Confidence meter for Virginia vs Delaware: Is this a comfortable win for UVA?

The Cavaliers are coming off of a loss, and another one isn't impossible

Sep 19, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Da'shawn Martin (18) warms up before their game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tonight at 6 p.m., Virginia is back in Scott Stadium for kickoff against Delaware — the latest visitor aiming to hand the Cavaliers their second loss.

However, Virginia has generally performed well against Group of 6 opponents. Its last loss to a non-Power Four team (excluding independent Notre Dame) came in 2023 against James Madison. Before then, it was the 2017 Military Bowl against Navy.

The confidence for a Cavaliers win is not as high as it should be — particularly because Delaware is no ordinary buy game and Virginia's defense is coming off of a porous outing.

Even so, I'll put the confidence meter at a solid eight out of 10.

The Blue Hens have yet to face a quarterback with Beau Pribula's level of experience (as well as rushing talent and passing efficiency), and Scott Stadium is becoming a difficult place to play, particularly in primetime.

Can Virginia avoid an upset?

Vanderbilt wrote off Delaware well before the game began. The Blue Hens ended up giving the SEC hosts a good scare with a 17-14 lead at halftime. Delaware showed it can score in bunches, outscoring the Commodores 17-0 in the second quarter.

Conversely, the Blue Hens experienced a tsuanmi of their own — being outscored 21-0 in the third quarter. Regardless, the final score of 35-26 says a lot about both teams. On defense, Delaware held Vanderbilt scoreless in the second and fourth quarters. Offensively, had Nick Minicucci not tossed a pair of interceptions, the Blue Hens may have even walked out of Nashville with a win in hand.

That game was rather informative about Delaware as a team.

In order to avoid a shocking upset, Virginia must overload pressure on Minicucci, and focus on containing receiver Da'Wain Lofton and running back Jo'Nathan Silver. To earn a win, this is a game that will be won by the Cavaliers defense.

Offensively, Virginia has to adapt to the Blue Hens' exotic looks and varied alignments. Delaware has some strange 2-4-5 lineups that are certainly unorthodox — but Tony Elliott has seen them before in his decades of experience as an offensive coach.

The Cavaliers are favored by 86% (or three-plus scores), but they learned the hard way that odds mean nothing once the ball is kicked into the autumn night. Virginia was favored by nearly 10 points against West Virginia and ended up losing by 11. Tonight, the Cavaliers hope to rekindle a winning streak.