Virginia hopes to derail the Hokies’ bowl chances by finishing the season with two wins for the first time in 20 years.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va– On Saturday afternoon, Virginia (3-8) and Virginia Tech (5-6) will square off for the Commonwealth Cup for the first time since 2021. The Hokies have won the last two matchups and 18 of the last 19, and they enter this year’s edition as favorites once again. “When I first got here, all the talk was the streak that was going on, and then we broke that streak, and so now it’s just we want to win that game to go 1-0 every year,” Virginia tight end Grant Misch said earlier this week. “It’s not something that we try to think about the past, or look too far in the future, it’s just what we want to do this year.”
Both Brent Pry and Tony Elliott, the head coach of Virginia Tech, have not yet led their teams in this rivalry. As a result of the postponed game from the previous year, this will be the freshmen and sophomore classes’ first Commonwealth Cup. Brian Stevens, a transfer, is an example of a similar case.
“Obviously it’s one of the ones even when I wasn’t here…it’s one of the biggest rivalries in college football,” Stevens said. “Virginia Tech’s a good team, but we’re just here, we’re focusing on ourselves like we have the past couple of weeks.”
This season, the Cavaliers have lost four games by three points or less and one by just seven points. However, the second half of the season has shown some improvement, particularly in games where Virginia made the necessary plays to win last week’s games against Duke at home and No. 10 North Carolina on the road.
Before a rivalry game that frequently defies our preconceived notions about both teams going into it, those victories ought to give the Cavaliers some much-needed confidence.
According to Virginia safety Jonas Sanker, “VT brings their best game every time.” “I believe our best game will be included as well.”
The in-state rivalry has produced a wide range of outcomes in recent years. Two of the previous four games, including a trip to overtime in 2018, have been decided by four points or fewer. However, the Cavaliers have also suffered some crushing defeats, falling short by 18 in 2020 and 42 in 2016.
As a matter of fact, only six of the previous eighteen games have been decided by a single possession, and seven of those matches have resulted in losses by more than two units. Sanker claims that the Cavaliers are still getting ready just like for any other game.
“I don’t believe there is any pressure. I don’t believe there is any added stress. If anything, I believe it’s just increased excitement,” Sanker remarked. “This week, Coach Elliott has placed a lot of emphasis on UVA. That simply means, in my opinion, that we don’t need to approach this any differently than we would any other game in terms of how we prepare. Its opponent has no face. Since our goal in coming here is to play our best game, everything will fall into place as long as we follow the rules and give it our all.
Even though the Cavaliers can’t qualify for a bowl game going into this game, they still have something to play for on Saturday. They have the ability to keep the Hokies from reaching six victories and a bowl game, as well as deny them the opportunity to finish the season with two straight victories for the first time since 2003.
“I believe it’s significant, significant for this program, significant for the players’ confidence as well, just demonstrating that their hard work is paying off,” Sanker remarked.
Virginia will need to overcome the Hokies’ nearly two decades of dominance in order to win. In terms of yards allowed per game (325.5), Virginia Tech is ranked fifth in the ACC, while the Cavaliers are allowing
Regarding the Hokies’ defense, Misch remarked, “They fly around.” “Those are pretty athletic guys. That is most likely their greatest asset.
This season, the Hokies’ defensive line has been especially strong; they have sacking opponents’ quarterbacks 32 times, which ties them for the most in the ACC and ranks them fifteenth in the nation. The most intriguing matchup in this game is definitely the offensive line matchup for Virginia, which has been a weak point all season even though the group has improved significantly as the season has gone on.
Stevens described them as hostile. “They have a large front. They will attempt to pass right through you and other similar actions.
With nine sacks, Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. is currently second in the ACC and will be the focal point of UVA’s offensive line.
The players to watch on the other side of the ball will be running back Bhayshul Tuten and quarterback Kyron Drones. Together, these two players have scored 11 rushing touchdowns this season, and they both rank among the top 15 rushers in the ACC.
Drones is a skilled sportsman. He is an excellent ball runner. He possesses a cannon. Thus, we must effectively halt the run game early, according to Sanker. “They have good blocking, are aggressive, and quickness on the perimeter, so we just need to play ball and keep our eyes in the right places.”
At Charlottesville’s Scott Stadium, the Cavaliers and Hokies will play their first game on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.
