While the result of the Cavaliers’ date with Syracuse last weekend tallied a mark in the win column, the shimmering paint coat of victory chips away quickly once the details of the game come into focus. Previously, the Cavaliers’ defensive struggles were mostly on the ground — 60 percent of the combined 901 yards across losses to West Virginia and Florida State came from rushing — whereas the Syracuse game could be cause for unit-wide concern.
Injuries and poor play left Virginia’s opponent to turn to senior quarterback Amari Odom in their matchup the week prior. When Odom himself got banged up, senior quarterback Malachi Nelson — on his fourth school in as many years — started against the Cavaliers in his stead. Nelson would leave the game with injury in the fourth, himself replaced by fifth-year quarterback Danny Lauter and his zero snaps of previous FBS experience. Despite the extenuating circumstances, the pair combined to throw for 267 yards — over 100 more than the per-game average the Virginia secondary has allowed this season.
The Cavaliers’ offensive struggles were even more pronounced — Virginia was outgained 430 to 288 in total yardage. They lost the time of possession battle by 11 minutes and only converted three of 10 third down opportunities. Fifth-year quarterback Beau Pribula only managed 113 passing yards.
A positive development came from the offensive line — after Pribula was sacked an almost inconceivable 10 times against Florida State, the front only allowed the quarterback to go down once last week. However, in an unfortunate indicator for Virginia’s pass rush, Pribula was sacked the same amount of times as Syracuse’s quarterbacks.
In the midst of arguably their worst four-game stretch since 2024, the Cavaliers must now travel to Dallas and face No. 24 Southern Methodist. The Mustangs’ offense is led by a passer who presents a much greater challenge to the secondary than Nelson or Lauter.
Senior quarterback Kevin Jennings is second in the ACC in passer rating and touchdowns, as well as being third in yards. The last time Jennings faced Virginia in 2024, he completed a staggering 75 percent of his attempts and racked up over 300 passing yards en route to a 33-7 defeat for the Cavaliers.
The lead-up to that matchup saw Coach Tony Elliott’s squad in full free-fall, having lost three of their four matchups in lopsided fashion to conference opponents. They would follow their defeat against the Mustangs with a disastrous loss to Virginia Tech to finish the season having lost six of their final seven games.
This year, they will enter Dallas short-handed, with fourth-year receiver Rico Flores Jr. already ruled out and star fourth-year safety Brandyn Hillman’s status hanging in the balance as a game-time decision.
Should Hillman miss this week’s game, he will join third-year cornerback Omillio Agard — out for season with a ACL tear — and third-year defensive end Devon Baxter — who had shoulder surgery — among the notable absences on defensive coordinator John Rudzinski’s faltering unit, absences which Jennings and the elite Southern Methodist offense could exploit.
Flores remains the only Cavalier to exceed 100 yards receiving in a game, and without him, Virginia’s passing attack — which ranks last in the ACC in yards per game — will have to rely heavily on other, less explosive pass-catchers. No receiver has caught the ball more than 20 times this season thus far, but third-year receivers Kameron Courtney and Da’Shawn Martin will have an opportunity to help the passing offense out of its slump.
In his Tuesday availability this week, Elliott noted the difficulty of playing in the ACC this season and the challenge of their upcoming schedule.
"Just look at our league,” Elliott said. “I don't care what the national narrative is … buddy, buckle up. Every week, because everybody's now got the ability to go build their roster as they see fit.”
A defeat to Southern Methodist could be the cliff the Cavaliers plunge off of — tough matchups with Duke and No. 21 Wake Forest await before their second bye week. Kickoff is slated for noon today.
Read More
No. 19 Virginia field hockey stays composed, topples No. 6 Wake Forest in overtime thriller
By Adair Reid | 1 hours agoOne goal from first year forward Caitlin Connell would tip the scales less than five minutes into overtime to decide the 1-0 score. A ball from the endline lifted into the far post net and just past sophomore keeper Ruby Butterfield would be the first overtime goal scored by a first year in eight years.
Five takeaways from the first two Virginia men’s basketball exhibition showcases
By Jordan Zimm | 18 hours agoWith one more exhibition remaining at Villanova Thursday, here are five takeaways from Virginia’s first two preseason tests.
Virginia volleyball looks to extend historic winning streak to 10 against Virginia Tech
By Jonathan Altshuler | 19 hours agoWhile both teams have struggled recently, Wednesday’s result further strengthened the Cavaliers' advantage in the rivalry — which remains one-sided.
