Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
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AUGUST 2019 23 Perkins, who landed at Virginia follow- ing a transfer from Arizona State to Arizona Western Community College, posted four 100-yard rushing games, tying the school record for a QB. The 6-3, 215-pounder also tied for second at Virginia with 25 passing touchdowns in a season, while finishing third all time with a 64.5 completion percentage. Last season's winner of the Dudley Award, which is presented to the top NCAA player in the state by The Roanoke Times, Perkins is on the watch lists for the O'Brien and Unitas awards, given to the nation's best signal-callers, as well as the Maxwell, presented to the college player of the year. Lindy's Sports ranks him the No. 20 quar- terback in the land entering 2019. Fourth-Year Cornerback Bryce Hall — No cornerback in the ACC was as feared as No. 34 last fall, which is why Mendenhall and his program got such a huge boost when the Keystone State native announced fol- lowing the Belk Bowl victory that he would return for his final college season rather than make himself available for the NFL Draft. The 6-1, 200-pound Hall was a second- team All-American in 2018 according to multiple outlets and has been named to the Bednarik Award watch list (given to college football's top defensive player) after leading the nation with 22 passes broken up and 24 passes defended in 2018. A likely first-round pick next spring, Hall anchors a talented and experi- enced secondary. Lindy's lists him as the nation's No. 2 cornerback entering the campaign and predicts he'll be the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, while ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. lists him No. 23 on his 2020 big board of the top available prospects. Fourth-Year Wide Receiver/Kick Re- turner Joe Reed — Though he missed spring practices due to offseason ankle sur- gery, the Charlotte Court House, Va., native enters his final year in orange and blue as someone the Hoos will look to as they hope to fill the void left by Zaccheaus as well as giving the team great field position. The 6-1, 215 pounder holds the career kickoff return record (2,246 yards) at UVA as well as the school record for kick returns for touchdowns (three). An All-ACC third- teamer in 2018, he finished No. 2 in the league and ninth nationally with a 27.2-yard average. Reed also caught 25 passes for 465 yards with seven touchdowns. Making him a larger part of the offense will be a clear goal for UVA in 2019. Fourth-Year Wide Receiver Hasise Du- bois — UVA will have to replace the pro- duction that Zaccheaus put up last fall by leaning on guys like Reed and Dubois, the 6-3, 215-pound fourth-year from New Jersey. The latter is coming off a 52-reception, 578-yard season in 2018; both marks were second on the team behind Zaccheaus. How he's able to expand his production, espe- cially in the red zone (five touchdowns a year ago), will be critical for the Hoos this fall. He was tabbed a preseason third-team All-ACC pick by Athlon. T h i r d - Ye a r L i n e b a c ke r C h a r l e s Snowden — The 6-7, 225-pounder really came into his own last fall, proving to be one of the team's most electric defenders. With his long frame and freakish athleti- cism, Snowden led all linebackers nation- ally with nine passes broken up and 11 passes defended. He finished with 61 tack- les, 7.5 stops for loss (second on the team) and 2.5 sacks (tied for second). Among an experienced and deep line- backing corps Snowden, named to the preseason watch list for the Butkus Award (given annually to the nation's top line- backer), is by far the one UVA will look to this season in its efforts to replace Peace, who ranked third on the squad in tackles and led the way in tackles for loss and sacks. Athlon included Snowden on its pre- season All-ACC second team. KEY GAMES At Pittsburgh, Aug. 31 — Thanks to the launch of the linear ACC Network, the league is putting a number of conference games in some different spots on the sched- ule, meaning the Wahoos will be in the Steel City to open their 2019 campaign. The Panthers, of course, beat Virginia 23-13 last season in Charlottesville, which was a big reason why they represented the Coastal Division in the ACC champion- ship game. Needless to say, for a team ex- pected to win the division crown, this is a big opener for the Hoos. Florida State, Sept. 14 — While UVA's actual home opener is the week before against William & Mary, for many the chance to see the Seminoles back in Scott Stadium for the first time in 10 years will be especially intriguing. Following a 5-7 debut in Tallahassee, head coach Willie Taggart has quite the re- build on his hands, making this one of the few times since FSU joined the ACC where the Cavaliers should be the favorites in this matchup. At Notre Dame, Sept. 28 — For the first time in school history, UVA will travel to South Bend to face the Golden Domers in a matchup that should be a huge test for the visiting team. The Irish are always one of the most talented teams in the country and reached the College Football Playoff last season. They enter this year ranked as a top- 10 team according to preseason magazines Lindy's (No. 9), Athlon (No. 9) and Street & Smith's (No. 7). How Virginia plays in front of Touchdown Jesus will be a big moment in the season, not just for those fans who travel to watch it unfold in person but also for everyone who is hoping the Cavaliers will have a big year. At North Carolina, Nov. 2 — Larry Fe- dora is out in Chapel Hill and Mack Brown is back, making this renewal of the South's Oldest Rivalry one of the more unusual in the series' 123-year history. With a coaching change comes a lot of upheaval on the roster and the Heels, picked to finish sixth in the Coastal, will probably show the effects. Still, heading into the stretch run this is a game UVA needs to win if the Hoos want to be serious contenders for the league crown. Get a win in Kenan Memorial and the Cava- liers should head home in great position to finish off the regular season strong — over the ensuing three weeks they'll face Georgia Tech, who is also under a new head coach, enjoy a bye week and host Liberty before the season finale. Virginia Tech, Nov. 29 — The final piece of a three-game homestand to end the year, this one needs little introduction. The Hokies have gotten the victory over the Cavaliers 15 times in a row, including last season's heart- breaking 34-31 overtime loss in Blacksburg. 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW Fourth-year wide receiver Hasise Dubois and the Cavaliers are seeking their third straight win versus North Carolina in the South's oldest rivalry. PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA