Nov 30, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies defensive lineman Antwaun Powell-Ryland (52) sacks Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Tony Muskett (7) during the first quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech defeats rival Virginia to end skid

Making his first start at quarterback, William “Pop” Watson III threw for 254 yards and a touchdown Saturday night as Virginia Tech stopped in-state rival Virginia 37-17 in Blacksburg to clinch bowl eligibility.

Watson, who replaced the injured Kyron Drones, completed 14 of 21 passes as the Hokies (6-6, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) snapped a three-game losing streak. Bhayshul Tuten added 124 yards on 18 carries, sealing the outcome with a 58-yard touchdown run at the 6:12 mark of the fourth quarter.

Tony Muskett hit 19 of 36 passes for 178 yards and two interceptions while rushing for 62 yards and two scores on 18 carries. His 5-yard touchdown run with 13:12 remaining allowed the Cavaliers to pull within 30-17 after trailing 27-3 in the third quarter. But Virginia (5-7, 3-5) couldn’t complete the comeback and as a result, won’t be eligible for a bowl game.

If Watson were nervous about being Virginia Tech’s third starting quarterback in as many games, he sure didn’t show it early. He led the team on a 90-yard drive to start the game, Tuten rushing the last 6 yards for a 7-0 lead with 9:06 left.

The Hokies grinded out another long drive on their next possession, gobbling nearly seven minutes of clock before John Love booted a 44-yard field goal at the 1:16 mark. The Cavaliers got on the board with 2:46 left in the half on Will Bettridge’s 37-yard field goal but experienced a disastrous last two minutes.

On the first play after the two-minute timeout, Watson found Jaylin Lane for a 66-yard touchdown pass. Muskett fired an interception in the final minute that led to Love’ 31-yard field goal and a 20-3 advantage at the half.

Watson made it 27-3 with a 5-yard scoring jaunt with 10:05 left in the third quarter, five plays after Muskett was stopped for no gain on 4th-and-1 at the Virginia 45. Muskett scored on a 2-yard run less than five minutes later before Love hit a 28-yard field goal for a 30-11 Virginia Tech cushion.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2024; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back Kobe Pace (5) carries the ball against the Southern Methodist Mustangs during the first half at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Kevin Jennings, No. 13 SMU blow out Virginia

Kevin Jennings passed for 323 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score as No. 13 SMU added to its case to be a part of the College Football Playoff with a 33-7 win over Virginia on Saturday afternoon in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup in Charlottesville, Va.

The Mustangs (10-1, 7-0 ACC) have won eight straight games and clinched a berth in the ACC championship game against either Miami or Clemson in their first year in the league. The winner of the ACC championship earns an automatic berth in the 12-team CFP.

Jennings hit on 25 of his 33 passed as SMU outgained the Cavaliers 434-173 and averaged 6.4 yards per snap.

Anthony Colandrea passed for 108 yards and a score for Virginia (5-6, 3-4 ACC), which has lost five of its past six games. The Cavaliers need to win at Virginia Tech on Nov. 30 to play in their first bowl game since the 2019 season.

The Mustangs struck first as Brashard Smith scored on a 4-yard run. It came seven minutes into the game at the end of a 78-yard, seven-play march.

Both teams missed field goals in the second quarter, with Collin Rogers pulling a 48-yard attempt for SMU on the opening play of the period, and the Cavaliers’ Will Bettridge missing from 41 yards at the 9:19 mark.

SMU added to its advantage when Jennings hit Jordan Hudson on a 17-yard catch and run with 5:52 to play before halftime. That was more than enough time for Rogers to make amends for his earlier miss when hit a 35-yard field goal with 1:25 left in the second quarter.

Rogers converted again, this time from 39 yards, on the Mustangs’ opening possession of the third quarter to extend the lead to 20-0. Jennings then made it 26-0 with a 1-yard touchdown plunge with 12:21 left in the game. It capped a 14-play, 74-yard drive that chewed up more than seven minutes.

