Tony Elliott Believes His Offense Can Win the Battle Against Stanford's Solid Defense

UVA is getting key players back from injury as the offensive unit continues to gel in Week Four

Aug 30, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott looks on from the field during the second quarter against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

UVA head coach Tony Elliott spoke with the media on Tuesday ahead of this weekend's matchup against Stanford. Elliott emphasized how he believes his strong offensive unit will only continue to improve as the 2025 season continues.

Offensive Line Development In Face of Injuries

Sep 13, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back Harrison Waylee (21) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the William & Mary Tribe during the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Elliott acknowledged the slew of injuries that have hit his offensive line, including veteran starting right tackle Wallace Unamba. Despite some holes opening up, Elliott thinks his entire O-line unit is up to the challenge.

"It's a next man up mentality, and I think credit to Jack Witmer in his development and getting Drake [Metcalf] back from injury was really big, and getting Sipe back as well, being able to fill in. He's still hobbled a little bit with his foot and now his ankle. But the guys have bonded and gelled, and even the guys that are on the sideline right now that aren't playing are being productive. They're engaged, they're involved in the meetings, they're out at practice, and they're being an extra set of eyes to help Coach Heff [Heffernan] with the little things throughout the course of practice. So it's been fun to watch, even though it's a little painful, when a lot of the guys that you thought would be in there are not available."

Slowing Down Stanford's D-Line

Sep 13, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal defensive lineman Clay Patterson (91) before the game against the Boston College Eagles at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Virginia offensive line will have its hands full this week. Stanford's defensive front has shown how disruptive they can be in the run game. The matchup between UVA's efficient run game and Stanford's solid front four should be great to watch. The Cardinals' unit is spearheaded by two-time Ivy League defensive and third-team All-American defensive end Clay Patterson.

"On the defensive side of the ball, 91 [Clay Patterson] is playing at a high level he's a matchup problem for for any interior guy in a one -on -one situation so you got to be smart and how you handle him and I may have to slide in in his direction. Then they do a lot defensively from a structure standpoint to create confusion, and then their second level guys, their linebackers."

A Huge Contributor Back on Defense

Nov 9, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back Desmond Reid (0) runs after a catch against Virginia Cavaliers linebacker Kam Robinson (5) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The offense is not the only unit that has been impacted by early injuries this season. Linebacker Kam Robinson -- one of the most impactful pieces of the UVA defense-- is finally making his return to field.

Robinson missed the first three weeks of the season after suffering a collarbone injury during the first day of full-padded practice this spring camp. The junior backer had a procedure to fix the issue and was forced to sit out the first few games on the UVA schedule.

"The plan was to let him warm up, and last week he practiced with non-contact, so we wanted him to get used to the game day routine since he'd been out for a couple weeks and that's why we allowed him to warm up. You just go watch him play, and he's a very, very fast, very instinctual, violent guy who can run sideline to sideline, so you get a very dynamic athlete back at the linebacker position."

Virginia will see if they can continue to trend in a positive direction on both sides of the ball when they take on Stanford this Saturday at 7:30 PM in Charlottesville.