In this episode of TURBO, we break down UVA football’s big 45-31 victory over the Ohio Bobcats! It was the strongest showing yet from the Wahoo offense, which featured unbelievable performances from our dynamic duo of Jordan “Thunder” Ellis and Olamide “Lightning” Zaccheaus, as well as a new pass-happy Bryce Perkins. Relive the victory with TURBO!
Produced by Robb Dehney, Alec Schnapp
Select Pictures via University of Virginia
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On a beautiful, Florence-free Saturday afternoon in Nashville, the Ohio Bobcats found themselves in the eye of yet another storm, the UVA offense. I’m Robb Dehney, and this is Turbo.
In what was officially a home game but took place at Vanderbilt Stadium, the ‘Hoos may have traveled farther than expected, but they sure came to play, winning this one by a final score of 45 to 31. UVA got off to the fastest of starts, opening the game with two offensive snaps and two touchdowns. The first came after a fumble recovery on Ohio’s 18 yard line, as Jordan Ellis brought the boom to get the party started. We all know thunder comes before lightning, and this storm was no exception. Less than two minutes later, Olamide Zaccheaus got in on the action too, breaking a tackle in the flat and taking Bryce Perkins’ first pass all the way to the house for an 86-yarder. Boom, just like that Ellis scored yet again to put UVA up by 21. After a quick Ohio touchdown, Jordan Ellis burst through the line and rumbled 75 yards into the end zone. Later on, Hasise Dubois joined the party with a touchdown reception of his own, and defensive tackle Eli Hanback nearly turned a fumble recovery into six points, but lost control of the ball on the one. Just when we thought things were taking a turn for the worst, Bryce Perkins hit Olamide Zaccheaus on third down for a 77-yard touchdown!
Before I continue — Yes, this game had its fair share of ugliness. The second quarter saw two ugly and crucial turnovers, and at times Bryce Perkins appeared indecisive. The defense was porous and allowed 364 yards, 118 on the ground and 246 through the air. Special teams played poorly, as A.J. Mejia missed a 30-yard field goal. Regardless, a win is a win, and there was no shortage of offensive success to get UVA fans excited. After all, this team scored 45 points today. This offense is no joke.
Overall, the ‘Hoos amassed 552 yards, converted on seven out of eleven third-downs, and eclipsed the 40-point threshold for the second time in three games. Our dynamic duo of Ellis and Zaccheaus certainly led the way, as Thunder Ellis finished the game with 171 yards on 19 carries and a trio of touchdowns while Zaccheaus reeled in nine receptions, good for 247 yards, including two TDS, each exceeding 75 yards. Bryce Perkins took a massive step forward in his own right, more than doubling his passing yards total on the season. He entered with 291, but after completing 25 out of 30 passes for 379 yards and throwing three touchdown passes, we can all feel way more confident in his ability to pick apart defenses in the future. The fact of the matter is this — Perkins will succeed handily as long as he has thunder and lightning on his side. Let this game be a warning to the rest of the ACC — whether the weather cooperates or not, count on Virginia to bring the storm.
Congratulations to the Cavaliers for their big victory!