Virginia finally lit the scoreboard on Colandrea’s scrambling 4-yard scoring pass to Malachi Fields on fourth-and-goal with 4:16 left. Jennings capped the scoring with a 16-yard touchdown throw to Matthew Hibner with 1:42 to play.

–Field Level Media

Nov 2, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Eli Holstein (10) drops back to pass against the Southern Methodist Mustangs during the first half at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

No. 18 Pitt plots bounce-back effort, welcomes Virginia

No. 18 Pittsburgh attempts to rebound from its first setback of the season when it hosts slumping Virginia in Atlantic Coast Conference action Saturday night.

The Panthers (7-1, 3-1 ACC) had managed to stay unbeaten longer than expected thanks to three wins by four or fewer points, but they got smacked by SMU last weekend in Dallas. The Mustangs scored 24 unanswered points in the second quarter and rolled to a 48-25 win.

Eli Holstein did not throw a touchdown pass for the second time in three games and threw his fourth interception in four ACC games.

“He’s a redshirt freshman. I think everybody forgets,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said Monday. “When you win, Eli is going to be rookie of the week. When you lose, which obviously it’s our first, it’s not on Eli. We didn’t protect him well enough, run the ball well enough. We played a really good (SMU) defense.”

Holstein has 17 touchdown passes, tying Alex Van Pelt’s 1989 record for TDs by a Pitt freshman. Running back Desmond Reid ranks fifth in the nation with 156.3 all-purpose yards per game. Linebacker Kyle Louis leads the defense with 10 tackles for loss and four sacks.

Up next: a Virginia team that got off to a 4-1 start and was starting to think about a bowl bid in coach Tony Elliott’s third season. That dream has faded after allowing 99 points and 967 yards in its last two outings.

The visiting Cavaliers (4-4, 2-3) are coming off a bye week, trying to snap a three-game skid.

Finding two more wins to gain bowl eligibility is a tall order with three of their last four on the road and remaining games against Pitt, No. 10 Notre Dame, No. 13 SMU and rival Virginia Tech — teams with a combined 27-7 record.

Virginia’s Anthony Colandrea has passed for 1,805 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. Malachi Fields leads the team with 43 catches for 654 yards and four scores. Safety Jonas Sanker’s team-high 64 tackles include an ACC-best 43 solo stops.

Colandrea has been sacked 24 times — nine times in a 41-14 loss to North Carolina on Oct. 26 — and faces a Pitt defense that ranks fifth in the ACC with 24 sacks.

“I thought he battled,” Elliott said of Colandrea’s effort (zero touchdowns, two interceptions) against the Tar Heels. “For him to have taken as many hits as he did, he just kept getting up and kept playing. I was proud of him because I didn’t see him get flustered or frustrated. He just kept trying to battle through the adversity.”

Pittsburgh has swept six of the last seven meetings, including a 37-7 win at Virginia in the most recent contest on Nov. 12, 2022.

Narduzzi believes his Panthers are ready to bounce back on Saturday night.

“I think young players are resilient nowadays — more resilient than coaches are, I think. So you got to make sure your staff is as good as your players are, as far as wiping off and moving on,” he said. “The good thing is they came in here with a serious attitude and don’t want it to happen again.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2024; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Anthony Colandrea (10) scrambles from North Carolina Tar Heels linebacker Amare Campbell (17) during the first half at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

North Carolina ends skid with convincing win over Virginia

Omarion Hampton rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns as visiting North Carolina snapped a four-game losing streak and with a convincing 41-14 victory over Virginia on Saturday afternoon in Charlottesville, Va.

Hampton averaged 4.0 yards on 26 carries and hauled in three passes for 37 yards. Jacolby Criswell completed 19 of 30 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns for UNC (4-4, 1-3 ACC), while also rushing for 27 yards.

J.J. Jones had five receptions for 129 yards and caught touchdown passes of 37 and 31 yards.

