Three Storylines to Watch For On Saturday In The ACC Championship Game

Virginia punched its ticket to the ACC Championship game after an emphatic 27-7 win over Virginia Tech. The defense was playing at an elite level and only allowed four completions the entire game and 78 yards passing. Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones was held to just 35 rushing yards in the game. It was a dominant all-around victory for the Hoos, who made a statement on Saturday night in primetime.

"Yeah, I think that what it says is, man, we're headed in the right direction. We want to compete for this state, right? We want to be a worthy rival, right? We want to show up and do our part for everybody involved. Not saying that we're going to win every one of them, right? But I don't think you can win anymore until you get that first one, and get that monkey off your back, and to be able to come out and to play well and to win, kind of the way the guys did. I think it makes a statement for 365 days, and that's it. You know, we got to do it all again. So, just because of what happened tonight, it's not going it doesn’t carry over to next year. But I think it gives us confirmation. It gives us motivation. It gives us encouragement, a little bit of validation that we're definitely headed in the right direction to make this a competitive rivalry and make Virginia a program of relevance locally and then also nationally."

Now let’s take a look at key storylines to watch for.

1. Can Virginia finish the job?

latest — Nov 29, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris (4) celebrates with Cavaliers wide receiver Cam Ross (6) on the sidelines after scoring a touchdown against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the third quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Virginia has had one of its most successful seasons in program history and clinched just their second 10-win season in program history. With a lot of success can come complacency or ego, but it feels like the Hoos are locked in on the task at hand. If they defeat Duke, Virginia will be 11-2 and 8-1 in ACC play and would be a lock to make the College Football Playoff as an automatic qualifier. In order to finish the job, the Hoos will need to play well and continue to be a well-balanced attack on offense. They have leaned on J’Mari Taylor and Chandler Morris throughout the season, and it has paid dividends. The offense will need to score points to help the defense and hit on explosive plays down the field. A win would secure its first-ever College Football Playoff berth in program history, and would be big for recruiting for the Hoos moving forward.

2. For the second time this year, can the defense stifle Duke?

Saturday will mark the second time in three games that Virginia will have played Duke. It is tough to play an opponent twice and have the same amount of success both times. Last time out, Virginia shut down the running game for Duke, holding them to just 42 yards rushing in the 34-17 win. Duke was also held to just 213 yards passing. Their star quarterback, Darian Mensah, was 18/35. How were they able to affect the passer so much? The Virginia defense played sticky coverage and got after Mensah in their last outing. The Hoos sacked Mensah four times, and Fisher Camac led Virginia with two sacks. They will need the same type of performance on Saturday in Charlotte to pull off a win against their rival.

3. Which Virginia defensive star will step up?

Last week in the win over Virginia Tech, Maddox Marcellus finished with a team-high nine tackles (three solo), one tackle for loss, one interception, and a half-sack. He was all over the field and stepped up in a big way for the Cavaliers in a home win. With his performance, it makes you think who will be next to step up in the ACC Championship game. Fisher Camac had a dominant performance last time out against Duke, finishing with six tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks. He is certainly a name that can come up big. Another is Daniel Rickert, who has shown a relentless pursuit to get to the quarterback and create negative plays. Devin Neal is a six-year senior and has played the best this season, leading the team with 70 tackles and six passes defensed. Ja’Son Prevard has also been a big presence on the backend and leads the team with three interceptions. He has great ball skills and a knack for making plays in coverage. With so much on the line, it will take a whole team to win, but they will have their stars step up in a major way.

More Virginia Football News:

•Postseason Bowl Projections for Virginia Football After Win Over Virginia Tech

•The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly From Virginia’s Win Over Virginia Tech

•Virginia LB Maddox Marcellus Dazzles In Performance Against Virginia Tech

•PFF Grades And Snap Counts From Virginia's 27-7 Victory Over Rival Virginia Tech