The Virginia Cavaliers (7-1, 4-0 ACC) survived in miraculous fashion yet again on Saturday afternoon at North Carolina (2-5, 0-3 ACC), eking out a 17-16 overtime victory after Tar Heels running back Benjamin
Hall was stopped at the one-inch line on UNC’s unsuccessful game-winning two-point conversion attempt.
Despite the win, Virginia’s offense sputtered for the third consecutive outing, generating just 259 total yards and 10 points in regulation against an underwhelming Tar Heels’ defense. It was a disappointing showing from a unit that not long ago was among the nation’s most dominant, averaging over 45 points per game through the first five weeks.
To keep its dreams of an ACC championship alive, Virginia needs a spark. Fortunately, an answer very well might be emerging in wide receiver Jahmal Edrine, who stepped up and delivered a second-straight strong performance in the absence of Cam Ross.
A 6-foot-3, 221-pound senior from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Edrine broke out at home against Washington State last week, leading the team with 102 yards on five receptions. As an encore, Edrine delivered another gem, hauling in six balls for a team-high 75 yards against the Tar Heels.
Edrine provides a sure-handed, big target for quarterback Chandler Morris and a perfect complement to Trell Harris and Cam Ross, two smaller receivers who dominate with speed and quickness.
Edrine also has a knack for stepping up in critical moments. Against the Cougars last week, four of Edrine’s five grabs went for first downs, including three gigantic chain-movers in the second half as the ’Hoos clawed their way back from a ten-point deficit.
In a crucial sequence on Virginia’s 97-yard fourth-quarter touchdown drive, Edrine skyed above a trio of WSU defenders, putting his length on display to high-point the ball and inject some energy into the Cavalier offense for a 19-yard pickup. Then, on the very next play, Edrine burst open down the sideline on an option play, picking up another 15 yards.
“It was good to see [Edrine] go up and play above the rim,” Tony Elliott said after the win over WSU. “He was putting himself in position to be able to make plays, and I think he’s going to continue to improve.”
With Cam Ross going down with an injury early against Washington State, Edrine picked the perfect time to deliver his best performance as a Cavalier, and his momentum carried over into Chapel Hill. Edrine delivered a critical nine-yard third-down grab on Virginia’s only touchdown drive in regulation, and he accounted for just about all of UVA’s chunk plays, including gains of 15 and 28 in the second half.
“That’s what you’ve seen in the last couple of weeks,” Edrine said on Virginia’s winning mentality. “Our culture’s coming out onto the field. We’ve been hit with a lot of adversity, but we fall back on what we’ve been preaching and learning since January.”
As the Virginia offense tries to get back on track, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the ’Hoos lean on Edrine, who’s always seemed to be especially adept at making big plays. At Purdue last season, Edrine averaged 15.9 yards per reception, the seventh-highest mark in the Big Ten, while finishing second on the Boilermakers with 365 receiving yards in 10 appearances.
An elite red zone and third-down target, Edrine has become something of a security blanket for Chandler Morris at pivotal junctures. With the ’Hoos struggling to get things going on the ground, averaging just 90.5 yards rushing these past two weeks, it could help to use Edrine on some shorter route concepts to pick up easy chunks of yardage. At his size, Edrine doesn’t need much separation to make a play, and utilizing him on some quick hitters could help spread the defense out and make things easier for J’Mari Taylor and company in the rushing attack.
In addition to Edrine’s breakout, the ’Hoos are hopeful that wide receiver Cam Ross will be back for Virginia’s next game, a West Coast matchup at the California Golden Bears on Saturday.
“You never know what’s going to be available or what the defense is going to give you, so that’s why all of [the wide receivers] have to be ready to go and … ready at any play throughout the course of the game,” Tony Elliott said last week. “You never know which play it’s going to be that’s going to make the big difference in the game.”
The ’Hoos will look to avoid another nail-biter this weekend in Berkeley. Even though Edrine has embodied Virginia’s ability to step up in the biggest moments, he knows that “three overtimes [in the past four games] … that does something to your heart.”
