Virginia Shoots Up A Pair ESPN Rankings After Blowout Win Over Coastal Carolina

Virginia was able to start the season 1-0 on Saturday when they defeated Coastal Carolina 48-7 and now the Cavaliers turn their attention to a non-conference game against NC State on Saturday. The Wolfpack were able to handle East Carolina last Friday night and quarterback CJ Bailey looked really solid in his first start of his sophomore season.

While it was just Coastal Carolina, I get the feeling that how Virginia played has gone overlooked around the country, but a pair of ESPN ranking systems (FPI and SP+) gave Virginia a big boost after the win.

Moving up

Aug 30, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers linebacker Maddox Marcellus (11) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers during the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

While Virginia received a pair of votes for this week's top 25, they made their biggest move in ESPN's FPI and SP+ analytics. Virginia moved up 16 spots to 59th in the SP+ rankings and they are now 50th in FPI. While they still have a ways to go, it is a big move up for the Cavaliers and could be a sign of where the program is trending. They will have a big test this weekend at NC State.

All eyes on NC State

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."

NC State has a new defensive coordinator this season, but Elliott says they are already playing well and will pose a huge challenge to his team:

"It looked like a group that had been playing together for a while, even though it was new pieces. So you got a new structure and then also some new transfers that have come in, but they looked very well coordinated. They were in position all night. They were flying around, playing fast. Looked like they had good communication. The reaction times were really, really good. So they got a bunch of seniors and graduates on the defensive side of the ball. And it looks like they've done a great job of finding the personnel that fit who they are, the style of play. And you can see that those guys look like they've been playing together for a while, as opposed to a new group of new coordinators, new guys coming in. You can see that they've bought in to what they're doing. They look very well coordinated, in position, and guys were flying around, having fun, and look like a really, really tight unit that's already gelled, even after one game."

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

Moving up

All eyes on NC State

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