CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Kurt Benkert passed for a school-record breaking 455 yards and Virginia avenged a heartbreak loss last season with a 38-18 victory over Connecticut on Saturday.
Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall praised his signal caller for his ability to direct a vertical offense.
"I think our quarterback had a very strong day, not only in accuracy completion percentage, but on the downfield throws, which we had talked about from a week ago," Mendenhall said of his senior quarterback.
Virginia came in a rare double-digit favorite and the Cavaliers (2-1) jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead and never looked back. Benkert, a fifth-year senior, broke his own passing record of 421 yards set last season against Central Michigan with a 73-yard touchdown pass to Andre Levrone in the middle of the fourth quarter. Levrone finished with a career-high 127 yards on four catches.
Mendenhall discussed the success his offense had attacking UConn's 3-3-5 defense.
"Each and every week, the matchups are different," Mendenhall said. "There has been lots of time spent playing against that system. Our offensive staff put together a really nice plan with something we've spent a lot of time dissecting, and the execution was strong."
The Huskies offense struggled to keep pace with the constant pressure of the Virginia front early. UConn (1-1) went 1 of 4 on red zone possessions - including two turnovers and a turnover-on-downs.
Olamide Zaccheaus became the 37th Virginia player to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards with a catch in the second quarter, then added a 30-yard touchdown reception from Benkert in the third. He finished with nine catches for 122 yards.
His touchdown catch came on an audible directed by Benkert. "That's just something we've been working on over the summer," Benkert said about the audible. "If they give us a certain look that I see, and he (Zaccheaus) gives me the nod, we see the same thing."
UConn finally got on the scoreboard with Bryant Shirreffs' 60-yard touchdown pass to Hergy Mayala in the third. Mayala finished with two catches - both touchdowns - for 77 yards.