The Good, Bad and Ugly From UVA's Loss at SMU

Virginia is now 2-2 in ACC play

Oct 17, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; SMU Mustangs wide receiver Yamir Knight (8) returns a kick past Virginia Cavaliers defensive tackle Anthony Britton (55) during the second half at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Virginia fell to 4-3 Saturday, once again sputtering on the road in ACC play. The Cavaliers had their chances but could not generate enough offensive output to steal a win. It was a frustrating performance by a group that has fallen to 2-3 in conference play.

Here is the good, bad and ugly from the 23-13 loss at No. 24 SMU:

The good: Jekail Middlebrook, John Rogers and a few defenders

In the first half, Middlebrook was on pace for a signature outing. He would have ended up with over 150 total yards. Unfortunately, he seldom saw the ball in the second half. That shouldn't negate the fact that he has gotten better and better over the past two games.

Rogers was another offensive highlight. As the superior blocker, he continues to cut into Dakota Twitty's snaps. The latter is supposed to be an elite receiver, but hasn't been for most of the season. Rogers, meanwhile, has been productive out of the flat. He led the team with three catches.

The bad: Beau Pribula, again

Whether by design or by panic, Pribula ran into several tackles for loss. That has been a common theme in each of the Cavaliers' three losses. He also threw for fewer than 150 yards yet again. Pribula has not been able to lead Virginia to offensive success over the past few weeks. This is no longer one bad game — this is how Pribula is going to perform unless there are major changes.

Whether or not Eli Holstein could do better, it is past time to at least see what he brings to the table as a Cavalier. Pribula is not always hurting this offense, but he has not been able to help it escape a streak of poor performances.

The ugly: Play calls and mental errors

Once or twice is a mistake. Several times is a trend. Virginia's trend is that it trips over itself time and time again. A late hit by Billy Koudelka directly led to three SMU points, a drop by Da'Shawn Martin ended the game and the linebackers whiffed on a few textbook tackles.

All of that combined might have had less of an impact than the offensive play calls, though. Des Kitchings inexplicably shifted away from the run game in the second half despite missing two starting wideouts. Pribula could have been put in a better position to succeed had Kitchings adjusted to the Mustangs defense.