College Football Preview — Armstrong’s Status Up in Air; That Makes a Difference For Virginia vs. ND

It is a big question going on with the Virginia Cavaliers right now — will Brennan Armstrong be able to play? He Is the guy who gives them the best chance to win as they are catching points at home against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. So, BetAnySports customers would be well advised to watch the injury wire to see if he can play.

Why is Armstrong so important? Because he is the trigger man of the most prolific offense in college football, at least as far as total yardage is concerned. Virginia leads the way among the 130 teams playing FBS-level football, as they have gained 545 yards per game. Armstrong, a left-hander, has thrown 27 touchdowns, and his passing yardage figure is second in the country to Bailey Zappe of Western Kentucky.

But he is suffering right now from a rib injury, and head coach Bronco Mendenhall has kept his status a mystery thus far. He had said he was planning to use Armstrong, but this looks like a game-time decision.

If he can’t go, that would be a relief for Notre Dame, which is kind of in the middle of the pack as far as passing defense statistics are concerned.

Oddsmakers from BetAnySports have done their best in putting up they’re college football betting lines on this game, and Notre Dame is the road favorite, with the number having risen:

Notre Dame Fighting Irish -7.5

Virginia Cavaliers + 7.5

Over 63 points -110

Under 63 points – 110

If Armstrong can’t go, Virginia will turn to freshman Jay Woolfolk, who has thrown only six passes. Unlike Armstrong, Woolfolk has a slight build, about 5-11 and 180 pounds, so we would not expect him to be someone who will endure a lot of punishment running with the ball. The Cavaliers do not have an imposing ground attack, but Armstrong is the team’s leading rusher.

Notre Dame’s status right now is that they would need some help to get into the four-team college football playoff. They are ranked 9th on that list at the moment, and even though they have lost only one game, it came at Notre Dame Stadium against Cincinnati, which is second in the Associated Press poll and 5th in the CFP rankings.

Virginia is coming off a bye week; prior to that they were involved in a game that might have been the wildest this season. Their head coach, Bronco Mendenhall, was going back to Provo, where he had coached BYU for eleven seasons. His team scored 35 points in the second quarter to go up 42 – 21 at the half.

But then it must have been the altitude that got to them, in addition to the fact that they simply have a lot of trouble stopping opponents. So they were outscored 45 – 7 in the second half. Final score – 66-49.

Yes, the defense is a huge problem in Charlottesville. Virginia ranks 124th in the NCAA Total Defense statistics, giving up 501.6 yards per game. They allowed 734 against BYU, which is simply unacceptable.

And that could turn a rather pedestrian Notre Dame attack it’s something much more efficient. Jack Cohen, the quarterback who transferred over from Wisconsin, has not been spectacular but he has generally taken care of the ball. The rushing game has averaged just 3.7 yards per carry, and this overall offensive picture, along with defensive statistics that are not all that impressive, leave the impression Notre Dame might be a bit overrated. They have scored victories over Purdue and Wisconsin from the Big Ten, but the rest of the schedule has not been all that rugged.

Mendenhall’s staff has designed this offense to work quickly, averaging 80 plays per game. It’s the kind of tempo that is not easy for a new guy to come in and master. So we don’t have all the confidence in the world in Woolfolk if he has to take the helm. This might not be a game to get involved in unless Armstrong is at the controls, and we will have to wait and see on that. If he plays without a lot of problems, we’d recommend an “over” on the total.

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