VIRGINIA NOTES:
INSIDE SATURDAY’S MATCHUP • Virginia will make its second appearance in the ACC Championship game, its only other appearance coming in 2019 against Clemson, whose co-offensive coordinator was Tony Elliott. • The Cavaliers are amid their second 10-win season in the 136-year history of the program. The only other 10-win campaign came in 1989 under Hall of Fame Coach George Welsh. Current UVA defensive ends coach Chris Slade, the ACC’s all-time leader in sacks, was a first year on the ’89 squad. • The Cavaliers finished 7-1 in the ACC with its lone blemish coming at home against Wake Forest (Nov. 8), a game in which quarterback Chandler Morris exited in the second quarter due to injury. • At 7-1 in the ACC, Virginia matched its best record in league play and marked the first time ever UVA has finished alone atop the league standings. The Cavaliers have never won the league outright, winning shares in 1989 (6-1) and 1995 (7-1) before the ACC title game began determining the league champion in 2005. • Virginia and Duke will play for the second time this season. UVA has not played an opponent twice in one season since defeating Richmond both times in 1906. The other five occasions in which UVA played the same team two times in the same season occurred in the 1890s. • The Cavaliers became bowl-eligible by winning six of their first seven games. The last time Virginia was bowl-eligible was in 2021, when the Fenway Bowl was canceled due to COVID issues. UVA’s last bowl appearance was the 2019 Orange Bowl against Florida. • For the first time since 2019, Virginia appeared in the AP Poll on Sept. 28 after its upset win over then-No. 8 Florida State and has been nationally ranked for 10 consecutive weeks, its longest tenure in the AP Top 25 since 2004. • Virginia returns to Bank of America Stadium for the first time since the 2019 ACC Championship and boasts a 3-1 record in the home of the Carolina Panthers, with wins in the 2018 Belk Bowl and the 2003 & 2004 Continental Tire Bowls. The Cavaliers have played in an NFL Stadium in seven of the last eight seasons, a span that includes a signature win by Elliott over then-No. 23 Pitt last season at Acrisure Stadium (Pittsburgh, Pa.). • Virginia is 4-1 in games away from Scott Stadium this season, and over the past two years owns a 7-4 mark on the road. The Cavaliers have won four straight games away from Charlottesville, including a 34-17 win over Duke (Nov. 15) in Durham.
TOP STORYLINES • Virginia was picked to finish 14th in the league’s preseason media poll and will now compete for its first outright ACC Championship in program history. The Cavaliers were 5-7 last season and its five-win improvement from last season is tied for the fourth best in FBS this year and tied for the best year-to-year improvement in school history (1986-87 & 1892-1893). • Virginia and Duke will play for the second time in 21 days. The Cavaliers never trailed in a dominant 34-17 win in Durham (Nov. 15). The Cavaliers held the Blue Devils to season lows in total offense (255) rushing yards (42), passing yards (213), pass completions (18), points scored (17) and first downs (11). On offense, UVA doubled Duke’s total yardage (540 to 255), led by 133 rushing yards and two touchdowns from Charlotte native J’Mari Taylor. • The Cavalier defense has been dominant in the back half of the season. Over its last five games, all ACC contests, UVA has held opponents to 15.4 points per game. The Cavaliers have forced turnovers in nine of its 12 games this season and are 9-0 this season when forcing at least one turnover. • Led by Taylor, the Cavaliers boast the third-best rushing attack in the ACC, averaging 188.7 yards per game. Taylor won the ACC’s regular season rushing title with 997 yards and is looking for his second-straight 1,000-yard season (1,146 at NC Central in 2024). The Cavaliers haven’t had a 1,000-yard back since Jordan Ellis in 2018, who went over the 1K mark at Bank of America Stadium in the shutout win over South Carolina at the 2018 Belk Bowl.
