Despite the continued growth of Coach Bronco Mendenhall’s program over the last six years, the loss to the Hokies puts Virginia in a precarious position.
A frenzied final few minutes and questionable play-calling led to the Cavaliers’ demise in a heartbreaking Commonwealth Cup defeat.
The “757” — the area code for the Tidewater region of Virginia — has long held a reputation for producing some of the most prolific athletes in both the Commonwealth and the nation.
Both teams have seen some of their top players continue the rivalry in the National Football League.
It seemed like the game was there for the taking for the Cavaliers, but a number of costly mistakes proved to be the difference against the Panthers.
If history is to be on Virginia’s side, then the offense has to be operating at full strength come Nov. 27.
A loss to the heavily-favored Panthers Saturday afternoon would eliminate the Cavaliers from contention for division crown, halting the momentum built up through eight games of the season.
The coaches' trajectories at their respective schools could not have been more different — a fact made plainly obvious by Fuente parting ways with Virginia Tech Tuesday morning.
Blanding graduated from Virginia in 2017 and, after a brief stint in the NFL, now serves as a recruiting scout for the Cavaliers.
Virginia and Virginia Tech have had exciting seasons this year, and as usual the two teams will wrap up their regular-season slates against one another in the Commonwealth Clash.
Virginia fans can donate to The Cavalier Daily’s donation page or @cavdaily on Venmo with the description “rivalry” to help us beat Tech and support volunteer student journalists.
The Cavaliers (6-4, 4-2 ACC) struggled mightily on offense without starting junior quarterback Brennan Armstrong, while the Fighting Irish (9-1) used a balanced offensive attack to remain in control the entire game.
If the Cavaliers are able to keep a balanced offense and pressure Notre Dame's quarterback, they will have a solid shot at taking down the tenth-ranked Fighting Irish.
Between 2003 and 2005, attendance remarkably averaged over 60,000 fans per game, but that number gradually declined for more than a decade before bottoming out in 2017 at less than 40,000.
After putting together a furious rally to take the lead into halftime, the Cavaliers could not sustain the offense needed to match the Cougars, with BYU pulling away in the fourth quarter.
The Cavaliers certainly have a lot to play for going into one of the biggest games of their season.
Virginia fell behind by two touchdowns early but rallied to outscore the Yellow Jackets and survive a late scare.
Currently in Scott Stadium, the University prohibits the band from playing wind instruments in the stands, claiming excessive risk of COVID-19 spread.
Virginia has had the Blue Devils’ number as of late, winning the last six matches before Saturday's clash, and the trend continued on a rainy Charlottesville afternoon to get the Cavaliers one more step towards bowl eligibility.
The Cavaliers (4-2, 2-2 ACC) — beneficiaries of back-to-back missed game-winning field goals from their opponents — are heavy favorites Saturday against a Duke squad many have tabbed as the worst team in the ACC.