Anthony Colandrea had 156 passing yards for Virginia (4-4, 2-3), while backup quarterback Tony Muskett threw the lone touchdown of the day for the Cavaliers, connecting with JR Wilson on a 68-yard strike.

Virginia got on the scoreboard first quarter with a 30-yard field goal from Will Bettridge on the opening drive, but didn’t reach the end zone until early in the fourth quarter. By then, North Carolina was well in front, taking a 38-6 lead when Jahvaree Ritzie intercepted Colandrea and returned it 84 yards for a touchdown.

A 290-pound defensive lineman, Ritzie stiff-armed Colandrea while rumbling down the sideline and got a key block from linebacker Amare Campbell as he scored with 17 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

UNC was able to pressure Virginia’s quarterbacks often, coming up with 10 sacks to set a singoe-game record for the program. Kaimon Rucker had an interception for UNC.

The Tar Heels held Virginia to just 7 rushing yards, a season-best for their defense and a season-low for the Cavaliers’ offense.

It was also the third time this season that North Carolina played a turnover-free game on offense.

It was North Carolina’s first victory wide receiver Tylee Craft died after a battle with cancer on Oct. 12. UNC and Virginia players wore Carolina Blue No. 13 stickers on their helmets in his honor.

–Field Level Media

Virginia head coach Tony Elliott was upset with a player who was called for a penalty late in their game against U of L at the L&N Stadium in Louisville, Ky. on Nov. 9, 2023.

No. 10 Clemson vies to extend win streak in clash vs. Tony Elliott, Virginia

Virginia coach Tony Elliott will return to Clemson on Saturday afternoon as a huge underdog against the 10th-ranked Tigers.

Clemson (5-1, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) has won five straight games since a season-opening loss to then-No. 1 Georgia. The Tigers opened the week as a three-touchdown favorite against the visiting Cavaliers (4-2, 2-1).

Elliott played wide receiver at Clemson and coached at his alma mater under Dabo Swinney for 11 seasons from 2011-21, winning two national championships. He was Swinney’s offensive coordinator the last time Virginia visited Death Valley, in 2020.

“That’s going to be a little strange, for sure,” Swinney said of facing his longtime staff member. “Tony is just family to me. Not just somebody that I have worked with.”

Elliott was a team captain in his final season at Clemson in 2003, which was Swinney’s first year as an assistant coach for the Tigers.

“I’m sure there will be some cool moments for him coming in,” Swinney said. “Maybe a little weird moment here or there. Being in the visiting locker room and all that type of stuff on the other side of it. But at the end of the day, it’s about the game and not any circumstances. You don’t get distracted by any circumstances of the game. Just focus on the game and what you got to do to be ready to play.”

Elliott, now in his third year at Virginia, said he will have to put his emotions aside and make the visit to Clemson, S.C., a business trip.

“That’s one of the best relationships I have in all of my life,” Elliott said about Swinney, per the Daily Progress. “And it’s been awesome to see him start as a father figure and then to my position coach to mentor to colleague. That’s Coach Swinney. But we’re going down there and we want to beat him.”

It won’t be easy.

After going scoreless in the first quarter, Clemson rolled to a 49-14 win at Wake Forest last weekend. Cade Klubnik passed for 309 yards and three touchdowns, Phil Mafah ran for 108 yards and two scores, and Jake Briningstool caught seven passes for 104 yards and one TD.

The Tigers rank second in the ACC in scoring (41 points per game) and total offense (482.3 yards per game). Mafah is third in the league in rushing (604 yards), and Klubnik is third in touchdown passes (17) while throwing just two interceptions.

The Tigers will face a Virginia team that already has more wins than in either of Elliott’s first two seasons: 3-7 in 2022 and 3-9 in 2023.

The Cavaliers were two minutes away from being 5-1 last weekend before Louisville scored a late touchdown for a 24-20 victory in Charlottesville, Va. Anthony Colandrea passed for 279 yards and a touchdown and ran for a team-high 84 yards. Malachi Fields caught nine passes for 129 yards, his third 100-yard effort of the season.