A WIN FOR THE CAVALIERS WOULD… • Mark Virginia Football’s first-ever outright ACC Championship, including first ACC Championship game victory. • Be UVA’s 11th victory of the season and set the program’s single-season wins record. • Mark Virginia’s largest overall win improvement from year to year in its 136-year history. • Be the program’s 699th all-time win. UVA’s first season of football was 1888. • Give Tony Elliott his seventh ACC championship (2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020) between his tenures as UVA head coach (2022-pres.) and assistant at Clemson (2011-21). • Be Virginia’s seventh victory of the season while ranked in the AP poll. The last time UVA had six or more wins while ranked in the AP top-25 was in 2004, when it was ranked in every game that year. • Mark UVA Athletics’ second ACC team championship this academic year. The Cavalier men’s cross country team won the championship meet – the program’s fifth overall – in Louisville, Ky. on Oct. 31. • Be Virginia Athletics’ 100th ACC team championship since the spring of 2002, the most of any ACC school in that span. • Also be the University’s 158th overall ACC championship. • Be UVA’s fourth all-time at Bank of America Stadium.
UPCOMING MILESTONES • Tailback J’Mari Taylor needs three yards to reach 1,000 for the season. He would become UVA’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Jordan Ellis (1,026) in 2018. • Taylor is also 115 rushing yards shy of 3,000 for his career. • Quarterback Chandler Morris needs 110 rushing yards to reach 1,000 for his career. He is also four carries shy of 200 career rushes. • Receiver Cam Ross needs six receptions to reach 200 for his career. He also needs 41 yards receiving for 500 this season. • Receiver Trell Harris’ next touchdown reception would mark the 10th of his career. • Receiver Jahmal Edrine’s next touchdown reception would mark the 10th of his career. • Defensive end Mitchell Melton needs two sacks for the 10th of his career. • Defensive tackle Jacob Holmes needs 1.0 TFL for the 20th of his career. • Linebacker James Jackson needs seven total tackles to reach 250 for his career, and just two solo tackles to record his 100th. • Safety Antonio Clary needs seven tackles to reach 200 total for his career. He also needs 10 solo tackles to reach No. 100.
Game 11 • Virginia 34, Duke 17 Saturday, Nov. 15 • Durham, N.C./Wallace Wade Stadium Virginia Team Notes • Virginia won its ninth game of the season, the ninth time in program history and first time since 2019 that the Cavaliers have won nine games in a season. • The 9-2 start to the season is the best 11-game start since 2007. • Virginia has won four-straight road games to match a school record set in 1984 and 1990. The Cavaliers finished the regular season 4-1 on the road. • UVA improved to 6-1 in the ACC, the first time UVA has won six of its first seven ACC games since 2007 and only the fourth time ever (1989, 1995, 2007, 2025). • The Cavaliers are assured of at least a 6-2 record in ACC regular-season games for the first time since 2019. That year, UVA went on to face Clemson and Tony Elliott, who at the time served as the Tigers’ offense coordinator, in the ACC championship game. • Virginia tallied its fifth win of the season while ranked in the AP poll (No. 20). The last time UVA had five or more wins while ranked in the AP top-25 was in 2004, when it was ranked in every game that year. • Virginia improved to 42-34 in the all-time series with Duke, which was first contested in 1890. UVA’s 42 wins over the Blue Devils are third-most against any other opponent in program history. The Cavaliers have won nine of the last 10 meetings against Duke. • UVA has totaled at least 30 points in eight games this year, a feat not achieved since the 2021 season. • The Cavaliers started the game with their longest opening drive of the season, which spanned 6:47 and ended with a five-yard touchdown by J’Mari Taylor. • Duke’s first touchdown in the fourth quarter marked the first surrendered by UVA in a play from scrimmage in its last seven quarters of action (123 minutes and 34 seconds). The last touchdown from scrimmage by a UVA opponent was Cal (Nov. 1), which score