Mississippi State's quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. (0) celebrates scoring a touchdown during the Egg Bowl game against Mississippi at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024.

Former Mississippi State QB Michael Van Buren Jr. transfers to LSU

Former Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. announced on social media Sunday that he is transferring to LSU.

Van Buren, who has three years of eligibility remaining, made eight starts as a true freshman this season for Mississippi State (2-10). He played in 10 games and completed 140 of 256 passes (54.7 percent) for 1,886 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed for five TDs.

Bulldogs starter Blake Shapen sustained a season-ending injury in the fourth game of the season against Florida on Sept. 21 and Van Buren took over. Shapen said Monday that he plans to return as a sixth-year senior in 2025.

LSU’s QB room includes starter Garrett Nussmeier, who announced his plans to return, as well as former Vanderbilt transfer AJ Swann.

The Tigers’ Class of 2025 recruiting has not included a quarterback after No. 1 prospect Bryce Underwood changed his commitment from LSU to Michigan last month.

“My family and I are forever thankful to coach (Jeff) Lebby, the staff, my teammates, the administrative team and the professors for their contributions to my growth as an individual,” Van Buren had posted on social media on Tuesday in announcing he was transferring. “For the past year, we have worked arm in arm to generate some memorable moments in coach Lebby’s first year, and I am confident there is more greatness to come from the program.”

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Van Buren was a four-star prospect out of Bowie, Md., who initially committed to Oregon before signing with Mississippi State.

–Former Nebraska quarterback Daniel Kaelin committed to Virginia on Sunday, he announced on social media.

The true freshman from Elkhorn, Neb., redshirted this season. Kaelin (6-foot-3, 220) was behind true freshman starter Dylan Raiola and junior Heinrich Haarberg on the depth chart.

–Field Level Media

Nov 30, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels players and North Carolina State Wolfpack players fight as State tries to put a Wolfpack flag at midfield after the game at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

ACC fines, reprimands four schools for sportsmanship violations

North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia and Virginia Tech were fined and publicly reprimanded by the Atlantic Coast Conference on Monday following altercations at their respective rivalry games on Saturday.

The amounts of the institutional fines were not released, but the Raleigh News & Observer reported that the maximum penalty in the ACC bylaws is $25,000.

NC State defeated North Carolina 35-30 on Saturday, after which the Wolfpack were one of several teams around the country to plant a flag on the hosts’ field. North Carolina players got into a postgame fight with NC State players.

Players from Virginia and Virginia Tech got into a fight before their game, which Virginia Tech won 37-17.

“In both cases, the actions violated the ACC Sportsmanship Policy,” the league said in a statement. “The unsportsmanlike behavior that was displayed is unacceptable and tarnishes the passionate on-field play between these institutions.

“The funds from the imposed institutional fines — which are the maximum allowed by the league’s bylaws — will be placed into the Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Postgraduate Scholarship account.”

Michigan and Ohio State each were levied $100,000 fines by the Big Ten Conference for a postgame fight between their teams after the Wolverines upset the Buckeyes in Columbus.

–Field Level Media

Virginia quarterback Anthony Colandrea (10) looks for an open receiver during a NCAA college football game against Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in South Bend.

Bowl bid on line in Blacksburg for UVA, Virginia Tech

Bowl eligibility is on the line for both rivals Saturday night as Virginia and host Virginia Tech finish the regular season in Blacksburg, Va.

Both teams are 5-6 overall and 3-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The visiting Cavaliers have lost two in a row and five of their last six, while the Hokies are on a three-game losing streak.

Virginia is trying to get to a bowl game for the first time under third-year head coach Tony Elliott. Virginia Tech won the Military Bowl last season and is seeking its second postseason berth with third-year coach Brent Pry.

The Hokies have won the last three editions of the Commonwealth Clash and have not lost to the Cavaliers at home since 1998. Virginia Tech is 3-2 at home this season and Virginia is 3-2 on the road.

Virginia Tech is coming off a 31-28 defeat at Duke, its fifth loss by seven or fewer points this season. By comparison, Virginia’s last four losses were by a combined 91 points.

