Graduate wide receiver Cam Ross “has the sauce,” according to graduate running back J’Mari Taylor.
“Oh, he definitely has the sauce,” Taylor said. “All the sauce.”
To translate, “the sauce,” is Ross’ smooth blend of speed and agility. In the 48-7 win Saturday, Ross was named the team’s player of the game — and the reasoning makes sense. He put up an outstanding 224 all-purpose yards in his Virginia debut.
There have only been four other 100-yard returns in the Cavaliers’ program history, which dates back to 1888 — and Ross tallied the fifth triple-digit prance.
Yet, while the ever-humble Taylor may have been quick to highlight Ross’s dominant showing Saturday against Coastal Carolina, Ross did not want to accept personal praise. After all, a whole pride of Cavaliers turned in exceptional performances.
“We showed up and did our job. We did what we expected of ourselves,” Ross said.
Ross’s seven catches for 124 yards led all players. It is a statline that, on the surface, is impressive. But a 100-plus yard outing can come in many ways. It could come from a tsunami of short catches, one or two large plays or somewhere in between. Ross earned his by dazzling the home crowd with highlight after highlight.
There was his 46-yard catch-and-run to set up a Cavalier touchdown in the first quarter, a touchdown reception of his own in the second quarter and the magnum opus — the 100-yard kick return touchdown in the third quarter, which tied the record for the longest kick return in program history. And it was one for the ages.
When Ross caught the ball inside Virginia’s own endzone, he knew that he had to hustle. Failing to advance past the 26-yard line on a kickoff would have rendered his return useless. Had he called for a fair catch, the Cavaliers would have started their drive at the 25-yard line. Instead, he chose to return the ball.
The second the ball landed in his hands, Ross only had one destination in mind — Coastal Carolina’s endzone. Ross followed his blockers, made some Chanticleers miss and then hit paydirt, adding another six points to Virginia’s total.
“I give all the credit to those 10 guys [on the kick return blocking team],” Ross said. “I couldn't have done it without them. I trust every one of those 10 with my life. They got the hard part. All I gotta do is catch the ball and run and follow them.”
Another impressive note is that Ross’s 224 all-purpose yards came on just 10 total touches. For comparison, junior Chanticleer quarterback MJ Morris failed to surpass a total of 175 yards despite attempting 36 passes. The credit on Morris’s rough evening goes to Virginia’s defense, but outperforming a quarterback is a highly impressive feat.
“Super excited for [Ross]. He’s a guy that just came here and worked,” Coach Tony Elliott said.
Ross is one of dozens of transfers, a cohort that includes multiple other wide receivers. What’s more, coming from James Madison after spending time at Connecticut, Ross had never played for a team in a Power Four conference.
“I've always been overlooked,” Ross said. “So I love having that chip on my shoulder.”
Over the summer, he sought to catch 500 balls a day — work which has translated into his sensational start to the 2025 season. But for Ross, the ultimate goal of winning a national championship is far more important than how an individual performs in a single game.
“[Ross] doesn’t say much, very quiet,” Elliott said. “He just shows up every day and goes to work.”
Elliott compared Ross’s “we before me” mindset to that of Malik Washington, a former Cavalier who is now the starting slot receiver for the Miami Dolphins of the NFL. A team-first attitude is a core principle Elliott has built his program around.
And, after a career night, Ross only has one thing on his mind — preparing for the NC State game next Saturday.
“You know, you maybe enjoy it for the night, but when Sunday dies down and going into Monday, we just gotta … be able to flip the switch and move on to your next opponent,” Ross said.
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