Tony Elliott didn’t spend Tuesday’s weekly press conference pretending everything was fine. With Duke coming to Charlottesville on Friday night and Virginia’s bowl hopes hanging in the balance, the Cavaliers’ coach laid out the issues plainly: the offense has stalled after halftime, the defense has had trouble finishing plays, and the margin for error is shrinking fast seven weeks into the 2026 season.
The biggest offensive concern has been quarterback Chandler Pribula’s recent dip. In Virginia’s first four games - three of them victories - Pribula was sharp, completing 66 of 86 passes for 793 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Over his last three starts, though, he has gone 38 for 73 for 418 yards and only two touchdowns, and the Cavaliers have gone 1-2 in those games. Elliott didn’t place the blame on his quarterback and made clear he is not looking to change starters.
“I think it's more been a combination of everything kind of around him than his decision making in particular,” Elliott said. "...
In terms of making the wrong decisions, that hasn't been the case. And it's been more drops and also protection issues."
The run game has been part of the problem, too, even if the numbers don’t look disastrous on paper. Virginia’s top three backs - Jekail Middlebrook, Zay Davis and Xavier Brown - are all averaging better than J'Mari Taylor’s 2025 mark of 4.8 yards per carry, with Middlebrook at 4.9 and both Davis and Brown at 5.2.
But those averages have been boosted by big outings against Norfolk State and Delaware, and the ground attack hasn’t been enough in losses to West Virginia, Florida State and SMU. With Peyton Lewis out injured, the Cavaliers don’t have the same home-run threat they had a year ago.
“We've been able to establish the run,” Elliott said. "We've hit a bunch of singles and maybe double. We haven't hit the home run yet, but it's going to come if we keep working."
Virginia is also still waiting for linebacker Kam Robinson to fully look like the player who earned preseason all-ACC recognition. Robinson tore his ACL against Duke last November, returned in Week 2 against Delaware, and has put up 27 tackles, 3.5 for loss, three quarterback hurries and two passes defended. Elliott said the production has not matched the expectations, but he believes that’s temporary.
“I don't think it was a function of coming back too soon,” Elliott said. "I think now, one, he was playing with a brace for a couple weeks and now he's out of the brace.
So, he's getting back used to that. He's being disruptive, not maybe as productive on the stat sheet as everybody would like him to be.
He's also absorbed a lot more responsibility, too. He's now the Mike backer, right?
And so, he's the green dot guy. He's got to get guys lined up, and he's getting adjusted to that.
And sometimes you see when guys absorb more responsibility, right? It's not that they play a step slower; it's just they got a lot on their plate trying to get everybody else where they need to go.
"And I talked to him about it, matter of fact, yesterday and just say, hey man, let's go now turn it lose, right? I think you've done a good job of getting yourself to a point where you're comfortable with the green dot, communication, the responsibility.
And then also too, we've protected them a little bit; we've subbed them out a little bit more than we have in the past, so he's not playing as many snaps. ... I think now he's starting to get more comfortable to where he could go and play free and play recklessly."
The defense’s overall numbers still look close to last season’s, with Virginia allowing 19.7 points per game compared with 19.6 a year ago and 326 yards per game compared with 310. But Elliott knows those figures are flattering.
Blowout wins over Norfolk State and Delaware, along with the opening rout of NC State, have padded the stats. In the three losses, the Cavaliers have given up more than 400 yards each time.
That means Friday’s matchup turns into a very specific test: slowing Duke running back Nate Sheppard, the ACC’s leading rusher with 820 yards and eight touchdowns. Sheppard went for 97 yards and a score against Virginia in last year’s ACC championship game, and Elliott made it clear tackling has to be the priority.
“Got to tackle, right?” Elliott said.
"We got to tackle and just get guys on the ground, right? And not necessarily try to go for the run defense.
The big hit, clean up our angles, right? And really just understand the importance of getting the ball carrier on the ground, right?
" ... [Sheppard] looks good. So definitely by far, the best back that we've seen all year and probably the best one in the league."
Virginia came into the season with bigger dreams, including a return to the ACC title game and even a shot at the College Football Playoff. That picture has changed, and bowl eligibility is no longer a given. Still, Elliott insisted he hasn’t given up on this team finding its best version down the stretch.
“Last year's team was different, right? They kind of found a way, right?"
Elliott said. "And it wasn't always pretty.
Somebody made a play. Well, this team's built a little bit different, right?
And we're figuring them out, and they're working. And you know, I'm excited to kind of keep progressing, and no better time than right now to get hot, which I think they're capable of doing.
And we got to get healthy."
In Other News...
Virginia Gets Another Shot At Duke With A Bigger Problem Looming
Virginia gets another crack at Duke on Saturday at Scott Stadium, and this one comes with the kind of familiarity that can cut both ways. It will be the third meeting between the programs in 11 months, and while both rosters have changed since last season, there is still plenty of film and memory for Virginias staff to sort through as it prepares for another run at a familiar opponent.
The Cavaliers also have to account for a Duke offense that still leans on Nate Sheppard, one of the most dangerous playmakers in the country. Virginias coaches have talked this week about the ways the teams have changed and the ways they have not, which is what makes this matchup tricky: the faces are different, but the challenge remains awfully recognizable. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Secondary Takes Another Hit Before Pivotal Duke Game
Virginia heads into its ACC matchup with Duke already shorthanded, and the secondary is the biggest concern. The Cavaliers will be without free safety Ethan Minter and 19 other players for Saturdays game, leaving a defensive backfield that is already stretched thin with multiple names either out or questionable, including starting cornerback Omillio Agard.
The trouble doesnt stop there, either, with strong safety Brandyn Hillman among the key defenders dealing with an ankle issue as Virginia tries to patch together the back end of its defense. Duke has its own injury list to manage, but for the Cavaliers the timing is especially difficult, with the matchup carrying real weight and little margin for a depleted secondary to absorb another hit. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Faces One Costly Matchup Problem Against Duke
Virginia heads into its matchup with Duke trying to steady a season that has gone win-loss-win-loss and keep its bowl hopes on track in a game that carries real weight for both sides. The Cavaliers have been solid enough to stay in the conversation, but this one asks a specific question of a defense that has been up and down against the run and will need to be sharper in a conference game with postseason implications hanging over it.
The problem is the Blue Devils bring a backfield threat that can change the shape of the night if Virginia loses control at the line of scrimmage. Duke has leaned on a ground game built around sophomore Sheppard, who has emerged as one of the ACCs most productive runners, and the Cavaliers cannot afford to let the game become a showcase for him. Both teams have taken care of the ball well, which puts even more pressure on Virginia to win the physical battles and avoid giving Duke easy chances to dictate the pace. [Read more 🡒]