The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly From Virginia’s Upset Over Duke

The Virginia Cavaliers only have one regular-season game left of their 2025 campaign, so their 34-17 win over Duke this weekend couldn't have come at a better time. UVA is now riding 9-2 overall and 6-1 in the ACC, while Duke has taken on an overall record of 5-5 and stands at 4-2 in conference play.

After UVA's loss to Wake Forest during week eleven, halting their unbelievable winning streak, a win over Duke is exactly what they needed to build back their confidence and inch themselves closer to the ACC Championship Game. Although this was a fairly smooth matchup for the Cavaliers, not everything played out perfectly. With that being said, let's take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly from yesterday's victory.

The Good

A football player in a white uniform and helmet running with a brown football past a player in a bright blue jersey — Nov 15, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarter back Chandler Morris (4) looks for an opening against Duke Blue Devils defensive tackle Aaron Hall (99) during the first quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

- Overall, the best thing to come from this game was that the Cavaliers proved to themselves and fans that they are capable of playing a complete game. Of course, playing into their confidence and ability to play a complete game was the return of veteran quarterback Chandler Morris. It was unclear right up until game day if Morris would be able to play, but fortunately for UVA, he passed concussion protocol and was deemed healthy to compete.

- UVA forced Duke into season lows in multiple categories, including rushing yards (43), passing yards (213), points scored (17) and pass completions (18). Considering that the Blue Devils were projected to win, this is rather shocking.

The Bad

A group of football players in white and navy blue uniforms walking together. — Nov 15, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers defensive end Mitchell Melton (17) reacts after recovering a fumble against the Duke Blue Devils during the third quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

- Although the rate of turnovers has certainly been worse, UVA still clocked a couple of turnovers after two interceptions were thrown.

- Virginia showed signs of what Elliott said not to do, which was getting relaxed. This became apparent during the fourth quarter when the Cavaliers allowed the Blue Devils to score 14 points after warding them off so well during the third. As Elliott put it, "No relaxing on the sideline because, again, that's how football works. You relax for one play, and it could change the entire game."

The Ugly

A football player in a white uniform that says "5" jumping up to catch a brown football in front of two other players — Nov 1, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Virginia Cavaliers linebacker Kam Robinson (5) intercepts a pass intended or California Golden Bears tight end Mason Mini (85) during the fourth quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

- Just as one player enters, another one exits. Junior linebacker was forced to exit the matchup after not being able to play at full speed due to a knee injury. Elliott explained that initially, it was thought that "everything was clean" after getting scans, but he was ultimately shut down after he tried to go in and play. Junior Landon Danley stepped up in his place. Once again, the Cavaliers leaned on their "next man up" mentality to plug the gaps. At the time of this writing, Robinson's injury isn't clear, but this could very well put UVA into quite a predicament for their matchup against Virginia Tech.

More Virginia Football News:

•Predicting Where Virginia Will Be Ranked in This Week’s AP Top 25

•Everything Tony Elliott Said After Virginia's Surprising Upset Over Duke

•Biggest Takeaways From Virginia’s 34–17 Statement Win at Duke

•Virginia vs Duke Live Updates | NCAA Football