the Spiders gained just 34 yards on a total of 19 attempts. For Head Coach Russ Huesmann, this was an absolutely awful start even with UVA being a power 5 program. Beating UVA, for the second time in three years,wasn't on anyone's radar really but this performance is concerning. If UofR is to return to the upper ranks of the FCS, they have a lot of work to do on both sides of the ball.
Other games:
Shaw 10
Hampton 38
Virginia State 13
Norfolk State 34
William & Mary 14
Bucknell 7
VMI 3
Toledo 66
Monday @ 8PM:
Virginia Tech @ Florida State
