CHARLOTTESVILLE — Virginia’s surging offense continued to thrive in a 48-20 win over Stanford on Saturday night in front of an announced crowd of 36,223 at Scott Stadium. The Cavaliers rolled up 590 yards to claim a victory in their ACC opener in their first-ever matchup with the Cardinal.
UVA quarterback Chandler Morris completed 23 of 31 passes for 380 yards, four touchdowns and no turnovers in his best performance since joining the program in the offseason.
Cavaliers wide receiver Trell Harris had four receptions for 145 yards and three touchdowns.
UVA (2-1, 1-0) surpassed 500 total yards for the third consecutive game. It faces off at home against No. 7 Florida State on Friday night.
Defensive end Dan Rickert had two of UVA’s five sacks. Linemen Cazeem Moore and Jason Hammond also had sacks. The Cavaliers dropped the Cardinal for eight tackles for loss.
The contest opened with a missed opportunity for the Cavaliers on offense, but they seized on many chances after that.
Morris underthrew Harris on a long flea-flicker pass on the Cavaliers’ first play. It wasn’t a bad omen, as Morris went on to hook up with the fleet-footed wideout on three touchdown completions in the first quarter.
Harris entered as UVA’s season leader in receptions and receiving yards, but he had yet to reach the end zone this year. He more than took care of that in the first quarter, racking up a trio of scoring catches and 105 yards with 3:36 still left in the opening frame.
Harris caught a 3-yard screen pass for a score early in the quarter and added touchdown receptions of 75 and 27 yards.
Harris limped off the field in the third quarter. He clutched his leg after drawing a pass-interference penalty.
Training staff also had to attend to center Brady Wilson, who left the game midway through the third quarter with an injury to his lower right leg. He was walking with crutches in the closing minutes.
Morris put on a show in the first half, completing 11 consecutive passes after that opening-play misfire. He was 11 of 14 for 262 yards before the half and led the Cavaliers to touchdowns on their first four drives.
Linebacker Kam Robinson returned to action after missing the first three games with a fractured collarbone he suffered in preseason practice.
Robinson, an honorable-mention All-ACC selection last season, made his presence felt early. With Stanford facing a third-and-5 from its own 21-yard line on its first possession, Robinson created ample pressure blitzing from the right side to force a low misfire from quarterback Ben Gulbranson.
Robinson finished with a team-high seven tackles. He recovered a fumble deep in Stanford territory in the fourth quarter.
Virginia moved down the field with ease on its first drive. Morris connected with wideout Cam Ross for gains of 20 and 25 yards. After a couple of gritty runs by tailback J’Mari Taylor (team-high 85 rushing yards), Morris completed a screen pass to Harris, who ran it in from 3 yards to give UVA a 7-0 lead.
Stanford (1-3, 1-1) looked much more credible on its second possession, as it ripped off 76 yards in five plays. Gulbranson slung a 60-yard pass to lightning-fast wide receiver Bryce Farrell and then hooked up with tight end Benji Blackburn on a 5-yard touchdown throw on the next play to tie it 7-7.
UVA quickly re-established the lead on Morris’s 75-yard touchdown to Harris.
Harris caught his third touchdown late in the first quarter. Morris was under duress, rolled to his right past the outstretched arms of diving linebacker Matt Rose and stuck a pristine pass over the extended arm of defensive back Collin Wright and into the hands of Harris in the back of the end zone.
Morris also did some damage on the ground. He put the Cavaliers up 28-7 on a 13-yard touchdown run on a trick play midway through the second quarter.
Taylor and Morris lined up next to each other behind center. Taylor took a direct snap and gave the ball to Morris on an inside handoff to the left. Morris faked a flip to Harris before looping around for the touchdown scamper.
Stanford cut the deficit to 28-14 late in the second quarter on a 3-yard run from tailback Micah Ford.
Virginia opened the second half with another touchdown drive. Morris completed a 26-yard pass to tight end Dakota Twitty, and Xavier Brown broke off a 20-yard run to set up Morris’ 13-yard scoring strike to tight end Sage Ennis.
Near the end of the quarter, Stanford’s Gulbranson found Farrell again on a 68-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 38-20. The quarterback’s two-point conversion pass to Ford was short of the goal line.
UVA kicker Will Bettridge connected on his second field goal of the half — from 26 yards — to extend UVA’s lead to 41-20.
Hammond had a strip-sack of Gulbranson in the fourth quarter. Robinson recovered at the Stanford 36. The turnover set up backup quarterback Daniel Kaelin’s 4-yard touchdown throw to wideout Eli Wood.
