It is hard to find a game that meant more to Virginia football than this year’s showdown with Virginia Tech — the Cavaliers (10-2, 7-1) decimated the Hokies (3-9, 2-6 ACC) 27-7 Saturday night, clinching their first trip to the ACC Championship game since 2019.
Saturday’s victory also means Virginia has its first 10-win season since 1989, the second in program history. It means another chance at the program’s first ever sole possession of the ACC Championship title. It means their first real crack at a College Football Playoff berth. It means the Cavaliers’ second victory over their archrival in 20 years. This win means everything.
Recent editions of the Commonwealth Clash have meant something outside of this bitter rivalry, but not like this. In 2023, Virginia Tech entered Scott Stadium needing one victory for eligibility, and in 2024, each school sought to clinch a bowl berth. Virginia was eviscerated in both matchups by a combined score of 92-34.
“I think [the win] gives us confirmation, it gives us motivation, it gives us encouragement,” Elliott said. “A little bit of validation that we’re definitely headed in the right direction to make this a competitive rivalry and make Virginia a program of relevance…”
The Cavaliers took control on Saturday’s first drive when a Hokie pass was tipped errant by senior defensive end Fisher Camac. The altered course of the ball found a destination in the hands of junior linebacker Maddox Marcellus to make it Virginia football. The offense only took a few minutes to capitalize. Fueled by a 26-yard find of senior receiver Trell Harris, Virginia finished their first possession with consecutive direct snaps to Taylor to get them on the board.
The other side of the ball dominated, with a huge sack from Marcellus and multiple pass deflections from a surging secondary. After failing to take advantage of elite play on defense, the offense strung together a run-heavy, five minute, 11-play drive in the second quarter.
Of those 11 plays, graduate running back J’Mari Taylor got the ball on six of them. Four of his touches were rush attempts, one was a short reception that he took an extra nine yards — one was a pass completed to graduate tight end Sage Ennis for a touchdown.
“You gotta keep people honest. They’ve been working on it for a couple of weeks,” Elliott said. “That’s one of those plays you want to try and call it in the right situation.”
Taylor — who now is the proud holder of a 438.4 passer rating — was dominant, accounting for nearly 50 percent of Virginia’s total yards in the first half, while also being responsible for all touchdowns. In the second half, the defense continued their own trouncing of the Hokies, allowing zero yards on Virginia Tech’s first offensive possession, which began with them pinned near their own goal line by the leg of graduate punter Daniel Sparks.
This produced advantageous field position for the offense’s next drive, resulting in a field goal by senior kicker Will Bettridge, who now rises to third all-time on Virginia’s career scoring list.
After a fourth second half stop by the defense where the Hokies failed to gain a first down, graduate quarterback Chandler Morris took over, leading a 12-play drive from Virginia’s own 36, directly contributing 57 yards of his own. The graduate signal caller and team captain capped the drive with an emphatic eight yard rushing yard touchdown for a 24-0 lead to cement Cavalier victory.
Freshman defensive back Caleb Hardy and graduate safety Antonio Clary closed it out on the other side of the ball. Virginia Tech’s fourth second half offensive drive without a first down ended with Hardy forcing a hurried pass by senior Kyron Drones, which was picked off by Clary, the only Cavalier this century to defeat the Hokies twice. Elliott spoke to what this victory means for Clary and other long-tenured players.
“They’re the forefathers of the program, but a lot of times they don’t get to experience the promised land,” Elliott said. “So just a confirmation that they made the right decision to stay when the easy thing was to leave.”
Although over six minutes remained on the clock, the game effectively ended there, and with it, Virginia’s four-year losing streak to their archrivals. Sophomore quarterback Daniel Kaelin entered the game, and before long, the Cavaliers were in victory formation against Virginia Tech for the first time since 2019.
For a spot in the College Football Playoff, Virginia will face Duke in the ACC Championship game Dec. 6 in Charlotte, N.C. The Cavaliers have already faced the Blue Devils once this season — that meeting ended in a 34-17 victory for Virginia.
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