The Cavaliers dropped their season opener last weekend but have another chance for a big win Saturday.

Virginia football opens the gates of Scott Stadium for its 85th season of football at the venue when the Cavaliers welcome No. 9 Notre Dame Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

Virginia (0-1) returns home reeling from a 34-16 defeat at the hands of 13th-ranked UCLA at the Rose Bowl. In that game, true freshman quarterback Josh Rosen torched the Cavalier defense for 351 yards and three touchdowns.

For the second straight week, Virginia’s defense is tasked with containing a top-flight quarterback. This time it is the uber-dynamic junior Malik Zaire of the Fighting Irish (1-0).

Zaire burst onto the scene in last season’s Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl. The Kettering, Oh. native threw for 96 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score as the unranked Fighting Irish defeated then-23rd-ranked LSU 31-28.

Fast forward to Notre Dame’s season opener against Texas last Saturday, and Zaire picked up where he left off. He completed 19 of 22 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-3 routing of the Longhorns.

While not as polished a pocket passer as Rosen, Zaire’s legs present a new challenge to the Cavaliers, who must plan to keep the Fighting Irish quarterback contained in the pocket.

“He’s an accomplished runner,” Virginia coach Mike London said. “He’s such a focal point of their offense … his legs and his arm are things that they very much rely on.”

Virginia’s front seven struggled to disrupt Rosen. The Cavaliers managed only one sack against a veteran Bruin offensive line, and Rosen used the extra time in the pocket to fire off pinpoint passes like the 30-yard bomb to junior Thomas Duarte, who was draped by sophomore free safety Quin Blanding.

“You try to affect the throwing lanes, the passing lanes with pressure,” London said. “Obviously you want to get to the quarterback and you want to find ways to put hands in their throwing lane, knock passes down.”

The greatest uncertainty surrounding Virginia’s defense remains generating a pass rush. A quarterback like Zaire, who can escape a collapsing pocket for a big gain, only complicates matters further.

“Rush lanes are huge, especially when there’s a mobile quarterback,” junior linebacker Zach Bradshaw said.

On the other side of the ball, the Cavaliers struggled mightily to pick up yardage on the ground. Against UCLA, Virginia carried the ball 34 times but managed only 98 yards — a 2.9 yards per rush average. Of the Cavaliers’ 19 first downs, only three came via the run.

The task of moving the ball on the ground does not become easier against Notre Dame, which features one of the stronger linebacker corps in all of college football. The Fighting Irish held Texas to 60 rushing yards.

“Their front seven is very formidable,” London said. “They’re capable of running and running out of mistakes.”

The Cavaliers struggled to move the ball once their inability to run became apparent. Virginia ran 40 plays in the first half and accrued 216 yards. After halftime, the Cavaliers managed only 34 plays from scrimmage for 158 yards — 75 of which came during the final drive of the game.

Junior quarterback Matt Johns struggled in the second half due to the non existent running game. Over the final two quarters, Johns completed only nine of 20 passes for 101 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

For the game, Johns went 21-for-35 with 238 yards.

Virginia did not score a touchdown until their final drive of the game — a 19-yard pass to junior running back Taquan Mizzell — in only its third trip to the red zone.

Twice more, the Cavaliers settled for field goals after penetrating the Bruins’ 20-yard line.

“We didn't help [UCLA] by not being able to convert on some red-zone opportunities to score touchdowns to get points,” London said. “Field goals are fine, but in a game like this playing a good team you've got to come away with points.”

Virginia must manufacture a pass rush to disrupt Zaire and must find a way to run the ball with greater efficiency. If this does not happen, Irish eyes will be smiling in Charlottesville.

“Coach London told us that teams like [Notre Dame] will push you to play at your absolute best,” junior safety Kelvin Rainey said. “It’s not going to be an easy game.”