No. 25 Virginia and West Virginia will get back together Saturday night in Charlotte, and the matchup comes with plenty of familiarity even if the rivalry itself has been quiet for years.
The teams meet in the Duke's Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium, the same building where Virginia beat West Virginia 48-22 in the Continental Tire Bowl on Dec. 28, 2002.
That was their most recent showdown. The first meeting came all the way back in 1898, and Virginia owns a 12-10-1 edge.
West Virginia’s last win in the series came in 1981.
Both teams arrive 2-0, and both have done it with convincing scorelines. Virginia has rolled through its first two games by a combined 93-11, including a 59-3 win over Norfolk State last Friday. West Virginia followed a 52-7 victory over UT Martin last Saturday.
The coaches know each other well, even if the rosters do not. Virginia coach Tony Elliott and West Virginia’s Rich Rodriguez crossed paths at Clemson in 2000, when Elliott played wide receiver and Rodriguez was his offensive coordinator.
"I know Coach Rodriguez well ... and he loves to run the ball," Elliott said. "And so we're gonna have our work cut out for us in Charlotte."
That run game has been the engine for West Virginia. The Mountaineers are averaging 5.3 yards per carry and 298.5 rushing yards per game, and they have scored seven rushing touchdowns already.
Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. has thrown only 21 passes, but he also leads the team on the ground with 199 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Cam Cook is right behind him with 194 rushing yards and three scores.
After West Virginia ran for 316 yards against UT Martin, including a 71-yard touchdown run by Hawkins, Rodriguez pointed straight to what has made his team go.
"It starts with the run game," Rodriguez said after West Virginia ran for 316 yards against UT Martin, including a 71-yard touchdown run by Hawkins. "We thought we should be able to run for a few hundred yards. We didn't get as many big runs as I thought we could get."
Virginia’s defense has been stout against the run through two weeks, allowing just 2.4 rushing yards per attempt and 65.5 rushing yards per game in wins over North Carolina State and Norfolk State. The Cavaliers have given up only one rushing touchdown.
That unit got a boost last weekend with the return of senior linebacker Kam Robinson, who had five tackles in his first game back after a season-ending knee injury against Duke last November. Robinson was the runner-up for ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2025.
"I just couldn't wait to get back out there, being the first game in a long time," said Robinson, the runner-up in voting for ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2025. "So being back in Scott (Stadium), I think I was definitely anxious at first, but once the game got on, I got more comfortable."
Virginia’s offense has been sharp as well, with Missouri transfer Beau Pribula completing 21 of 25 passes for 317 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. He also has 102 rushing yards, making him one of three Cavaliers over the 100-yard mark on the ground.
Xay Davis has 120 rushing yards, and Noah Vaughn has 102. Da'Shawn Martin and Jacquon Gibson each have two touchdown catches.
West Virginia’s defense has opened games with authority, not allowing a point in the first half this season. The Mountaineers have also spread the sacks around, with seven different players already recording one.
West Virginia is 2-0 for the first time since 2018, and Rodriguez said his team is stepping into a serious challenge against a ranked opponent.
"Our fans will travel well. Theirs probably will," Rodriguez said.
"Environment should be really fantastic. They're ranked, so it's a great test to see where we're at right now."
In Other News...
Virginia Gets An Early Chance To Prove Something In Charlotte
Virginia gets an early measuring-stick game in Charlotte this week, meeting West Virginia at Bank of America Stadium in the Dukes Mayo Classic with both programs still unbeaten. It is the kind of nonconference showcase that can tell a lot about where a team really stands, and for Tony Elliott and the Cavaliers, the setting adds an extra layer of intrigue. Virginia has talked about its preparation and the value of playing in a venue with this kind of stage, where the margins tend to show up fast.
For the Cavaliers, this is also the first of two scheduled trips to Charlotte against the Mountaineers, which gives the matchup a little more staying power than a one-off neutral-site date. Virginia has reason to want a cleaner showing in Bank of America Stadium this time around, and the meeting arrives early enough in the season to shape how the rest of the schedule is viewed. A win would not settle anything, but it would offer a sharp answer to a basic question Virginia is trying to answer for itself right now. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Faces A Serious Defensive Test Before West Virginia Kickoff
Virginias defense is heading into its next nonconference matchup with a different kind of stress test, one that has Tony Elliott focused on more than just the final score. West Virginia brings an efficient, high-tempo offense that can make a defense work from snap to snap, with quarterback Michael Hawkins and running back Cam Cook both giving the Mountaineers production on the ground and keeping the pace moving.
For a Virginia unit that has looked solid in earlier games, the challenge is about sustaining that level while adjusting to a style that does not give much time to breathe. The Cavaliers are also dealing with a likely defensive tackle injury that adds another layer of uncertainty up front, just as they prepare for an opponent built to press that weakness quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Former Virginia Standouts Are Already Forcing Bigger NFL Roles
Week 1 is hardly enough time to draw sweeping conclusions, but several former Virginia standouts wasted no time making themselves part of the conversation at the next level. Olamide Zaccheaus filled in as Atlantas emergency quarterback and running back, Malik Washington led Miami in targets while also helping on special teams, and Malachi Fields made his NFL debut with the Giants and came away with two catches.
The most intriguing early returns may belong to the players who flashed more than one way to help. Jonas Sanker led the Saints in tackles and came close to adding a score, while Dontayvion Wicks found the end zone for Philadelphia, a reminder that Virginias recent NFL pipeline is already producing players who can push for bigger jobs. For a program that has spent years trying to turn college production into pro staying power, that kind of first-week impact is a welcome sign. [Read more 🡒]