3 Players Duke Needs to Watch For Against Virginia

Duke needs to have a short memory this week. Another shootout last week, which turned into a 37-34 loss at UConn, halted the momentum of a historic win at Clemson the week prior.

The Blue Devils will have to get back up this week in Durham against No. 19 Virginia to stay alive in the ACC title race.

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) throws a pass against the UConn Huskies in the second half at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Right now, even after a loss, the Blue Devils are in a good position to secure one of the two spots in the conference championship game. Should the Blue Devils win their final three games, they may very well end up in Charlotte.

Virginia was in the driver's seat a week ago, but a surprising loss at home to Wake Forest last week, falling 16-9, makes this week a do-or-die week for their title hopes. With one conference loss, the Cavaliers remain near the top of the standings.

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz watches from the sideline as they take on the UConn Huskies at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

However, five ACC teams, including Duke and Virginia, have one conference loss. That means the conference race is still fairly wide open. But one team's season could potentially end this week.

In terms of the ACC and college football at large, the Blue Devils present an interesting challenge to the College Football Playoff. With a record of 5-4, Duke could still win the ACC and qualify for the College Football Playoff as a conference champion. However, with four losses and being unranked, there is a wild scenario where Duke is still left out in favor of higher-ranked Group of Five champions with fewer losses.

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) and teammates run onto the field for warm up before the start of the game against the UConn Huskies at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

That's all a moot point if Duke doesn't win this week against a scrappy Virginia team. Here are a few Cavaliers to pay attention to on Saturday.

Virginia's Quarterback Situation

Nov 8, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris (4) throws the ball against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the first half at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Virginia's quarterback, Chandler Morris, is questionable this week after leaving last week's game early with a concussion. Morris did not practice on Monday or Tuesday, but coach Tony Elliott still seems optimistic that he could play in Durham. If he can't, sophomore Daniel Kaelin will start.

Let's assume Morris will be able to go this week. He's a veteran talent, with previous stops at Oklahoma, TCU and North Texas. This season with the Cavaliers, he's thrown for 2,088 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. He's also run for 214 yards and four scores.

Oct 18, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott looks on from the sidelines against the Washington State Cougars in the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Morris doesn't have eye-popping numbers, but he's commanded a Virginia offense scoring 33.7 points per game. He's aggressive downfield but smart enough to take what the defense gives him. Facing a Duke unit that has allowed 82 points over the past two weeks, the Cavaliers might get whatever they want.

Nov 8, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Daniel Kaelin (10) runs with the ball against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the first half at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Should Kaelin start, there is a much bigger factor of the unknown to worry about. Kaelin completed 18-of-28 passes for 145 yards in relief against Wake Forest. He also ran six times for 49 yards, so if he plays, the Cavaliers may run a more conservative, run-first offense with the sophomore under center.

RB J'Mari Taylor

Nov 1, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back J'Mari Taylor (3) breaks a big gainer against the California Golden Bears during the second quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

If Virginia does go run-first, J'Mari Taylor is a good option to give the ball to. Taylor has rushed for 784 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. He has been a workhorse for the Cavaliers, touching the ball at least 25 times in his last three games.

Sep 26, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back J'Mari Taylor (3) scores a touchdown against the Florida State Seminoles during the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Standing at just 5-foot-9, Taylor is a smaller and shifty back, catching passes out of the backfield and a threat to make defensive backs miss in the open field. Given the uncertainty for Virginia under center, it's a safe bet to assume that Taylor will play a big role this week.

Duke allows 137.9 rushing yards per game, 12th in the ACC. The Blue Devils had a tough time slowing down the run game against Clemson and UConn during their road trip, and ultimately collapsed against Georgia Tech's ground game in their last game in Durham.

Aug 30, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Elon Phoenix running back TJ Thomas Jr. (20) is stopped on his run by Duke Blue Devils linebacker Tre Freeman (12) during the second half at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | James Guillory-Imagn Images

Taylor isn't afraid of contact either, so he is another big test for the front seven of Duke. Tre Freeman and Jaiden Francois have been around the ball consistently and and Josiah Green just had a monster week against the Huskies, but they have a tough time stopping runs from bouncing outside, and they are vulnerable to missed tackles up the middle.

LB Kam Robinson

Nov 1, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Virginia Cavaliers linebacker Kam Robinson (5) reacts after sacking California Golden Bears quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (not pictured) during the second quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Defensively, the Cavaliers allow 21.6 points per game, which isn't great, but when compared to the Duke defense (29.1 points per game), it's a big difference.

Virginia also does a decent job of stopping the run, allowing 114.6 yards on the ground per game. Duke finally got tailback Nate Sheppard going again last week with a 100-yard day and two scores. Obviously, Duke wants to lean on Darian Mensah and the passing game, but the Blue Devils gave Virginia something to think about.

Nov 1, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Virginia Cavaliers linebacker Kam Robinson (5) runs back a California Golden Bears quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass for a touchdown during the fourth quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Kam Robinson is really good in both areas. He leads Virginia with 64 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and a pass deflection. He plays strongly in the interior running game, but his play in coverage is what could give Duke trouble.

Occasionally, Robinson will shadow quarterbacks and attempt to bat passes over the middle. Mensah does quite a bit of rolling, meaning time could run out for the quarterback quickly with an athletic linebacker running him down and closing space.

The pro for Duke is that Virginia has not seen a passing game as potent as its own, but Robinson could be a unique obstacle for that facet of the game this week.

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