Virginia will attempt to start replicating last season’s script when it faces Delaware in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday night.
In 2025, the Cavaliers followed a September loss at North Carolina State with a seven-game winning streak that vaulted them to the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The Cavaliers (2-1) hope to kick off a similar stretch Saturday against the Blue Hens (2-1), a Conference USA member that is playing only its second season in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Virginia is coming off a 38-27 loss to West Virginia last Saturday in Charlotte, N.C., a result that knocked the Cavaliers out of the AP Top 25.
“(We have) to look in the mirror and point the finger at ourselves and say, ‘Hey, how are we gonna get better?'” Virginia coach Tony Elliott said. “I’m still excited about the football team that I have. I think we’ve got everything we need, but we will be kind of developed by the way we respond to the adversity.”
Delaware responded to a 35-26 setback at Vanderbilt on Sept. 12 with a 22-14 home victory against Coastal Carolina last Saturday.
Nick Minicucci threw two long touchdown passes to Sean Wilson — 40 and 36 yards — and the Delaware defense shut out the Chanticleers in the second half and recorded a season-high four sacks for the game.
“What really stuck out to me was how well we played together. Our offense, defense, and special teams played fairly clean and played off each other well,” Blue Hens coach Ryan Carty said. “We just believed in each other. There was never a doubt. There was never a time where somebody was worried about the other side of the ball.”
One of the biggest worries for Carty’s squad on Saturday will be stopping the Virginia running game. Five Cavaliers players, including quarterback Beau Pribula, have rushed for more than 100 yards this season, and four have at least one rushing touchdown.
Delaware was limited to 93 rushing yards on 31 carries by Coastal Carolina last week.