Virginia will get an afternoon slot for its Halloween trip to Wake Forest, with the ACC announcing Monday that the Cavaliers and the 17th-ranked Demon Deacons will kick off at 3:45 p.m. on Oct. 31.
The broadcast will be handled by either ESPN or ESPN2, though that call will come after this weekend’s games.
Wake Forest enters the matchup at 6-1 and 4-1 in the ACC, riding a four-game winning streak. The last three have come with plenty of room to spare: 57-3 over Stanford, 38-14 over NC State and 41-7 against California. The Demon Deacons are No. 17 in the Associated Press poll and No. 19 in the coaches poll.
Virginia knows exactly what Wake Forest can do. The Deacons were the Cavaliers’ only regular-season ACC loss a year ago, a 16-9 result in Charlottesville. In that game, Virginia lost starting quarterback Chandler Morris to a concussion early and failed to reach the end zone for the first time in 2025.
This year’s Wake Forest attack runs through quarterback Gio Lopez and receiver Carlos Hernandez. Lopez, who bounced back after a difficult season at North Carolina last year, has completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 1,947 yards and 17 touchdowns against just one interception. Hernandez has been just as dangerous, ranking third in the ACC with 49 catches and 720 receiving yards, plus four touchdown receptions.
The challenge does not stop there. Wake Forest’s defense is giving up only 19.4 points per game, fifth-best in the conference. The Deacons also will have the advantage of a bye week and home field when Virginia arrives in Winston-Salem, N.C.
The Cavaliers still have plenty in front of them before that date. First comes Duke on Friday night in a nationally televised ESPN game at Scott Stadium, a rematch of the 2025 ACC championship game that Duke won in overtime. Virginia is 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the ACC, and it is hoping to stay on course for bowl eligibility for a second straight season.
The trip to Wake Forest will also be another test away from home. Virginia is still looking for its first road win of the season after losing 38-27 to West Virginia at a neutral site in Charlotte, N.C., then falling at Florida State, 38-7, and at SMU, 23-13.
After Wake Forest, the Cavaliers’ next-to-last road game will be behind them. Virginia still has home dates with California on Nov. 14 and North Carolina on Nov. 21, then closes the regular season at Virginia Tech on Nov.
- Virginia leads the all-time series with Wake Forest, 35-18, including a 31-30 win in Winston-Salem in 2024.
The rivalry dates back to 1889.
In Other News...
Duke's Ground Game Could Decide A Crucial ACC Bounce-Back Spot
After both teams stumbled in Week 7, the Week 8 matchup between Duke and Virginia suddenly carries a little more weight in the ACC race. For the Cavaliers, the concern starts with how well Duke can lean on its most reliable offensive piece, because the Blue Devils have built a balanced attack around one player who drives production on the ground and through the air.
Virginias defense has enough issues already, but the run game has been a particularly vulnerable spot and the numbers point to real trouble if that trend continues. Duke comes in with the stronger offensive profile, so this may come down to whether the Cavaliers can hold up at the line of scrimmage long enough to keep the game from tilting toward a familiar script. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Has A Real Chance To Shake Up Duke In Prime Time
Virginia gets a primetime chance to measure itself against Duke again, this time at Scott Stadium after the two programs met in the 2025 ACC Championship Game. The rematch comes with a different feel from the earlier meeting, because Duke has not looked like the same team after its strong start and has been trying to piece together a new identity after losing a huge chunk of last years roster.
For Virginia, the appeal is obvious: this is the kind of stage where a home crowd can matter and where a confident offense can put pressure on a defense that has had trouble creating takeaways. The Cavaliers have shown an ability to force mistakes, and Dukes recent slide raises the kind of questions that make a late-night ACC matchup feel bigger than a regular-season game. [Read more 🡒]
Tony Elliotts Weekly Show Just Became More Than A Routine Stop
Tony Elliotts weekly radio stop is getting a little more texture this week, with UVA Coachs Corner set for Tuesday, Oct. 20 at Dairy Market in Charlottesville and student-athlete Kam Robinson joining as the guest. The show has long been part of the rhythm around Virginia football, but the setting gives it a more public-facing feel, with Dairy Market continuing as the presenting sponsor and helping keep the conversation rooted in the community.
The bigger shift comes next month, when Coachs Corner moves into a new studio format and begins being video-recorded for the stretch run of football season and on into mens basketball. That change gives the show a broader reach and a more polished presentation, and it also sets up more opportunities for UVA student-athletes to be part of the program, including special appearances planned at Dairy Market down the line. [Read more 🡒]