Tony Elliott Updates Chandler Morris Status For Saturday's Game vs NC State

Chandler Morris left Saturday's game vs Coastal Carolina with an injury, but appears to be ok

Aug 30, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris (4) catches a snap against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers during the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Virginia started the season 1-0 with their 48-7 win over Coastal Carolina on Saturday, but in the third quarter of the game, starting quarterback Chandler Morris left the game with an injury. It was not believed to be serious and today, UVA head coach Tony Elliott gave an update on Morris during his Tuesday press conference.

Morris appears ready to go

Aug 30, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris (4) throws the ball to Cavaliers wide receiver Jahmal Edrine (7) during the second quarter against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

When asked about Morris today, Elliott gave a short answer about what he expects from his starting quarterback this weekend:

"My expectation is to play his tail off. We're gonna need him, and he was back in practice yesterday in full go. And so my expectation is that he has a great week of prep and he's ready to go and brings his best game."

Virginia head coach Tony Elliott expects QB Chandler Morris to play "his tail off" against NC State.

Elliott also updates the status of LB Kam Robinson.https://t.co/Hf3i84JPxC pic.twitter.com/PQBiNiiyQl

— Jacquie Franciulli (@JacquieFran_) September 2, 2025

Elliott said that he loved the way that Morris played on Saturday:

"Yeah, you just showed maturity was, you know, it took us a couple of drives to really settle in. You got a group of pretty much new guys playing together, but I thought he did a good job of settling in, and once he got settled, he was able to distribute the ball, manage the system, and put together some scoring drives. Loved to see him go down feet first right there, but that's what you love about him is he's such a competitor. He was that close to the goal line, and even down on the field when I got to him, he had a little bit of a sense of humor. He said that wasn't very successful. But he's like, Coach, I was so close, and all I saw was the goal line. So I think we got to see the competitor, but then also we got to see a little bit of the gamesmanship of what he can do as a veteran quarterback."

Elliott has high expectations for their opponent

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

NC State is a tough opponent to play, especially in Raleigh, and Elliott has a lot of respect for Dave Doeren's team:

"Right, the takeaways were discipline. You got to stay disciplined. You're playing against a very good opponent, especially at the end of the game. You got to finish it the right way. And very similar, they're a physical football team, want to run the football. They got an even more dynamic quarterback.

Now they're very similar to what they've always been in the trenches. They're big up front athletic linebackers can run and then they got athletes in the secondary. So it's a typical NC State team. It fits coach (Dave) Doeren's identity and how they approach it. He's a defensive guy and he wants to wants to win up front with the defensive line be physical and then offensively, you know, he wants a he wants an offense that can that can line up put their hand in the dirt and come after you. So that's what you see out of them.

Some really, really good skill guys, too, that can make you, that force you to defend the field vertically and horizontally."

Virginia has a chance to start the season 2-0 if they can beat the Wolfpack on Saturday (12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2),