Virginia Football: Proving Themselves Right
Written off as the ACC’s 14th-place team in the preseason poll, Virginia football has flipped the script. Behind transfer QB Chandler Morris and a defense finally coming together, the Cavaliers are off to a 4–1 start and just knocked off Florida State in a double-overtime thriller that sent Scott Stadium into chaos. With a balanced offense, improved line play, and playmakers stepping up on both sides of the ball, Tony Elliott’s team isn’t sneaking up on anyone anymore. As they turn toward a critical showdown with undefeated Louisville, UVA isn’t just chasing respect — they’re chasing an ACC Championship berth.
Jay Ballard
9/28/20252 min read
When Virginia showed up at ACC Media Day, they were pegged 14th in the preseason poll. Nobody outside of Charlottesville expected much more than another rebuilding year. Inside the program, the tone was very different. Chandler Morris didn’t transfer to UVA merely to be competitive — he came to chase something bigger. Coach Tony Elliott’s team has carried that belief since the summer.
Now at 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the ACC, the Cavaliers are proving that confidence wasn’t misplaced. Friday night’s 46–38 double-overtime win over Florida State was the kind of statement game the program has been searching for. Morris delivered five total touchdowns, including the decisive score and two-point conversion, before Ja’Son Prevard’s interception sent Scott Stadium into chaos. Fans stormed the field in a wave of blue, and in the locker room Elliott’s words echoed: all they did was prove themselves right.
What has made this team so dangerous is its balance. The offense is explosive, capable of piling up points in bunches, and disciplined enough to grind out long drives. Improved offensive line play has opened running lanes for a plethora of starting-caliber backs, led by J’Mari Taylor, while Morris thrives with Trell Harris, Cam Ross, and Jahmal Edrine giving him dependable targets in critical moments.
On defense, the Cavaliers are finally meshing. Transfers like Donavon Platt and veterans like Devin Neal Jr. are making key plays, and healthy linebacker Kam Robinson has been a force over the last two weeks, disrupting plays and stabilizing the front seven. The unit is now making stops when it counts — including holding Florida State to a field goal in the first overtime and forcing the game-sealing interception in the second.
Here’s a quick “I told you so.” Back in August, when I predicted this team would finish 9-3, the reaction online was predictable: plenty of laughs, eye rolls, and people telling me I was out of my mind. The pieces were there, and now those same people are much quieter. Virginia isn’t sneaking up on anyone anymore.
The road ahead is not easy. Many analysts are calling this Saturday’s matchup against undefeated Louisville the toughest remaining test on the schedule. Kickoff is set for 3:30, and a win there would put Virginia firmly in the ACC Championship conversation.
Picked 14th in the league, dismissed as an afterthought, and mocked when some of us suggested they had the roster to win nine games… this team has already rewritten the narrative. With a quarterback who refuses to back down, a balanced and physical offense, and a defense that’s now making big plays when it counts, Virginia football is proving themselves right. For those who doubted them back in July, 14th? Really. Who’s laughing now?