The Shadow
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (VR) – Virginia closed the 2025 regular season with its most complete performance of the Tony Elliott era, rolling past Virginia Tech 27–7 on Saturday night at Scott Stadium. The victory pushed the Cavaliers to 10–2 overall and 7–1 in the ACC, clinching the program’s second-ever berth in the ACC Championship Game and its first appearance since 2019.
Virginia will meet Duke on Dec. 6 in Charlotte with a conference title on the line.
The Cavaliers wasted little time setting the tone, scoring in every quarter and building a 27–0 lead before the Hokies found the end zone on a late fourth-down slant that freshman Shemarius Peterkin turned into a 52-yard touchdown. Virginia Tech managed just 197 yards of offense, four completed passes, and six first downs — the fewest by a UVA opponent since 2004.
Virginia, meanwhile, controlled the night with 380 total yards and more than 200 on the ground. The win marked UVA’s 698th in program history, dating back to its first season in 1888, and capped the Cavaliers’ largest year-to-year improvement since 1987. For the first time, Virginia finished alone atop the ACC standings, and its 7–1 conference record tied the 1995 team for the best in program history. The Cavaliers also matched the single-season school record with their 10th win, joining only the 1989 team in that category. Saturday also delivered a rare second win over Virginia Tech in the past 21 meetings, and it marked the first time UVA held the Hokies to single digits since 1991. The Cavaliers have now won back-to-back matchups played on Nov. 29, mirroring the 2019 victory in Charlottesville.
Elliott improved to 6–0 following bye weeks and became the fastest UVA coach to clinch at least a share of first place in the final ACC standings. Virginia secured six home wins for just the third time in 34 years, and its defense continued its late-season surge — holding its last five opponents to an average of 15.4 points per game.
Linebacker Maddox Marcellus, making his first Virginia start after transferring from Eastern Kentucky, delivered the game of his career. He led all players with nine tackles, added a half sack and a tackle for loss, and grabbed his first interception as a Cavalier — one of two turnovers forced by UVA. Virginia is now 9–0 this season when forcing at least one takeaway.
The Cavaliers’ defense allowed only one offensive touchdown over its last 11 quarters entering play, and it nearly held that mark again until Tech’s late score. The Hokies finished 2-for-14 on third down, running into a unit that entered the weekend ranked third nationally in third-down defense.
Running back J’Mari Taylor continued his standout senior campaign with 80 yards on 20 carries and his 14th touchdown of the season. He ended the night at 997 rushing yards — three short of becoming the ACC’s lone 1,000-yard rusher this fall. Taylor also added a highlight through the air, tossing a one-yard touchdown pass to Sage Ennis in the second quarter. He became the first UVA non-quarterback to throw a touchdown pass since 2015 and the first ACC running back to record both a passing and rushing touchdown in the same game since 2021.
Quarterback Chandler Morris added a rushing touchdown — his fifth of the year — while Kam Courtney set a career high with six receptions for 50 yards.
Kicker Will Bettridge went 2-for-2 on field goals and 3-for-3 on extra points, moving into sole possession of third place on UVA’s all-time scoring list with 302 career points.
With the win, Virginia picked up one point in the Commonwealth Clash presented by Smithfield, extending its lead to 5.5–0.5. Virginia now turns its attention to Charlotte, where a season built on steady improvement and defensive resurgence meets its biggest test yet — a chance to bring home the program’s first ACC title.
