Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1008695
AUGUST 2018 27 BY BRAD FRANKLIN Y OU'LL HAVE TO FORGIVE Bryce Perkins if he thinks about the moment from time to time. He'll come out on the field for warm-ups and all, sure. But shortly before 6 p.m. on Sept. 1, he'll fasten the straps on his helmet and run out of the tunnel at Scott Stadium. But as long as the road has been from Chandler High School in Arizona to finally being a starting quarterback, what comes next — that first snap — is even more on his mind. Perkins — a 6-3, 215-pound dual-threat quarterback — came to Charlottesville to start the second semester in January. Af- ter originally signing with Arizona State (where his father, Bruce, had played), a neck injury forced Perkins to miss the 2016 season. After a stint at Arizona Western Community College last fall, when he led the Matadors to the National Junior College Athletic Association title game, he decided to spend his final two years at UVA. "I think Bryce continues to learn and grow and acclimate to his new position," head coach Bronco Mendenhall said shortly before the ACC Kickoff event in Charlotte. "His new school, and the leadership mantle that's now part of who he is. "I think that he's embraced that and con- tinues to gain momentum." Perkins came on like wildfire in the spring, quickly ascending the depth chart and exiting the 15th practice as the starter. As the season approaches, Perkins believes he's fully aware of what replacing Kurt Benkert will mean as the offense shifts to a read-option look. "I definitely feel like I'm getting accli- mated well," he said. "The guys around me and the whole coaching staff, from the trainers to the nutritionists to everybody, they've just done a good job of helping me be comfortable and allowing me to slowly get into it as far as how they run things. "They've been a big part of me getting adjusted and they did a great job." Perkins put up solid numbers at Arizona Western, completing 63.3 percent of his throws and passing for 1,311 yards and seven touchdowns while also rushing for an average of 5.1 yards per carry and four scores. Given how much he's likely to be running the ball this season, he's very clear about what his biggest job will be. "I think bigger than just scoring is ball security," he explained. "We talk a lot about ball security, owning the football. Turnovers are what kills games. Coach did a statistic on the percentages on if you turn the ball over how likely or less likely you are to win the game than the other team. "So going in, every practice we focus on ball security and focus on trying to limit picks. We do accountabilities every time we have a turn- over or have a fumble, whatever it may be." Benkert had the best year as a passer in school history in 2017, throwing for 3,207 yards and 25 touchdowns with nine picks on a team that snapped a six-year postseason drought. As such, it's fair to expect some growing pains as Perkins tries to replace the two-year starter. Doing so as a mid-year enrollee can be tricky. "That's definitely one of the biggest chal- lenges anybody faces that's coming in as a transfer, especially at quarterback," he said. "You don't want to come out and start coming on strong and have the guys kind of resent you. So, I tried to show it and let that speak for itself. "I slowly increased my vocal role with the team while especially showing how hard I worked and just trying to demonstrate and lead by example. Then, when you do speak up and say something the guys listen be- cause they know you're about what you say you are and they can trust you." "Bryce's leadership level is what I have most appreciated," Mendenhall said. "He came in not being the guy but wanting to be part of the team and do everything possible to show that he was willing to follow rules, to be in the background and let his actions talk before his words." "A big part of that is building relation- ships with all the guys, not just the ones in your circle," Perkins added. "Just going out and making sure that you communicate with them and get to know them. "How you are in the locker room and outside of practice translates into how guys accept you on the field. I feel like I've been very comfortable." On the field, if the spring is any indica- tion, the Wahoos are going to look to run and run often this fall. In addition to playmakers like Jordan Ellis and Olamide Zaccheaus, of- fensive coordinator Robert Anae is going to look to Perkins to use his ball carrier skills. "He's one of the strongest and fastest and best athletes that I've coached," Mendenhall said in Charlotte. "There isn't a play where if he's running the football, it can't go all the way. He can throw the ball effectively, and I think he's a solid decision maker." Perkins, as one might think, is very aware of what his coaches expect. He's also keyed in on what the fans are looking for from the program as a whole this season. "[There are a] lot of expectations for this program and a lot of expectations I set for myself," he said. "I've just got to meet and exceed those expectations, exceed every- thing that people are saying, and silence some doubters out there. I can't wait." Given his journey from high school to college to being humbled by the injury and working his way back to the Power Five level, Perkins isn't going to hide from how much this means to him. "Words can't even describe it," he admit- ted. "I've been dreaming about this. I'm going in excited. I have things to prove, things to say. It's been a long time coming, people are talking about it, and now it's time to do it." As he runs out of that tunnel, what might be going through his mind? "I'm probably just going to be thinking about my road so far," Perkins said simply, "and how far I've come and how the process has been. Don't drop the ball now. You've got to keep it up." DUAL THREAT Dynamic Quarterback Bryce Perkins Will Lead The Way For UVA in 2018 "He's one of the strongest and fastest and best athletes that I've coached. There isn't a play where if he's running the football, it can't go all the way. He can throw the ball effectively, and I think he's a solid decision maker." HEAD COACH BRONCO MENDENHALL ON PERKINS