Virginia Football: 3 takeaways from blowout win against Duke

Here are three takeaways from Virginia football’s blowout win against the Duke Blue Devils.

Usually, a soggy field can slow down a high-powered offense. That was not the case in this game. The Virginia football team dismantled the Duke Blue Devils 48-0 at home at Scott Stadium this afternoon.

The V-Men jumped out early in the first quarter and did not look back. After the first quarter, Virginia was already leading 10-0 when aided by two Gunnar Holmberg interceptions; the Cavaliers exploded for 24 second-quarter points.

The Cavaliers put on a master class of scoring points off of turnovers. Virginia turned three Duke turnovers into 17 points.

Quarterback Brennan Armstrong was brilliant once again, completing 25 of 45 passes for 364 yards and two touchdowns. The running game was by-committee with eight different players combining for 33 carries and 164 yards.

Dontayvion Hicks and Billy Kemp were both Armstrong’s favorite targets, each with seven receptions.

The Virginia defense pitched a shutout, allowing a paltry 325 total yards. Duke quarterback Gunnar Holmberg struggled against Virginia’s pass rush, and the Blue Devil’s receivers had issues getting open against Virginia’s secondary.

Duke struggled on both sides of the ball the entire game. In addition to four turnovers, Duke also had eight penalties for 85 yards. The few times the Blue Devils moved the ball, penalties stymied those drives.

The Cavaliers pick up a critical ACC Coastal win today. Here are three takeaways.