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Why Virginia football chose Anthony Colandrea as starting quarterback

On Saturday, Anthony Colandrea will take the field as the Virginia Cavaliers’ starting quarterback after a back-and-forth battle with Tony Muskett throughout fall camp. While splitting first team reps with Muskett, Colandrea showcased the jump he’s taken since his freshman campaign in 2023.

The coaching staff challenged him to take better care of the ball this offseason. Colandrea threw nine picks in eight appearances as a true freshman. But, he’s made strides in that department to earn the starting job.

“I’ve seen a lot of progress,” Tony Elliott said during Tuesday’s press conference. “He’s being a lot more conscientious in understanding the situation that sometimes it’s better to just pull the ball down, throw it away, or run, get more yards, get down, as opposed to putting the ball into jeopardy by throwing it into coverage.