Rewind: Virginia’s most recent matchup with upcoming ACC football opponents

2026 is the first year the ACC will have a nine-game football schedule — although some teams will still play eight games to honor commitments to non-conference Power Four games. Virginia is set to play nine games, including a streak of eight straight ACC games to end the regular season.

As the Cavaliers prepare to contend for an ACC title and beyond, it is worth revisiting the most recent matchup with those 2026 conference opponents.

NC State: 35-31 L in 2025

Virginia only lost three times in 2025 — to NC State, Wake Forest and Duke. The Wolfpack loss was marked by porous defense, as Hollywood Smothers ran wild and CJ Bailey picked the Cavalier defense apart. Even so, Virginia had a chance to score a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. That chance was snatched away as Chandler Morris threw a game-clinching interception.

The 2026 Cavaliers have a chance at revenge against all three teams they lost to last season, starting with the Wolfpack. However, the game has taken a major shift. Instead of playing in Brazil, the season opener will be in Charlottesville. Smothers is gone — Virginia should be grateful for that — but Bailey is once again under center and looking to do damage. This season opener could be a fun one.

Florida State: 46-38 20T W in 2025

Yes, that game. One of the most memorable victories in program history — a double overtime win complete with a lightning-fast field storm for the ages. It was a consequential game for both teams. Virginia went on to finish atop the ACC standings while Florida State started a four-game losing streak and ultimately failed to qualify for a bowl game.

Now, a highly-anticipated matchup heads to Tallahassee, Fla., where the Seminoles are looking to avenge a season-sinking defeat. However, Florida State will have to prove whether it is going to be a CFP contender or an ACC bottom feeder. There are not many teams in the country with that big of a difference between its ceiling and its floor.

Syracuse: 20-22 L in 2022

It has been a minute since the Cavaliers and Orange have played each other. Last time out, Virginia trailed 16-0 at halftime but fought vigorously in the second half to come within a field goal of victory. Just about every player from the previous matchup won’t play in the 2026 round — Will Bettridge and Daniel Sparks are still around, ever-consistent.

Syracuse is an interesting team. Steve Angelli was quarterbacking them well before his season-ending injury — once he went down, the Orange cratered hard. With Angelli healthy, this could be an interesting matchup.

SMU: 33-7 L in 2024

The 2024 battle was a breezy trouncing by the CFP-bound Mustangs. Their defense, constantly underrated, had its way in Charlottesville. This time around, though, Virginia is also a Playoff contender. This should be a major heavyweight matchup in the ACC.

Miami is a clear-cut ACC title favorite, so this game could very well decide the second spot in the 2026 ACC Championship Game. SMU is once again led by the highly experienced Kevin Jennings at quarterback. He is especially difficult to contain in front of his home crowd in Dallas. This is a must-watch game.

Duke: 27-20 OT L in 2025 ACC Championship Game

A win would have sent the Cavaliers to the College Football Playoff. Instead, it was a heartbreaker for Virginia down in Charlotte. The Blue Devils beat the Cavaliers in a 2025 rematch just weeks after Virginia won easily in Durham, N.C..

This time, the Cavaliers host Duke on a Friday night on ESPN. The game might not mean much for the conference standings — the Blue Devils lost two stars, quarterback Darian Mensah and receiver Cooper Barkate, to Miami this offseason — but this game means a whole lot to Virginia.

Wake Forest: 16-9 L in 2025

This is a result the Cavaliers were highly unsatisfied with. Chandler Morris departed the game early with an injury, leaving backup Daniel Kaelin as the man to keep pace in the CFP race. In the end, it was Virginia’s worst offensive output by a country mile. The Cavaliers failed to score a touchdown. This year, on Halloween, they will hope to strike fear into the Demon Deacons down in Winston-Salem, N.C.

California: 31-21 W in 2025

The Golden Bears are an intriguing program. They were led by Fernando Mendoza in 2024 — before he left for Indiana and won both the national title and Heisman Trophy in 2025. Cal then turned to freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who emerged as a freshman superstar.

Sagapolutele is expected to continue his ascension in 2026, making this a sneakily difficult game. The Cal defense is also expected to rise under the tutelage of new Coach Tosh Lupoi, a defensive expert with experience at Alabama, Oregon and multiple NFL teams.

North Carolina: 17-16 OT W in 2025

They say an ugly win is better than a pretty loss. Well, Virginia’s win over North Carolina last year was as ugly as it gets. A triumphant effort from the Cavalier defense was just enough to topple the Tar Heels — North Carolina was mere inches away from a clutch touchdown.

Similarly to Florida State, the Tar Heels have a very low floor. North Carolina is now quarterbacked by Billy Edwards, a senior who has just one season with over 350 passing yards. He has often been injured and lost multiple battles to be a starter. Heading back to Charlottesville, The South’s Oldest Rivalry could end up having a score difference of multiple touchdowns this time.

Virginia Tech: 27-7 W in 2025

Yes, that subheading is correct — the Cavaliers did in fact beat the Hokies last year. It has not happened very often. 2025 was the third time Virginia beat Virginia Tech this century. It was a flat-out domination in which the Hokies barely crossed midfield and the Cavalier offense faced little difficulty from the opposition.

In 2026, the rivalry returns to Blacksburg, Va. — a place Virginia has not won since 1998. Lane Stadium is always rocking and it will certainly be extra raucous for the final game of the regular season between bitter rivals.

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