Ahead of Tennessee football's 2023 season opener against Virginia on Saturday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, VolReport publisher Tyler Mansfield connected with CavsCorner publisher Brad Franklin to learn more about the Vols' Week 1 opponent.
Virginia is coming off a 3-7 season in 2022, which included a 1-6 mark in ACC play. Tennessee is a 28-point favorite heading into Saturday's contest in Music City.
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VolReport: Virginia is coming off a 3-7 season in 2022, which included just a 1-6 mark in ACC play. In terms of where the Cavaliers were at heading into last year and now, what's the biggest difference in the overall makeup of the team, and what's your outlook on them coming into 2023?
CavsCorner: I think in so many ways, new HC Tony Elliott seemed to coach UVa like it was Clemson Year X versus UVa Year 1 – and it showed. He was used to a machine that ran pretty efficiently, with positions stocked full of talent, and guys who understand the way things were done. The culture shock between Bronco Mendenhall’s departure and Elliott’s arrival, though understandable given that Mendenhall left not when things were “bad” and people were clamoring for change, was significant. Several of the guys UVa counted on to be big-time returners last year simply were not able to produce the way they had the previous season.
Now, this is Elliott’s team. Right or wrong, everything falls to him.
VolReport: With Brennan Armstrong now at NC State, what is Virginia's quarterback situation heading into the 2023 season opener? Who will have the starting job, and what do you expect out of them – especially when it comes to replacing a guy like Armstrong?
CavsCorner: If Elliott and Co. had gotten in 2022 the quarterback that Armstrong was in 2021, he would be in an NFL locker room right now and not in Raleigh. Simply put, it was a bad fit from the start and all sides have plenty of reason to point both fingers at others and thumbs at themselves.
“Replacing” Armstrong is not the kind of Herculean task now that it should have been and Tony Muskett, a Virginia native who put up solid numbers at Monmouth before transferring to Charlottesville, seems apt for the job. He’s a much more well-rounded signal caller than Armstrong, who was a gunslinger that thrived in freelance and struggled in structure. Elliott’s offense asks a lot of the latter and seemed poorly fit with the former.
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Synopsis: Virginia coach Tony Elliott previews Tennessee
VolReport: Who is expected to be a few of Virginia's team leaders coming into the season? Did anyone stand out to you during fall camp that should play a big role for the Cavaliers this year?
CavsCorner: With Nick Jackson having transferred to Iowa, the Wahoos have much to replace aside from just linebacker. He was the heart and soul of the team last fall, especially amid the tragedy that befell three of his brothers and their families. Replacing his leadership will be an order of magnitude more difficult than replacing his tackles. That being said, in Musket, EDGE Chico Bennett, and others, that Cavaliers do have some guys who can pick up the mantle.
On the field, Muskett has to be consistent and stay healthy because depth is an issue, the WR corps will be young but has promise, and the defensive front seven looks especially experienced and deep.
VolReport: In terms of Virginia's overall matchup with Tennessee, how do you see the Cavaliers lining up with the Vols? Do you feel that Virginia is going to be tested in Week 1, or do you think the Cavaliers are heading into Saturday with a chance to open the season with a win?
CavsCorner: I really think the chance that the Vols get pushed here is slim but not impossible. Virginia’s offensive issues last year were so plenty that having any real shot at consistency was going to be next to impossible. They never had a chance given the turnovers, lack of big plays, and overall ineffectiveness of the offense. Even moderate improvement on that side of the ball could prove extremely beneficial. And on D, John Rudzkinski turned a dismal D in 2021 into a pretty impressive outfit last year, especially considering how bad the offense was.
All that being said, on paper this is a massive mismatch and without a lot of help it’s hard to see the 'Hoos really mounting a challenge. The bigger goal is to see a really good team, figure out how effective your answers to the preseason questions appear, and get ready for the rest of the season.
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Key takeaways: Tennessee preps for opener vs. Virginia
VolReport: How do you see Saturday's game playing out? What's your score prediction?
CavsCorner: I think the Vols are going to be an absolute handful for the Cavaliers, especially since the D is typically the thing that they rely on. Against UT’s offense, it’s going to be a very, very rough road to have the kind of low-scoring outing that UVa needs. I just can’t see it happening.
Give me the Vols to open with a 41-20 victory that probably isn’t quite as close as even that score would imply.
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