Virginia’s offense is trying to find its footing again, and coach Tony Elliott isn’t pretending otherwise. The Hoos have dropped three of their past four, but two of those defeats came in games that were still hanging in the balance in the fourth quarter - a 16-13 deficit to then-No. 24 SMU after three quarters, and a late 16-13 lead against Duke.
That has Elliott focused less on overhauling everything and more on cleaning up the details that have swung close games the wrong way.
“We gotta go finish,” Elliott said. “We gotta go win.
We gotta go make the plays to win. and not make the plays to lose, if that makes sense. And it's all positions.
It's coaching as well. Myself, I gotta be better.
Coaches gotta be better. Everybody's gotta be better to go win those games.”
One of the questions hanging over Virginia’s offense is what to do at quarterback, and whether there’s room for backup Eli Holstein to get more involved. Holstein, a transfer from Pittsburgh, has appeared in three games this season and has completed 12 of 18 passes for 180 yards and three touchdowns.
Elliott said he entered the season hoping the Hoos would have multiple chances to use Holstein, but the current state of the offense has made that harder to sort out.
“But then we've kind of got into some spots where we're scrapping, and I don't know if, with everything going on, with where we are offensively, that a two-quarterback system stabilizes it or how it impacts it.”
Even so, Elliott made it clear he likes what he has seen from Holstein in practice and in games.
“But you watch Eli out in practice, and you watch him when he plays, and he gets in there, he rips the ball. So you're seeing his confidence definitely come back.
And he's a great teammate. He brings a real positive energy to the practice field.
I know he's a competitor. I know he'd love to be in there, and if the timing presents itself and the opportunity presents itself, then we'll definitely do that, because he's earned that.”
Elliott added that the situation is not simple, but he is encouraged by the way Holstein has handled his role.
“It’s a complicated deal. But in fairness to [Holstein], he's done everything we've asked him to do, and I'm excited about the future for him. And I'm hoping we can get this thing rolling right so we can get back to kind of how we were early in the season where both of those guys are getting an opportunity to play.”
At the same time, Elliott knows the frustration outside the program is real. Fans, he said, “might not like the way that we're operating right now,” but he doesn’t believe a wholesale change is the answer.
“We’re not far off,” Elliott said. “If we go and we try to change everything, that's not going to solve the problem, either.
We’ve got to push through, get better in the areas that we can. We’ve got TO go make the routine plays, because we're finding the numbers and the angles, and then we’ve got to protect better so that the quarterback can get to his progression.”
Virginia also announced its permanent captains, as voted on by the players: Noah Josey, Maddox Marcellu3, dakota_twitty and Dsparks115.
In Other News...
Virginias Toughest Early Question Could Decide Close Games
Virginia opens with a slate that should tell us a lot about where this roster stands after losing several key pieces from last season. The Cavaliers still have enough continuity to avoid a total reset, with starters back alongside newcomers who are expected to matter right away, but the early schedule will force those pieces to come together quickly against ranked opponents.
The bigger question is what Virginia looks like when the game tightens and the offense has to produce under pressure. Thijs De Ridder and Chance Mallory are projected to drive much of the scoring load, and the way they handle those possessions could define a lot of close finishes. Around them, Sam Lewis, Jurian Dixon and Christian Harmon are also in the mix to handle important shots and decisions, which gives Tony Bennett options but also leaves the Cavs with a race to see who emerges when the margin gets thin. [Read more 🡒]
Tony Elliott Sends Clear Message As Virginia Offense Keeps Slipping
Virginias offense has hit a rough patch at just the wrong time, and Tony Elliott is making it clear he does not see a quick-fix reset coming. The Cavaliers have dropped three of their last four games, and the production has sagged enough to prompt questions about personnel and play-calling, especially with Beau Pribula under center and Des Kitchings handling the offense.
Elliott pushed back on the idea of shaking up the structure, instead pointing to the full picture around the quarterback rather than placing the burden on one player. He cited the kind of breakdowns that can turn a drive sideways, including drops, protection issues and execution lapses, as the reasons Virginia has had trouble sustaining momentum and finding the rhythm it needs. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Faces Another Ranked Test It Can't Afford To Let Slip
Wake Forest comes into its matchup with Virginia carrying real momentum, and the Cavaliers are running out of room for another slow afternoon. The Demon Deacons have put together a four-game winning streak and have been one of the ACCs more efficient offenses, ranking near the top of the league in scoring and passing. Virginia, meanwhile, has dropped three of its last four and has topped 16 points only once in that stretch, which has left little margin for error against a ranked opponent-caliber test.
For the Cavaliers, the challenge is not just surviving another difficult opponent but finding a cleaner offensive rhythm before the schedule tightens again. Wake Forest has been steady enough to make teams pay for mistakes, while Virginia has spent too much of late trying to claw back into games after inconsistent starts. The matchup gives the Cavaliers a chance to reset some of that, but it also asks the kind of questions that have tripped them up recently. [Read more 🡒]