Klubnik could be in for a big afternoon against a Virginia defense that ranks 15th in the 17-team ACC against the pass, allowing an average of 260.5 yards per game.

This will be the 50th meeting between the schools. Clemson leads the series 40-8-1 and has not lost to Virginia at home since 2001. The Tigers have won the last five matchups.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA;  Louisville Cardinals quarterback Tyler Shough (9) looks to pass against Southern Methodist Mustangs defensive end Elijah Roberts (5) during the second half at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Louisville seeks bounce-back performance vs. Virginia

After falling out of the Top 25 with back-to-back seven-point losses, Louisville will visit a surging Virginia squad Saturday afternoon for an Atlantic Coast Conference contest in Charlottesville, Va.

Coach Jeff Brohm believes that better communication on defense is crucial if his Cardinals (3-2, 1-1) hope to keep the Cavaliers (4-1, 2-0) from running up and down the court, er, field.

“Just like when you’re playing defense in basketball, you have to talk,” Brohm said. “It’s going to be loud, so we have to be better at communicating.”

Louisville climbed to No. 15 in the Associated Press poll before losing 31-24 at then-No. 16 Notre Dame on Sept. 28 and 34-27 at home last weekend against SMU.

After falling behind 21-7 in the first quarter vs. the Fighting Irish, the Cardinals trailed by 11 at halftime against the Mustangs.

“I think it’s a hodgepodge of things that happen here and there that need to be cleaned up to make sure we don’t put ourselves in those situations,” Brohm said. “We all need to play better. We all need to coach better. It starts with me and goes all the way down.”

While Louisville’s rallies have fallen short, Virginia successfully engineered another comeback last weekend against Boston College. The Cavaliers scored 18 unanswered points in the fourth quarter for a 24-14 victory.

It was similar to Virginia’s ACC opener on Sept. 7 at Wake Forest, when the Cavaliers outscored the Demon Deacons 14-0 in the fourth quarter for a 31-30 win.

Picked to finish 16th in the 17-team ACC in the preseason after consecutive three-win campaigns, Virginia began this week as one of five unbeaten schools in league play.

“It’s a great feeling, obviously, to be 4-1,” defensive end Chico Bennett Jr. said. “But overall, we know what we’ve got to do, because Coach (Tony) Elliott always emphasizes reload, recalibrate and attack. And so that’s the mindset.”

Louisville has won the last two meetings to take a 7-5 lead in the series. The Cardinals outscored the Cavaliers 17-3 in the fourth quarter to pull out a 31-24 home win last November.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Anthony Colandrea (10) is tackled by Boston College Eagles defensive back Cameron Martinez (29) during the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Virginia overcomes early 14-point deficit in victory vs. BC

A pair of fourth-quarter turnovers fueled Virginia’s 24 unanswered points en route to a 24-14 win over visiting Boston College in Atlantic Coast Conference action on Saturday at Charlottesville, Va.

Anthony Colandrea’s 30-yard touchdown pass to Malachi Fields and a Jonas Senker scoop-and-score helped the Cavaliers (4-1, 2-0) clinch their first 2-0 conference start since 2019.

Colandrea completed 15 of 26 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown to Fields, who led Virginia with 63 yards off four receptions.

The Cavaliers recorded 339 yards of total offense, including 223 in the second half.

Three Will Bettridge field goals in four drives helped Virginia begin climbing out of its 14-0 hole, with the lone exception coming after KP Price broke up a Colandrea pass to the end zone on fourth-and-2 with 3:40 left in a scoreless third quarter.

Bettridge’s 27-yarder made it 14-9 with 13:29 left, but the ensuing drive was halted when Chico Bennett Jr. intercepted a tipped Thomas Castellanos pass at midfield.

After an explosive run by Kobe Pace (19 carries, 83 yards), Colandrea dialed up a deep ball to Fields for a go-ahead touchdown and hit Andre Greene Jr. for a 2-point conversion with 10:39 left.