“It’s super frustrating,” Hokies wide receiver Ali Jennings said of the Hokies’ 0-5 record in one-score games. “A lot of times we are the better team, but we shoot ourselves in the foot.”

Virginia Tech had twice as many first downs as Duke (24-12) and three times the rushing yards (190-64) but couldn’t catch up after falling into a 31-17 hole. The Hokies had three chances to tie or take the lead in the final eight minutes but came up empty.

Collin Schlee started at quarterback for the injured Kyron Drones (knee), but Schlee exited with a first-half injury and was replaced by freshman William “Pop” Watson III.

Drones, who threw three touchdown passes in last season’s 55-17 rout of Virginia, is considered day-to-day heading into Saturday’s finale.

The Cavaliers fell 33-7 at home last weekend to then-No. 13 SMU. They trailed 26-0 before getting on the board with Anthony Colandrea’s TD pass to Malachi Fields with 4:16 remaining.

Virginia also has a cloudy QB picture, with some calling for Tony Muskett to replace Colandrea (13 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions this season).

“We gotta figure out who gives us the best shot, but at the end of the day, whoever’s your quarterback, he’s got to have help from his supporting cast all the way around,” Elliott said.

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; SMU Mustangs quarterback Kevin Jennings (7) sets the play against the Boston College Eagles during the first half at the Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

No. 13 SMU visits Virginia, vying to seal ACC title-game spot

League newcomer SMU can clinch a berth in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game when the No. 13 Mustangs visit Virginia on Saturday afternoon in Charlottesville, Va.

The Mustangs (9-1, 6-0) have a seven-game winning streak and are the only program in the 17-team conference without a loss in league play. The ACC champion will earn an automatic bid into the 12-team College Football Playoff.

SMU is 4-0 on the road heading into its first-ever meeting with Virginia (5-5, 3-3), which has lost four of its last five games and has not won at Scott Stadium since beating Boston College on Oct. 5.

The Cavaliers need one more victory to have a shot at their first bowl game since the 2019 season.

SMU was tested last week, trailing early in the third quarter before pulling out a 38-28 home win against Boston College.

It was the Mustangs’ third win by 10 points or less in ACC play, following a 34-27 victory at then-No. 22 Louisville on Oct. 5 and a 28-27 overtime decision at Duke on Oct. 26.

“They’re the hardest ones to win,” Mustangs coach Rhett Lashlee said. “I think our guys did a nice job of hanging in there and understanding the only thing we’ve got to do is win. … It’s going to get harder and harder as the season shrinks and the games mean more.”

Kevin Jennings passed for 298 yards and three touchdowns against the Eagles. Brashard Smith rushed for 120 yards and a score, surpassing the 1,000-yard mark (1,026) for the season.

The unexpected challenge from Boston College reminded the Mustangs that anything can happen on Saturdays.

“The exciting thing about college football right now is every week you see somebody lose that wasn’t really supposed to lose,” SMU safety Isaiah Nwokobia said, per The Dallas Morning News. “Any given week, you could lose if you don’t come prepared.”

The Mustangs will face a Virginia team that is coming off a 35-14 loss to another CFP hopeful last Saturday at Notre Dame. The Cavaliers turned the ball over five times in the first half and trailed 35-0 before backup quarterback Tony Muskett ran for two touchdowns.

To have any chance of springing an upset, Virginia must take care of the football against an SMU defense that has allowed only 17 points off 17 turnovers this season.

“You can’t expect to beat a top-10 team turning the ball over,” Cavaliers coach Tony Elliott said after the loss to the then-No. 8 Fighting Irish.

Elliott has a decision to make at quarterback with two games remaining: vs. SMU and then a Nov. 30 rivalry game at Virginia Tech.

Anthony Colandrea was benched after throwing three first-half interceptions at Notre Dame. He has 12 touchdown passes and 11 picks in 10 starts this season. Muskett, a graduate student who started six games last season, has completed 65 percent of his passes for 367 yards with three TDs and one interception in six appearances this season.

“We’re fighting, we’re scrapping for postseason play,” Elliott said. “That’s been a huge goal of ours as a team. And so we’re gonna look at whatever gives us the best opportunity.”

