Virginia vs William & Mary 9/4/21 College Football Picks, Odds, Predictions

The Virginia Cavaliers meet the William & Mary Tribe and Saturday in week 1 college football action at Scott Stadium. The William & Mary Tribe went 1-2 last season, which included one loss on the road. The Virginia Cavaliers finished 5-5 last year and enter the sixth season under coach Bronco Mendenhall.

The William & Mary Tribe averaged 18.3 points and 293.3 yards per game last season. William & Mary allowed an average of 23 points and 322 yards per game last season. Hollis Mathis is back at quarterback after throwing for nearly 400 yards and two touchdowns. Malachi Imoh led William & Mary with 148 rushing yards and three touchdowns while Cole Blackman and Anthony Mague is a receiving duo that combined for 300 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, Brayden Staib returns after leading William & Mary with 17 tackles, Tyler Crist had one sack and Alex Washington had one interception. William & Mary returns all of its key players from last season and has nowhere to go but up offensively. The William & Mary Tribe haven’t had a winning season since 2015 when they finished with a 9-4 record.

The Virginia Cavaliers averaged 30.7 points and 423.3 yards per game last season. Virginia allowed an average of 29.6 points and 442.9 yards per game last season. Brennan Armstrong returns at quarterback after throwing for 2,100 yards and 18 touchdowns. Armstrong also led Virginia for 500 yards and five touchdowns while Billy Kemp IV and Lavel Davis Jr. is a receiving duo that combined for 1,100 yards and six touchdowns. Defensively, Nick Jackson led Virginia with 105 tackles, Noah Taylor had three sacks and Nick Grant had two interceptions. Virginia has a chance to be highly explosive offensively this season and that’s good enough to surprise some folks in the ACC. The question is Virginia going to be good defensively, as the Cavs struggled last season and lost a lot of quality pass rushers this offseason.

The William & Mary Tribe have been a below average FCS team over the years and this isn’t the easiest season opener. The Virginia Cavaliers return majority of its playmakers that made them highly effective offensively and there’s nowhere to go but up o defense. I’d trust Virginia improves defensively with Mendenhall at head coach. William & Mary is not a team I’m running to the window to back, so while the line is thick, it’s Virginia in a beatdown or pass.