The visitors made it across midfield again, but a fumble turned into Senker’s 40-yard run for another touchdown with 6:03 remaining.

Boston College (4-2, 1-1) led 14-0 less than two minutes into the second quarter, as Jaedn Skeete and Kamari Morales (77 yards) each caught a touchdown pass from Castellanos.

Castellanos, who was injured last week against Western Kentucky, completed his first 11 passes before finishing 22-of-30 for 254 yards but throwing two late interceptions.

Bettridge missed a 47-yarder, but a Kendren Smith pick gave the ball back to Virginia with 3:04 left to finish out the game.

After Virginia netted just nine yards on its opening series, Castellanos got off to a 6-for-6 start while leading Boston College on a methodical touchdown drive to take a 7-0 lead.

A key 34-yard connection to Morales set up Skeete for his third catch — a 9-yard score — halfway through the opening quarter.

The visitors doubled their lead 1:52 into the second after Castellanos hit another open receiver in Morales over the middle for a 29-yard catch-and-run touchdown.

A 14-play drive spanning 8:15 allowed Virginia to score on Bettridge’s 35-yard field goal with 4:46 left before halftime.

Multiple Boston College penalties — including a targeting call on cornerback Khari Johnson — put Virginia in position to kick a 33-yard field goal entering the break.

–Field Level Media

Sep 14, 2024; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott encourages his team during a change of possession against the Maryland Terrapins during the first half at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Xavier Brown helps lift Virginia over Coastal Carolina

Xavier Brown rushed for a career-high 171 yards and Grady Brosterhous ran for two scores as Virginia rolled to a 43-24 nonconference victory against Coastal Carolina on Saturday in Conway, S.C.

The Cavaliers (3-1) have already matched their win total from each of coach Tony Elliott’s first two seasons. Virginia finished 3-7 in 2022 and 3-9 in 2023.

Anthony Colandrea threw for 131 yards with two touchdown passes to Malachi Fields and the Cavaliers piled up 384 rushing yards in the first meeting between the programs.

Ethan Vasko passed for 222 yards with a touchdown and an interception and also rushed for a score for the previously unbeaten Chanticleers (3-1).

Coming off back-to-back games without any turnovers, Coastal Carolina coughed it up twice in the first quarter and Virginia turned the mistakes into 14 points.

The Chanticleers’ troubles began with a fumble on the opening kickoff. Three plays later, Colandrea’s 7-yard pass to Fields gave the Cavaliers a 7-0 lead just 1:24 into the game.

It was another short field for Virginia after Antonio Clary intercepted Vasko at the 35. A 5-yard TD run by Brosterhous made it 14-3 with 4:47 left in the first quarter.

Down 17-3 in the second quarter, Coastal Carolina put together a 90-yard TD drive. Vasko’s 29-yard pass to Jameson Tucker on fourth down trimmed the deficit to 17-10.

The Cavaliers answered with a 1-yard TD run by Brosterhous for a 24-10 lead. They made it 27-10 on Will Bettridge’s 47-yard field goal on the final play of the half.

Bettridge’s 45-yarder early in the third extended the lead to 30-10. After a 75-yard run by Brown, Kobe Pace punched it in from the 1 to make it 37-10.

It was 37-17 after Vasko’s 3-yard TD rush ended a run of 20 unanswered points by the Cavaliers.

In the fourth quarter, Colandrea’s 37-yard strike to Fields put Virginia ahead 43-17 with 12:12 remaining.

Michigan State transfer Noah Kim replaced Vasko and threw a 15-yard TD pass to Bryson Graves with 9:06 left.

–Field Level Media

Coastal Carolina's Christian Washington tries to evade the tackle of Jacksonville State's Malcolm Jones during college football action at Burgess-Snow Field AmFirst Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama August 29, 2024. (Dave Hyatt / Special to the Gadsden Times)

Coastal Carolina aims to bolt out of blocks in clash vs. Virginia

Coastal Carolina will look for another fast start on Saturday in Conway, S.C., in its first-ever meeting against a Virginia squad coming off a poor finish.

