2020 Wake Forest Football Opponent Preview: Virginia Cavaliers

2019 Record: 9-5 (6-2, #1 in Coastal)

Notable Departures: QB Bryce Perkins, CB Bryce Hall, WR Hasise Dubois, WR Joe Reed, LB Jordan Mack

Notable Returns: WR Terrell Jana, RB Wayne Taulapapa, LB Noah Taylor, CB Nick Grant

It’s tough for me to put a finger on what UVA will be like this year. The Cavaliers lost Bryce Perkins, and to say that’s a big loss for the Cavaliers is an understatement. Perkins led the team in both passing and rushing, the latter by nearly 300 yards and over 100 carries. That’s a pretty crazy statistic for a QB, and he’s gone. Combine that with Bryce Hall getting drafted to the NFL from the defensive end, and that’s a cornerstone on each end that UVA has lost. The cupboard is far from bare, though. Second leading rusher Wayne Taulapapa and second leading receiver Terrell Jana are both back, and Coach Bronco Mendenhall has quite the track record of consistency in his coaching career. Combine the hefty roster overhaul at the top and the absolutely bizarre nature of the upcoming season, though, and I really don’t know what to make about this matchup. It should be interesting either way, especially given the fact that Virginia will probably need to completely overhaul their offense in order to make up for the loss of a one-of-a-kind talent like Bryce Perkins.

What do you guys think? Will this matchup be exciting? Will UVA continue their solidly winning ways? Will this matchup even happen? Sound off in the comments, and as always, thanks for reading and engaging. Go Deacs.

—SF