The good, bad and ugly from Virginia's win over Delaware

The Cavaliers generally passed a test with flying colors

Sep 26, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers safety Keke Adams (21) celebrates after intercepting a pass against the Delaware Blue Hens during the second half at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Victory Sunday has returned for Virginia, once again riding the high of a blowout win at Scott Stadium.

Before delving into this week's preparations for an ACC road trip to Florida State, it is time for a brief reflection of the good, bad and ugly from the Cavaliers' third win of the 2026 season.

The good: Team defense and passing offense

Virginia has played three home games this season. It has allowed exactly three scores. Delaware only completed seven passes. It completed an additional two to Cavaliers safety Keke Adams, if that counts. Virginia locked up a talented Blue Hens offense and suffocated it for 60 minutes.

On the other side of the ball, Beau Pribula had the best outing of his Virginia tenure. He only had four incompletions, while throwing for 279 yards and four touchdowns — plus a rushing touchdown. Pribula was in full control, comfortable and in rhythm for his entire evening. This was a near-perfectly played game for most of the team.

The bad: Virginia's run game, and running backs overall

Despite scoring 42 points, Cavaliers running backs combined to rush for less than 100 yards, and did not score. Virginia averaged just 2.9 yards per carry as no running back ran for more than 30 yards. Additionally, the Cavalier backs were partially responsible for some of the five sacks Virginia gave up. Pass protection was a weak spot Saturday night.

Xay Davis and Jekail Middlebrook each topped 40 total yards when factoring in receiving stats, but even still, it was surprising to see the vaunted stable of running backs play such a minimal role. If anything, Middlebrook should have been a star Saturday given his prolific receiving talent. Pribula was zipping the ball for quick catch-and-runs, so why wasn't the team's No.1 running back, known for speed, more involved?

The ugly: Delaware's entire team

Simply put, the Cavaliers took the Blue Hens to Chick-Fil-A and grilled them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Virginia was in complete command for the entire game, as Delaware only crossed the Cavaliers' 40-yard line once all evening. This was one of the uglier FBS blowouts this season.

The Blue Hens had the same number of punts as completions. For a team that was leading at Vanderbilt at halftime, this was a puzzling embarassment. For Virginia, however, this game proves yet again that Scott Stadium is becoming a formidable fortress for opposing teams to play in.