Three Keys to Victory for Virginia Against Virginia Tech

What do the Virginia Cavaliers need to do in order to win their matchup this weekend against Virginia Tech?

Nov 15, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Trell Harris (11) celebrates a touchdown against the Duke Blue Devils in the third quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

The Virginia Cavaliers will be tested this weekend as they enter their regular-season finale against Virginia Tech. Although the Cavaliers are projected to win, they will need to ensure that they are checking off three boxes throughout the game if they want to remain in the ACC race.

With the contest just a few days away, here are three keys to victory that the Cavaliers will need to nail this Saturday.

Landon Danley Steps Up

Nov 1, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Virginia Cavaliers linebacker Kam Robinson (5) runs back a California Golden Bears quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele pass for a touchdown during the fourth quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

With UVA's junior linebacker Kam Robinson sidelined for the remainder of the season, fellow junior Landon Danley will have his time to shine on the field this weekend. So far this year, Danley has piled up 34 tackles, and now that he has the opportunity to gain more playing time, he is likely to see an uptick in this number. Robinson's absence is bound to leave a noticeable hole in the defense, but Danley is more than capable of pulling the weight. During head coach Tony Elliott's press conference on Tuesday, he stated:

"You saw the last game he played versus Duke. He went right in there, ended up, I think, leading us in tackles or being tied for leading tackles in the game, coming in a reserve role. So it slowed down for him. He understands the process of preparation throughout the course of the week. His keys are becoming a little bit more known to him in terms of you're out there, you're trying to figure everything out. There's a lot of eye discipline that it takes, and you've seen the maturity and the growth from that standpoint..."

UVA Must Heat Up Quickly

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

The last time the Cavaliers were coming off a bye week, their performance was a slow burn. However, with so much at stake this weekend, they can't afford to take their time increasing momentum. They have one final shot at competing in the ACC Championship, and one error could cost them their chances of reaching the CFP entirely. As Elliott explained:

"I wanted to recover and rest a little bit and get back some of the guys that were banged up so we could get ready to go. I wanted to focus on eliminating as many distractions as we can as we come into this stretch of our season so that we can build off olast game performance and see can we put together our best four quarters and then get a good plan Together get a little bit of a head start on on (Virginia) Tech because you usually don't have a bye week this late in the season before before the last game. So it was a great opportunity to rest, recover, get a head start and reset our focus on where it needs to be."

Preventing Virginia Tech's Run Game

Nov 15, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers linebacker Landon Danley (32) tackles Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) during the first quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Elliott described the Hokies as a "well-coordinated" bunch who will "find a way to run the ball." It's imperative that the Cavaliers keep this in mind. This will put UVA's defense to the test, but Elliott doesn't seem too frazzled by what's to come.

During the Cavaliers' last matchup against Duke, their defensive unit really stepped up and meshed well on the field. Combine that with an offense that's starting to connect again, and UVA stands a strong chance of coming out on top.