Virginia is turning the page quickly after its first loss of the 2026 season, and Tony Elliott made clear Tuesday that the focus is already on Delaware’s trip to Scott Stadium this Saturday.
Elliott said the staff’s film review of the West Virginia game pointed to the kinds of mistakes that can swing a game without revealing any deeper structural problem. Virginia gave up a few key first downs - and a touchdown - on plays West Virginia simply executed well, while a handful of its own miscues also showed up on the tape.
Elliott pointed to moments like biting on a double move and one play call that didn’t fit the situation. But his larger point was that the deciding moments came down to the details.
“When we watch the tape, when you look at it, it's the little things,” Elliott said. “So, staying focused on the little things, you know, things that you preach all the time and the things that they did, right, that created a success that they had early. And then now I think they have an understanding that it's always about the little things and it doesn't matter who you're playing, you got to stay committed to those.”
There was also some encouraging injury news coming out of the week. Left guard Noah Josey, who left Saturday’s game in the second quarter with an ankle issue, was back around the field on Tuesday.
Elliott said Josey was “moving around” at practice Monday and would work back in Tuesday. Receiver Rico Flores Jr. is still working his way back after a hamstring injury and, in Elliott’s words, is “still trying to get his legs underneath him.
“He's been down for several weeks with that hamstring,” Elliott said. “So, really, the first time he was able to test it in a game situation.”
Devon Baxter is also trending in the right direction. Elliott said the shoulder injury has him day-to-day, but he should be okay and is expected to play Saturday.
Elliott opened the press conference by addressing something bigger than football. Saturday’s matchup with Delaware has been designated as UVA Strong Day, and he spoke about what that means for the program.
“It's a big, big day for our program, especially with this staff,” Elliott said. “I think everybody knows what happened back in November of ‘22, and it's something that, as a program, we carry forward every single day.
As I said back then, that we were going to turn tragedy into triumph, and we were not moving on. We were moving forward.
And here we are, almost four years forward. And still, it's a very, very big component of our program.”
Elliott noted that several players still on the roster were part of the 2022 team: Will Bettridge, Noah Josey, McKale Boley, Xavier Brown, Dakota Twitty, Daniel Sparks and Noah Hartsoe.
“And so, my ask, and I don't ask for much, is just, man, we show up and we be UVA Strong for them because at the end of the day they paid the ultimate sacrifice,” Elliott said. “This football team will be prepared to play and understand the significance of this game. I just would hope that everybody would show up and be UVA Strong because, to be honest with you,the expectation that we've created about winning here, a lot of it is a result of what happened then because a bunch of folks, staff and players, decided to stay and to stand in a very difficult time.”
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Virginia Cannot Afford To Treat Delaware Like An Easy Rebound
Virginia heads into its matchup with Delaware trying to turn the page after a loss to West Virginia, and on paper this is the kind of spot where a veteran roster is supposed to steady itself. The Cavaliers have the experience and the expectations to be favored, but this is also the sort of game where edge can disappear fast if a team starts treating it like a routine rebound instead of a real test.
Delaware brings enough offense to make Virginia pay if the focus slips, with a senior quarterback who has been productive again and a group of reliable receivers around him. The Cavaliers are also managing injuries, which adds another layer of urgency as they try to avoid a letdown and keep the game on their terms rather than let an underdog settle in and make it uncomfortable. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Has A Bigger Problem Than Saturdays First Loss
Virginias first loss of the 2026 season came in Charlotte against West Virginia, and the result was only part of the issue for Tony Elliotts team. The Cavaliers arrived with momentum after a strong start, but the setting turned into a reminder that on-field progress does not automatically travel well, especially when a neutral-site game tilts heavily toward the opponents base.
The atmosphere inside the stadium was strikingly one-sided, with the crowd overwhelmingly behind West Virginia instead of the Cavaliers. For Virginia, that creates a problem bigger than a single Saturday setback: if the program wants to keep building on its early success, it has to find a way to bring more of its own support into these road and neutral-site environments where the margin can disappear before the opening kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Gets An Early ACC Reality Check Against Kentucky
The SEC/ACC Challenge will put Virginia on a national stage again when Kentucky comes to town in a meeting that already looks like one of the early measuring-stick games on the calendar. For a Cavaliers team expected to carry high aspirations, it is the kind of matchup that can reveal a lot before conference play starts, especially with a ranked opponent bringing its own size, pace and pressure into the building.
Kentuckys visit also gives Virginia a chance to see how it handles a top-level opponent in a game that matters beyond the box score. Both programs are projected to spend the season near the top of their leagues, so this one should offer an early read on how ready each team is to deal with road-game intensity, adjust on the fly and stand up against strong competition when the spotlight turns brighter. [Read more 🡒]