–Field Level Media

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard (13) hands the ball off to running back Jeremiyah Love (4) during a NCAA college football game against Virginia at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in South Bend.

Jeremiyah Love helps No. 8 Notre Dame dispatch Virginia

Jeremiyah Love ran for 137 yards and two touchdowns and Riley Leonard threw three touchdown passes to lead host Notre Dame to a comfortable 35-14 victory over Virginia on Saturday night in South Bend, Ind.

The No. 8 Fighting Irish (9-1) won their eighth consecutive game and inched closer to securing a playoff berth. Notre Dame has two games remaining as it faces No. 24 Army next Saturday at Yankee Stadium in New York and travels to Los Angeles to face USC on Nov. 30th.

Virginia (5-5) was unable to carry over the momentum from last week’s upset win over Pitt and got off to a poor start immediately due to turnovers.

Chris Tyree muffed the opening kickoff and Notre Dame’s Max Hurleman recovered four seconds into the game. This led to Love scoring from four yards out to open the scoring for the Fighting Irish. It was Love’s 10th consecutive game with a touchdown and he joined Jerome Bettis, Autrey Denson and Wayne Bullock as the only other Notre Dame running backs with such scoring streaks. Love would add another score in the third quarter when he broke loose for a 76-yard score down the sideline to put the Irish ahead 35-0.

Leonard threw all three of his touchdown passes in the second quarter to help the Irish break the game open, and take a 28-0 edge into halftime.

The scores came off three of the four turnovers Virginia committed in that quarter. Three of those giveaways were interceptions thrown by Cavaliers’ starter Anthony Colandrea. Virginia committed five turnovers — all in the first half including a muffed punt.

Virginia benched Colandrea, who completed only 8 for 21 passes for 69 yards, replaced him with Tony Muskett in the second half. Muskett scored the Cavaliers’ only two touchdowns, first on an 18-yard run with 7:52 left in the third quarter and later a 2-yard sweep to the corner of the end zone with 18 seconds left in the game.

A couple of Virginia defensive players left the game with injuries as linebacker James Jackson suffered an apparent leg injury and safety Corey Thomas Jr. left the game in the first half as well.

–Field Level Media

Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) celebrates with teammates after a touchdown against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

QB Riley Leonard leads No. 8 Notre Dame vs. familiar foe in Virginia

No. 8 Notre Dame continues its College Football Playoff chase on Saturday in South Bend, Ind., against a Virginia team that is 3-1 on the road and held a lead in every game this season.

The Fighting Irish (8-1) have a seven-game winning streak since their two-point loss to Northern Illinois on Sept. 7 and won all four previous meetings with the Cavaliers (5-4).

Notre Dame improved to 4-0 this season against Virginia’s fellow Atlantic Coast Conference members with a 52-3 rout of Florida State last weekend, having also defeated once-ranked Louisville, Georgia Tech and Stanford.

Riley Leonard passed for 215 yards and a touchdown and ran for 70 yards and two scores against the Seminoles. The balanced Fighting Irish offense had more than 200 rushing yards and 200 passing yards for the third time in the last four games. The defense collected eight sacks and two additional tackles for loss and finished the blowout with a 79-yard pick-six by Luke Talich.

Leonard posted similar numbers the last time he faced Virginia. Playing for Duke in 2022, he threw one touchdown pass and rushed for two scores in a 38-17 defeat of the Cavaliers.

Virginia snapped a three-game skid last weekend with a 24-19 victory at then-No. 18 Pittsburgh. Xavier Brown had a 1-yard touchdown run and a 24-yard touchdown catch and former Notre Dame wideout Chris Tyree had his best game as a Cavalier with four catches for 42 yards and one run for 13 yards.

“I’m excited to go back,” said Tyree, a graduate transfer who gained 3,284 all-purpose yards with 17 touchdowns in 49 games with the Fighting Irish from 2020-23.

Tyree’s fourth-quarter catch of 25 yards on third-and-15 allowed Virginia to extend a drive that consumed 8:26 and led to a field goal for the final margin.