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Charlestown, Virginia It’s the last football game of the Virginia 2023–24 season. It’s only a few days away from the match that pits one team against the other that matters most of all the seasons. For the first time since their last meeting with these bitter rival programs in 2021, the Virginia Tech Hokies will be playing in Charlottesville.
Listen: VirginiaSports.com will broadcast live coverage of the game as well as Virginia Sports Radio Networks throughout the commonwealth. You can find a list of stations here. Additionally, you can tune in on Sirius XM App Channel 969 and Channels 138 or 193.
Jay James will be on the sidelines, and Tony Covington and John Freeman will be on the call.
Regardless of the outcome, the Cavaliers cannot qualify for bowl games, but that won’t matter nearly as much if Elliott’s team can defeat Virginia Tech—something that only one Virginia team has been able to accomplish in the previous 19 iterations of this rivalry. In the process of making it to the Orange Bowl and the ACC Championship, the 2019 Cavaliers broke a 16-year losing streak against the Hokies.
Then, Virginia Tech emerged victorious in 2020 and 2021; however, prior to the 2022 season, both teams appointed new head coaches. Due to the on-campus shooting that claimed the lives of three Virginia players, the game against the other program was canceled last year, so the current head coaches of both teams have not faced each other.
Tony Elliott, the coach of Virginia, stated, “I do want to take a second to acknowledge Coach [Brent] Pry and Virginia Tech’s administration and their program for all the support they gave us last year.”
Elliott and Pry both want to start their Commonwealth Cup careers with a perfect record on Saturday.
Elliott stated, “It’s an opportunity for both of us.” We’re struggling and squabbling to claim that this is our state. They want to own the state, he says, and we want to own the state.We now have the opportunity to resolve it on the field.
Elliott said of the so-called Palmetto Bowl, “They planned their entire year around the football season and then this game at the end. I sense that was very similar here from day one. You know, you get all the congratulatory texts and welcome to the family, glad you’re here; now beat Tech. I was like, okay, I get it. This feels very familiar.” Elliott has experience with in-state rivalries, having participated in the Clemson-South Carolina rivalry for many years.
The 103-game rivalry between Virginia and Virginia Tech is intense, even though the Cavaliers and Hokies don’t have quite the same recent history of on-field success as the Tigers and Gamecocks do. Coaches, players, and fans think about the annual post-Thanksgiving game all year long, and it always ends with a showdown at either Lane Stadium or Scott Field. With last year’s cancellation, this year’s edition feels a little different.
Elliott stated, “We know what happens those three hours on Saturday is going to last for the entire year, but you can tell there is a very, very strong level of respect.”
The Hokies have dominated the Cavaliers for almost 20 years, so it’s understandable that recent coaching staffs have placed a lot of emphasis on this game—perhaps too much at times. Elliott is therefore trying to achieve a good balance between his excitement for the game and the associated pressure.
It’s a long week—really, it’s the entire year—so I think you do need to frame it right, he said. “At the end of the day, you got to prepare the same way you prepared for the other games, so try not to put too much pressure on the guys.” The way you put it is that this game is similar to all other games in terms
Elliott’s second season hasn’t gone as well as supporters, players, and coaches had hoped, as the campaign has been marred by multiple close losses. Virginia has lost eight games by a single possession, five of which were by three points or less. In other words, the Cavaliers proved they could play with almost all of their opponents, but they were unable to execute the clutch plays that were needed to win games in the closing minutes.
Elliott’s squad now has the chance to accomplish something this program hasn’t done in a long time: win two straight games to end the season and deny the Hokies a trip to the bowl game.
“It would be tremendous for the guys to be able to accomplish something that hasn’t been done since 2003—finish the season with two victories,” Elliott remarked.
After suffering an ankle injury against Georgia Tech, quarterback Tony Muskett has made progress in his recuperation, but his status is still uncertain. If Muskett is unable to play, rookie Anthony Colandrea will make his sixth start and eighth appearance of the year.
LT McKale Boley is recovering from an injury sustained during the victory over Duke last weekend. He is healthy and ready for Virginia’s upcoming game against Virginia Tech.
It is anticipated that CB Coen King will miss the game due to an elbow dislocation. Malcolm Greene and Sam Westfall are listed as the other cornerbacks, so freshman Dre Walker will start for the third time in his career in his place. Walker is positioned behind Will Simpkins on the depth chart.
On the depth chart, wide receiver Ethan Davies has taken JR Wilson’s spot and is anticipated to start alongside Malik Washington and Malachi Fields.
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