UVA MAILBAG: Quarterbacks, Playoff and Baseball Pitchers

Readers submitted questions via X this week ahead of Virginia's trip to No. 14 Wake Forest. Here are answers, which include sidequests into Cavaliers baseball and the new 24-team College Football Playoff for next season.

From @ColtrainEric

Q: Will there be a QB change this week?

A: The short answer is no, there will not be. Coach Tony Elliott said he will evaluate the film like always, but he is not attributing all of the offensive failures to quarterback play.

I'm not going to sit here and say that it's the it's the quarterback's [fault]," Elliott said postgame. "[We] got a lot of things to to improve all the way around."

Will there be a quarterback change this week? No, but maybe there should be. It can't be said enough — Pribula hasn't thrown for 160 yards or multiple touchdowns in any game this month. This team is still fighting to keep bowl hopes alive, but at this point, Pribula has struggled too often to not give Eli Holstein a chance.

Pribula has run into sacks and missed a few big throws. It is not his fault that his receivers have a chronic case of drops, but it is his fault that he is struggling to survey the field and chooses to run instead of throwing the ball away.

From @stataliers:

Q: When the Playoff goes to 24 teams, how often does the UVA head coach have to make the field to retain his job? Is asking for a playoff berth once every 3 seasons too much? What record with a moderate ACC schedule gets you in each year?

A: This is a fantastic question. I like your baseline, and agree that Virginia needs to be in the expanded CFP once every three years. That's not too much to ask. Think of it this way — that means the Cavaliers end the regular season as a ranked team once every handful of seasons. That should absolutely be attainable for a head coach at a school like UVA with elite facilities, academics and transfer performances. If not, it would be time to reset the program and bring on a new coaching staff.

That last part of the question is especially interesting. Because the conference is so expansive, an ACC schedule is going to be rather volatile. For example, Virginia Tech currently has the easiest Power Four schedule while Florida State has one of the most difficult P4 slates. I don't think there is a huge gap in talent between those teams.

Some years, 9-3 will not be enough if there aren't any ranked wins or big non-conference victories. On the other hand, with a 2027 schedule as difficult as the Cavaliers have (Notre Dame, SMU, Louisville and others), reaching the CFP with an 8-4 record isn't impossible.

In general, 10-plus wins should equal a CFP lock, while anything less would be a toss-up depending on the state of other bubble teams.

From @wshawver

Q: UVA baseball was ranked 105th last season in overall team ERA, how is the pitching staff looking this season and do you think there will be improvement?

There will be major improvement statistically. I think last year's pitching was inconsistent because it featured a lot of young talent, undefined roles and a heavy reliance on Lucas Hartman and Tyler Kapa. In 2027, things are clearer.

In my opinion, Brady Kirkpatrick is one of the premier pitching coaches in college baseball. Others around the game would agree. Kirkpatrick can turn water into wine, but this year, he has some truly elite talent at his disposal.

Pollard confirmed the Friday starter will be Henry Zatkowski, while it looks like John Paone and Joey Giordano fill the other two weekend spots. As for the rest of the innings, it is going to be a "ride the hot hand" approach with several high-velocity hurlers who also have powerful offspeed stuff.

I particularly like freshmen Wyatt Clatur and Pierce Quinn. They both looked sharp this fall. Also keep an eye out for Noah Yoder. If he can find some command, there is not another pitcher in college baseball who is 6-foot-6 with a triple-digit fastball and lethal breaking ball. Strictly speaking in terms of style, he could become Virginia's own Jacob Misiorowski, or maybe a dominant closer.

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