OK, let’s just get it out of the way. Virginia’s spidey senses were definitely not tingling two years ago when Bronco Mendenhall opened up his coaching tenure with a 20-37 loss at home to the Richmond Spiders. Now in his third year, Coach Mendenhall faces off again with the same FCS team but with vastly different expectations and a much different team.
After a making a bowl game last year, the Cavaliers look to replace a starting quarterback, its all-time leading tackler, its fifth all-time leading tackler, an NFL defensive end, and two of its top receivers. It’s a tall order and the media has already picked the Hoos to finish last in the Coastal Division.