early in the fourth quarter. • UVA has scored first in 10 of its 11 games and is 9-1 when scoring first this season. • UVA held the Blue Devils to season lows in several categories, including total offense (255) rushing yards (42), passing yards (213), pass completions (18), points scored (17) and first downs (11). • Duke entered Saturday’s game as the No. 4 passing offense (312.9) in the country, while also averaging 35.2 points per game, good for fourth in the ACC and No. 22 in FBS. • The Virginia defense held the Blue Devils to 16 yards of total offense in the first quarter. This is the lowest Duke has had in a quarter this season. • Virginia held Duke to three first-downs in the opening half. Duke is the third UVA opponent to be held to less than five first-downs this season. • Virginia held the Blue Devils to 50 yards of total offense in the first half. Duke is the fifth opponent that UVA has held to under 100 yards in a half this season. • For the sixth time this season, UVA held its opponent to without a touchdown in the first half. • UVA doubled its opponent’s total yardage (540 to 255) for the second time this season (W&M; 700 to 263). Virginia Individual Player Notes • Trell Harris (8 rec, 161 yards, 1 TD) is the first Cavalier wide receiver with at least 150 yards receiving since Malik Washington against Louisville in 2023. Harris’ eight receptions and 161 yards are career bests. • Harris’ third reception of the game, a 29-yard catch in the second quarter, marked the 100th of his career. • J’Mari Taylor (18 rushes, 133 yards 2 TD) has scored at least one rushing TD in 19 of last 22 games dating back to his time at NC Central. Taylor now has 13 touchdowns this season, the most by a Cavalier in a season since Keith Payne had 14 in 2010. Taylor also now has 36 career rushing touchdowns. • Taylor broke a 78-yard TD rush in the third quarter, which is tied for the 11th-longest rush in school history (Alvin Pearman vs. Virginia Tech in 2004). • For the fourth time this season, Taylor rushed for multiple touchdowns. The last UVA player to record four multi-rushing TD games was Brennan Armstrong in 2021. • With Taylor and Harris’ performances, UVA had a 100-yard pass catcher and 100-yard rusher in the same game for the first time since 2023 against William & Mary. Perris Jones (134 yards rushing) and Malik Washington (112 yards receiving) were the last duo to accomplish that feat. • Taylor and Harris combined for a total of 319 all-purpose yards, the most by a Cavalier duo since Keytaon Thompson (151) and Ra’Shaun Henry’s (179) 330 all-purpose yards at Louisville (Oct. 9, 2021). • Chandler Morris (23-35, 316 yards, 2 TD) went over the 300-yard mark for the second time this season (the other was against Stanford, when he had 380) and the 11th time of his career. • Morris’ touchdown pass in the second quarter to Sage Ennis was the 60th touchdown pass of his career. Morris now has 61 career passing TDs. • Fisher Camac (6 tackles, 3 solo, 2 sacks, 2.5 TFL, 1 QBH) is the third Cavalier to record a multi-sack game this season, joining Mitchell Melton (2 vs. Louisville) and Daniel Rickert (2 vs. Stanford). Camac upped his season total to 4.5 and now has 13 career sacks. • On fourth down in the third quarter, defensive end Mitchell Melton recorded a strip sack and recovered his own forced fumble. It was Melton’s third forced fumble this season, which leads the team. Melton is one three Cavaliers in the last 10 years with at least three forced fumbles in a season. Jonas Sanker had three in 2023, and Micah Kiser had five in 2016. • Defensive tackle Jacob Holmes matched his career high of six tackles. Holmes also had one sack and 1.5 tackles for loss. • Cornerback Emmanuel Karnley finished with a career-high three pass break-ups. Karnley also started in Saturday’s game at Durham, his seventh of the season and fifth consecutive start. • With two catches, receiver Jahmal Edrine reached 100 receptions for his career. • Linebacker and team captain James Jackson appeared in his 50th career game. • With 10 points, Will Bettridge (2-2 FG, 4-4 PAT) is now tied for third on UVA’s career scoring list with Gene Mayer (1912-15). Bettridge has 293 career points.