“I think this is a really good start for us to finish these last four games,” Tyree said. “So it’s just up to us to go 1-0 every week, take it day by day.”

The Cavaliers haven’t played in a bowl game since the 2019 season. They need one more win to gain eligibility with remaining games against Notre Dame, No. 14 SMU and rival Virginia Tech.

“Coach (Tony) Elliott has done a great job. He has his team really playing at a high level, playing with confidence, competitive,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said.

“… They had a huge win last week versus Pitt, and they’re a talented bunch and they’re playing that way with confidence and physicality. So, we’re expecting their best and expecting a great challenge Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium for our Senior Day.”

Freeman said Fighting Irish defensive lineman Howard Cross, who ranks second on the team with four sacks, will not play due to an ankle injury.

The Notre Dame community mourned the loss this week of former head coach Gerry Faust, who died Monday at 89. Faust compiled a 30-26-1 record from 1981-85 before being replaced by Lou Holtz.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA;  Pittsburgh Panthers running back Daniel Carter (4) carries the ball against Virginia Cavaliers defensive end Mekhi Buchanan (11) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Virginia holds on, hands No. 18 Pitt second straight loss

Xavier Brown accounted for two touchdowns and visiting Virginia held on for a 24-19 upset of No. 18 Pittsburgh on Saturday night.

It was the second straight loss for the Panthers (7-2, 3-2 ACC), likely eliminating their chances to reach the College Football Playoff or ACC Championship Game.

The Cavaliers (5-4, 3-3) ended a three-game skid and moved closer to gaining bowl eligibility for the first time under third-year coach Tony Elliott.

Anthony Colandrea passed for 143 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for Virginia.

Nate Yarnell had a touchdown pass and two interceptions for Pitt after taking over for starter Eli Holstein, who left with an apparent head injury in the third quarter. Desmond Reid paced the Panthers with 123 yards from scrimmage.

Pitt had a final chance to take the lead before Yarnell’s pass was intercepted by Corey Thomas Jr. with 1:40 left.

Virginia opened the scoring in the second quarter with some trickery. Cavaliers receiver Suderian Harrison got the ball on a reverse and threw a 27-yard pass to Colandrea to the 1-yard line. Brown ran it in on the next snap for a 7-0 lead.

Later in the quarter, the Panthers put together a 12-play, 80-yard drive, capped by Daniel Carter’s 1-yard run to tie the score with 4:48 remaining in the half.

An interception by Kyle Louis set up a 44-yard field goal by Ben Sauls to give Pitt its first lead at 10-7 with 1:59 left.

Sauls hit a 48-yarder with eight seconds left to give the Panthers a 13-7 lead at halftime.

Momentum shifted to Virginia in the third quarter. Holstein left the game after getting hit in the helmet by Virginia linebacker Trey McDonald, who was thrown out for targeting.

After Jonas Sanker blocked a 45-yard field goal attempt by Sauls, Colandrea put the Cavaliers in front 14-13 with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Brown.

Virginia got the ball back after Sanker intercepted Yarnell’s pass. Four plays later, Kobe Pace’s 3-yard touchdown run made it 21-13 with 3:34 left in the third.

Yarnell’s 4-yard TD pass to Gavin Bartholomew cut the deficit to 21-19 with 10:32 to play. That’s where the score remained after a holding penalty wiped out Bartholomew’s two-point conversion catch.

The Cavaliers extended the lead to 24-19 on a 32-yard field goal by Will Bettridge to cap a 16-play, 60-yard drive that chewed up 8:26.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels coach Mack Brown with the referee in the third quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

On a 4-game losing streak, UNC seeks breakthrough at Virginia

This season has been tough for North Carolina.

The Tar Heels are riding a four-game losing streak, calls for coach Mack Brown to retire have been present and loud, and the team has been grieving the passing of former wide receiver Tylee Craft, who died Oct. 12 after a battle with cancer.

After a bye week, UNC has a chance to get back in the win column when it takes on Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday afternoon.

