I’m beginning to suspect this Bronco Mendenhall fellow knows what he’s doing. After UVA went 2-10 in his first season, the Cavaliers managed six wins and a bowl bid last year, and after a 3-1 start to 2018, the odds are good that they will improve on that 2017 win total. S&P+ projects seven or eight wins to be the most likely outcomes for UVA at this point.
The Cavs’ defense has been good this season, but the eye-grabbing difference to the Hoos this season is its rushing offense—after averaging 93.5 yards per game on 3.1 per carry in 2017, they’re managing 216.