The unbeaten Chanticleers (3-0) have outscored their first three opponents by a combined 79-27 margin in the first half, including recording a 21-10 halftime lead in last weekend’s 28-20 win at Temple.

“We’ve done a really good job of playing fast,” Coastal Carolina coach Tim Beck said earlier this season. “I talk to our team all the time about starting fast and I (have been) very pleased with that.”

The Chanticleers lead the Sun Belt Conference with 251.7 rushing yards per game and rank second in the league in scoring with 41.0 points per game.

Ethan Vasko passed for 103 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 92 yards in the win against Temple. The quarterback is second on the team with 190 rushing yards, trailing Christian Washington and his 206 yards and four touchdowns. Tray Taylor is Coastal Carolina’s leading receiver with 132 yards on six catches with one TD.

The Chanticleers will be facing a Virginia defense that ranks 12th against the run (138.7 yards per game) and 14th in total defense (397.3) in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season.

The Cavaliers (2-1) were outscored 20-0 in the second half as Maryland pulled away for a 27-13 victory last Saturday in Charlottesville, Va. The Terrapins scored on four of their first five drives after the intermission.

“The least important thing in a game is the score at halftime,” Virginia coach Tony Elliott said. “It didn’t matter if we were up or we were down, we’ve got to come out and play the best second half that we possibly could. … We didn’t do that.”

Anthony Colandrea ranks fifth in the ACC with 901 passing yards but has thrown four interceptions in his past two games.

Kobe Pace is the Cavaliers’ leading rusher with 153 yards and one touchdown and Malachi Fields paces the team with 20 receptions for 284 yards.

–Field Level Media

Nov 18, 2023; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott yells at officials from the sidelines against the Duke Blue Devils during the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Virginia vies to pick up steam in clash vs. Maryland

After starting his Virginia career with consecutive three-win seasons, coach Tony Elliott and the Cavaliers look for a 3-0 start on Saturday night when old rival Maryland visits Charlottesville, Va.

Virginia (2-0) erased a 13-point, fourth-quarter deficit in a 31-30 win at Wake Forest in its Atlantic Coast Conference opener last Saturday. The Cavaliers claimed their first lead with 2:07 left on their version of the “tush push.”

The Terrapins (1-1) were on the wrong side of a comeback in their Big Ten opener Saturday as Michigan State scored the final 10 points for a 27-24 victory in College Park, Md.

Maryland, a member of the ACC from 1953 to 2013, has won the last three meetings with Virginia, including a 42-14 home victory last September. The Cavaliers scored the first 14 points before the Terps took over in that one.

At Wake Forest, Virginia fell behind 17-3 early and trailed 30-17 entering the fourth. Anthony Colandrea threw a touchdown to Trell Harris with 10:37 remaining. The Cavaliers then did their best Philadelphia Eagles impression, with Grady Brosterhous bulling ahead for the decisive 1-yard TD on a play dubbed the “Grady Bunch.”

“It’s a huge win for us, huge team win,” said receiver Malachi Fields, who has eclipsed 100 yards in both games. “We’re just going to keep continuing to grow together and be that team that’s able to finish in the fourth quarter.”

Maryland was not that team on Saturday. The Terrapins took a 24-17 lead against Michigan State on the first play of the fourth quarter on a touchdown pass from Billy Edwards Jr. to Dylan Wade.

The Spartans answered with a 77-yard TD strike from Aidan Chiles to Nick Marsh after a missed Maryland field goal, and Jonathan Kim converted the winning 37-yard field goal with one second left.

“The season is not a loss, it’s not a wipeout,” Edwards said. “We got a really tough game coming on the road down to Charlottesville … against UVA, and we got to get this stuff corrected and be ready for the rest of the season, for next week and so on. It’ll be tough, but we got it.”

–Field Level Media