The last time the Tar Heels (3-4, 0-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) played was on the day Craft died. As Brown and others wore shirts emblazoned with Craft’s No. 13, UNC lost 41-34 to Georgia Tech after Jamal Haynes ran 68 yards for a touchdown with 16 seconds to play.

To honor Craft, Brown said this week that the Tar Heels’ receivers will rotate who wears his No. 13 during practices and games throughout the rest of the season.

“We’re going to keep his presence as much as we can without being awkward,” Brown said.

The grieving Tar Heels have found a variety of ways to lose this season. They gave up 70 points at home to James Madison, blew a 20-point lead to Duke, turned the ball over on downs four times against Pitt, and then lost in the final moments to Georgia Tech.

The common factor in those losses has been North Carolina’s defense, which is giving up an average of 399.9 yards per game — a mark that is tied for 101st in FBS.

“Defensively, we’ve just got to stop the run,” Brown said. “We’re not forcing turnovers, and the teams that are winning are forcing turnovers.”

The good news for North Carolina is that it’s facing the ACC’s second-worst defense in Virginia (4-3, 2-2), which gives up an average of 406 yards per game and is coming off its second straight loss, 48-31 at then-No. 10 Clemson last Saturday.

Virginia averages 159.6 yards on the ground per game, and 4.4 yard per carry. Against Clemson, though, Virginia rushed for just 68 yards on 29 carries. Anthony Colandrea paced the offense with 159 passing yards and two scores.

A win for Virginia on Saturday would mark the most ACC victories in a season for third-year coach Tony Elliott.

“So, you saw bits and pieces of the DNA that we’re trying to establish and create as a program,” Elliott said. “But you also saw some areas where we’re just not quite there yet, and that’s my job as a head coach to figure out what to do in order to get us over that hump.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson wide receiver Cole Turner (22) pulls down a pass and moves down field against Virginia at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Alex Hicks, Jr./USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

No. 10 Clemson handles Virginia, spoils ex-assistant’s return

Cade Klubnik fired three touchdown passes and No. 10 Clemson spoiled Virginia coach Tony Elliott’s return to campus with a 48-31 victory over the Cavaliers in Atlantic Coast Conference action Saturday.

The Tigers (6-1, 5-0 ACC) extended their winning streak to six games and posted their sixth straight win in the series with the Cavaliers (4-3, 2-2).

Elliott played at Clemson and worked on Tigers coach Dabo Swinney’s staff for 11 seasons, serving as the offensive coordinator for two national champions. This was his first game at Clemson, S.C., since taking over at Virginia in 2022.

Klubnik completed 23 of 35 passes for 308 yards with an interception. Phil Mafah rushed for 78 yards and two scores and Olsen Patt-Henry had two TD catches as Clemson outgained Virginia 539-346.

Anthony Colandrea and Tony Muskett each had two TD passes for the Cavaliers, who played their first ranked opponent of the season and held a brief lead in the second quarter before Clemson rattled off 35 unanswered points.

Kam Robinson intercepted Klubnik on the final play of the first quarter, just the fourth turnover of the season for the Tigers. Six plays later, Colandrea’s 8-yard pass to Dakota Twitty put the Cavaliers ahead 10-3.

Clemson answered with two short TD runs by Mafah (1 and 3 yards) to build a 17-10 lead at the half. His second score was set up by wide receiver Antonio Williams’ 34-yard pass to Troy Stellato.

The Tigers scored three straight touchdowns in the third quarter to turn a tight game into a blowout.

They pushed the lead to 24-10 on Klubnik’s 11-yard pass to Patt-Henry. Williams’ 36-yard TD run made it 31-10. After a Virginia turnover, Klubnik and Patt-Henry hooked up again for a 40-yard TD on fourth down for a 38-10 lead.

Colandrea threw a 44-yard TD pass to Malachi Fields on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Nolan Hauser’s second field goal lifted Clemson over the 40-point mark for the fifth time this season.

The teams combined for 21 points in the final 2:11. Muskett replaced Colandrea and threw touchdowns to Sackett Wood Jr. (8 yards) and Ethan Davies (65 yards), wrapped around Klubnik’s 34-yard TD to T.J. Moore.

–Field Level Media