DUKE NOTES:
Duke returns to the ACC Championship Game for the second time in program history and first since 2013. The Blue Devils face No. 16 Virginia for the second time in four weeks with kick set for 8 p.m. on ABC. • The Blue Devils finished 6-2 in league play and claimed six ACC victories for just the fourth time in program history, joining the 1962, 1989 and 2013 squads. • Duke has won the ACC seven times, doing so in 1953, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1989. Duke was named co-champion in 1953, 1955 and 1989. • Virginia leads the all-time series 42-34 as it has won nine of the last 10. Duke has not beaten the Cavaliers since a 38-17 triumph in Durham in 2022. • Duke can set the record for wins in a four-year span in program history with one more triumph. The 2022-25 stretch has already accumulated 33 victories, good for the fourth most in the league over the four years. • Duke quarterback Darian Mensah has thrown for 3,450 yards this season, the second most in a year by a Blue Devil. With his two touchdown passes last Saturday, he broke a tie for the Duke single-season record and now owns the mark with 28. Mensah is also on pace to shatter the school touchdown:interception ratio record as he sits at 7:1. Mensah went the entire ACC regular season without throwing an interception. • Nate Sheppard paces the Blue Devils in rushing yards with 865, the most by a rookie in program history. Sheppard also set the Duke freshman record with his nine rushing scores. The Mandeville, La., product has added 30 receptions to tie for the seventh most by a Duke rookie in program history and the most by a Blue Devil freshman running back.
DUKE-VIRGINIA SERIES >> Saturday’s game will mark the 77th between the two with Virginia leading the series 42-34. The Cavaliers hold a 9-1 edge over the last 10 meetings. >> Duke has topped the Cavaliers just once since 2015, with a 38-17 triumph in Durham in 2022. >> In the last meeting, on November 15, Duke mounted a 14-point rally in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough as the Blue Devils dropped a 34-17 decision to No. 20 Virginia. The Blue Devils trailed 31-3 at the start of the fourth and made it a 31-17 contest with 9:30 to play, but could not close the gap. BLUE DEVILS IN CHARLOTTE >> The ACC Championship Game tilt will be Duke’s third neutral site contest in Charlotte and its first since the 2013 ACC Championship Game versus Florida State. >> Duke faced Cincinnati in the 2012 Belk Bowl as well as Davidson in 1922. SEVEN WINS AND BOWL ELIGIBLE >> The Blue Devils own four consecutive seasons with seven or more victories, a first for the program since a four-year stretch in 1952-53-54-55. >> The Blue Devils are bowl eligible in four consecutive campaigns for the first time since 2012- 13-14-15.
WINS AGAINST BOWL OPPONENTS >> Of Duke’s nine games versus bowl eligible opponents, it captured four victories, defeating NC State, Cal, Clemson and Wake Forest. >> Virginia also downed four bowl eligible foes in Louisville, Washington State, Cal and Duke. >> Among other ACC foes, Miami and NC State also defeated four bowl eligible opponents, Pitt three and Georgia Tech two. >> Duke’s five losses are to teams that combined to go 46-14 (.767), the highest winning percentage within losses among ACC teams with seven or more wins.
ANOTHER STATE TITLE CAPTURED >> Duke captured its second consecutive state title last Saturday. Before sweeping North Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest in 2024, Duke had not beaten each member of the trio in the same season since 2013. >> The victory against Wake Forest last Saturday marked the program’s first time with consecutive state titles since 1961 and 1962, the 21st state crown in school history and just the fourth state title since 1963. >> Diaz is the first Duke football head coach to win the state title in each of his first two seasons.
MANY POINTS IN ACC GAMES >> Duke has reached 45 or more points in four ACC games, lighting up the scoreboard against NC State, at Cal, at Clemson and versus Wake Forest. >> The 49 points versus Wake Forest are the most in a regulation ACC contest for Duke since posting 55 against Pitt on September 21, 2013. >> Since 1996, the Blue Devils have surpassed 45 points in a league game just nine times. >> Since joining the ACC in 1953, Duke has scored 40 or more points in three or more ACC games just twice, in 1994 and 2025. >> Duke won four or more ACC games by 10 or more points for just the sixth time, joining the 1953, 1956, 1957, 1960 and 1989 squads. >> Duke averaged 36.3 points per regular season ACC game, which ranks eighth nationally and fourth among Power Four programs.
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