Three Keys to Victory for No. 18 Virginia When They Host Washington State On In Week Eight Game

What do the Cavaliers need to hone in on as they return from the bye week to take on WSU at Scott Stadium?

Oct 4, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott reacts during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Virginia defeated Louisville 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Virginia is fresh off their bye, looking to keep the momentum over the past few weeks that has seen them reach their highest ranking as a program since 2019. Tony Elliott has led the Hoo's to a 5-1 record and a perfect 3-0 mark against ACC opponents, so far this season. Virginia's offense has looked borderline unstoppable this season while their defense has stepped up in clutch moments to lock down opposing offenses.

Let's take a look at some aspects of the game the Hoos need to focus on to secure their sixth win of 2025.

Run The Rock

Oct 4, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back J'Mari Taylor (3) runs the ball past the reach of Louisville Cardinals defensive back JoJo Evans Jr. (27) during the second quarter at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Virginia is already known for their rushing attack that rank amongst the best in the ACC this season. Led by transfer J'Mari Taylor with help from Xavier Brown, Harrison Waylee and Noah Vaughn, the run game has dominated opponents through six games. Quarterback Chandler Morris is also a talented runner, already tying a career-high with four rushing touchdowns this season.

On the other hand, Washington State has one of the worst run defenses in the country this season, allowing 156 yards on the ground per contest. In WSU's three losses this season, the Cougars have done a poor job at stopping the run. Week Three against North Texas saw WSU allow just under 165 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Then they let up 173 yards and three scores to Washington. Finally, last week Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy tallied 142 yards and quarterback Trinidad Chambliss rushed for a score in the WSU loss.

Swallow Up The Run

Washington State's rushing offense is probably worse than their run defense. WSU is averaging 86 rush yards per game, the sixth lowest mark in all of college football. Leading rusher running back Kirby Vorhees has touched the ball just under 50 times for a total of 244 yards and one score. The WSU rusher with the second-most attempts is quarterback Zevi Eckhaus, who is averaging under two yards per attempt.

WSU's 86-yard average is less than a large group of running backs in college football. Just looking at the ACC, NC State running back Hollywood Smothers is averaging over 105 yards per game and Wake Forest's Demond Claiborne is rushing for just under 90 yards per contest. Virginia back J'Mari Taylor's average ranks third in the conference at 78 yards.

Get Ahead Early

Sep 20, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Trell Harris (11) celebrates while scoring a touchdown as Stanford Cardinal safety Mitch Leigber (32) chases during the first quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Virginia has been a first-half team this season. According to Team Rankings, UVA is tied for third most first-half points this season with an average of 23. The Cavaliers are tied with USC and are behind only Texas Tech, Tennessee and Arkansas. Virginia has been able to run up the score early this season against teams like Coastal Carolina, Stanford and William & Mary.

On the other hand, WSU is scoring just 11.8 points per game, ranking 87th in the country, according to Team Rankings. In their losses, the Cougars have also fallen behind early, allowing a lot of points while not scoring in the first haf. WSU allowed 42 points in the first half against North Texas and 28 against Washington through the first two quarters. When the Cougars have found themselves slipping behind good teams, they have not shown they are very capable at climbing out of those holes.