Biggest Takeaways from Virginia's Road Victory vs California

Virginia won their seventh consecutive game today by taking down Cal 31-21 on the road

Nov 1, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris (4) throws a pass during warmups before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Virginia went west and handled business. A 31–21 win built on 194 rushing yards to Cal’s 8, 10 of 19 on third down, and a pick six from the defense. Chandler Morris was efficient, the line kept him clean, and the front erased the run. It was not spotless — five penalties, a missed 48-yarder, a failed fake, a short punt, and the secondary giving up too many chunk throws — but the core formula traveled and held up for four quarters.

1) The Trenches and Situational Football Carried the Night

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

Virginia won this game where it usually travels best: up front and on money downs. The offense posted 456 total yards to Cal’s 263 and owned the ground game 194–8. That run/pass balance (44 rushes, 36 throws) kept the script friendly for Chandler Morris, who went 24-of-36 for 262 yards (67%) with no turnovers. The early-down consistency showed up in third down: 10-for-19 with an average of 5.4 yards to go, while Cal went 3-for-12 and faced 7.5 on average.

Explosives were timely, not reckless: Virginia stacked 13 plays of 10+ (rush) or 15+ (pass) for 246 yards — 5 through the air (124) and 8 on the ground (122). The biggest: Eli Wood’s 38-yard shot after crossing midfield, Sage Ennis for 25 on 3rd-and-2, and Cam Ross for 26 on 3rd-and-6 late. On the ground, J’Mari Taylor’s 25-yard TD on 3rd-and-6, a 15-yard blast to the Cal 5, and the 19-yard closer in the fourth framed the identity; Morris added scrambles of 18, 13, and 11 to extend drives. Virginia finished with 23 first downs, split between run and pass, and controlled the ball for 35:24. That’s the blueprint: run efficiency + pass protection + third-down poise.

2) Run Defense was Good, but the Secondary Leaked Chunk Plays

The front seven absolutely choked out the run — Cal had one explosive carry (18 yards) and finished with 8 net rushing yards on 25 attempts. Virginia logged 5 TFLs and 3 sacks (-29), constantly forcing long-yardage. But the pass defense was not clean. Cal still threw for 255 yards, averaged 12.8 per completion, and hit 7 explosive passes for 165 yards. The damage wasn’t just stat-padding; it came at bad times and field positions. A 42-yard trick pass set up a touchdown, a 24-yard completion drove the ball to the UVA 1, and a 30-yard strike on 3rd-and-4 from Cal’s own 9 flipped the field when Virginia could have pinned the Bears deep. Even on the final series, Cal popped 18 on 3rd-and-19.

Trond Grizzell (8 for 80) was a persistent underneath/outs threat, Jacob De Jesus (49 yards) burned Virginia twice late, and Kendrick Raphael added 66 receiving, including the gadget TD. Yes, the group still produced two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown for 7 points off turnovers) and notched 5 pass breakups, which mattered. But the coverage spacing and eye discipline weren’t where they need to be; too many free releases and late closes turned routine downs into explosives. Bottom line: the front did its job, the secondary won the turnover battle, but UVA can’t keep giving up 7 explosive completions and expect November to be comfortable. Clean up leverage on the perimeter, plaster scramble-drill routes, and finish at the catch point.

3) Penalties and Special teams were Erratic and Costly

This was closer than the yardage suggests, thanks to self-inflicted stuff. Virginia was flagged 5 times for 41 yards (Cal 3 for 11). Those whistles stalled promising drives and extended one Cal series that should’ve died. Special teams were a roller coaster. Will Bettridge hit from 26 but missed from 48 at the halftime horn. There was a failed fake kick that burned points and a short punt in UVA territory that handed Cal a short field. Daniel Sparks still averaged 42.8 on five punts with two inside the 20, and Cam Ross steadied field position with 41 punt-return yards plus a 24-yard kick return on a 124 all-purpose night, but the volatility was absolute.

Red zone tells the same story: UVA 3-for-5 (17 points) with two empty trips, Cal 2-for-2. The good news is that Virginia’s complementary ball covered the leaks — the offense answered with long, clock-draining possessions, and the defense cashed a takeaway for six to restore the cushion. The fix is straightforward: trim the penalties from 5/41 into something cleaner, shelve the gadget kick when you already own the trenches, and convert 3-of-5 in the red area into 4-of-5. Do that, and this turns from a solid cross-country win into a no-doubt cruise.