Three Biggest Questions for Virginia vs Cal

After a bye week, Virginia football returns to action Saturday against Cal at Scott Stadium. The stakes are clear. The Cavaliers cannot afford another red "X" on their resume.

Here are the three biggest questions at hand as Virginia prepares to face the Golden Bears.

Who steps up and earns the right to play?

The Cavaliers have been on the receiving end of some truly crushing losses this year. So, as the roster construction for 2027 begins, auditions are well underway. Underclassmen once buried on the depth chart are going to get chances to play.

At nearly every position, there are promising gems who haven't had enough snaps this season. Look for Xay Davis, Josiah Persinger, Dylan Cope and others to see more snaps against Cal than they have in just about any other game this season.

Is this offense going to score?

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The Cavaliers are averaging 12 points per game over their past three contests. It is a number that is simply unacceptable for any good team. Twelve points per game is what someone would expect from one of the worst units in the country. With that in mind, it was particularly intriguing to hear Coach Tony Elliott say the 51-7 Wake Forest loss was fueled by a few mental errors, and not a total collapse.

That was the Cavaliers' worst margin of defeat since 2013. In a game like that, there is no "small mistakes." There is simply near-total mediocrity.

Luckily for Virginia, the Golden Bears have been one of the ACC's bottomfeeders this season. If there was ever a time to build some momentum, this is it. That's especially true because the Cavaliers need to finish 2-1 to reach a bowl game. That seems unlikely given the prolonged offensive struggles.

What is the program's standard?

It's a fair, prominent and difficult question. Virginia has goals. But does it truly have a standard? If it does, then this extended period of poor play cannot be acceptable. Players and coaches alike need to be seriously held accountable, which results in benching and/or firings.

For now, this question is best answered by beating a subpar Cal team by double digits. As said before, the Cavaliers need to establish momentum ahead of two key rivalry games. If Virginia manages to lose to Cal, it will probably finish 4-8. That's a tremendous shock after an 11-3 campaign. So, what is the standard, and is it going to be clearly enforced?

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