Virginia is leaning into its home-opener look for Saturday’s week zero meeting with NC State, rolling out white helmets with orange jerseys and pants.
Graduate tight end Dakota Twitty was the face of the Cavaliers’ weekly uniform reveal video, part of the program’s buildup to the matchup in Charlottesville.
The orange-heavy theme fits right into Virginia’s “Paint the Town Orange” celebration. That same branding was used last season for the opener against Coastal Carolina and for a home game against Washington State. This year’s version includes a spirit parade and a pep rally set for Friday at 8 p.m. at Ting Pavilion on the Charlottesville Downtown Mall.
Tony Elliott, along with select players, is scheduled to take part, joined by cheerleaders, the spirit squad and the Cavalier Marching Band.
On the field, the matchup is expected to be tight. Bill Connelly’s SP+ gives Virginia a 52% chance to win, and Noah Teague of SportCLT also sees the Cavaliers coming through in a close one. Teague, who has covered NC State for years, said:
"I mean, the last few times they've played, it's been really, really good close games, and I think we're in for another really close game. I think that Virginia with Tony Elliott has really established themselves, and for me personally, I'm really impressed by them."
"I do think that Virginia wins this 35-31, and you got to give NC State at least one field goal. Dave Doeren loves his field goals."
Elliott said his staff took plenty from last year’s 35-31 loss at NC State, and he believes Saturday’s game will teach this group even more. He also wants to see Virginia finish on the right side of the result.
"Again, this is a group that has a ton of potential, but they haven’t performed together yet," Elliott said. "So we’ve got to try and find out a lot about ourselves, hopefully on the right side of the win-loss column. But win or lose, we’re going to learn a lot about who we are because this is our first time competing together."
NC State coach Dave Doeren also spoke highly of Virginia and called the game in Charlottesville a valuable measuring stick. He said he wants to build the kind of run Virginia put together last season.
With the ACC opener set and the uniforms locked in, Virginia will take the field in orange with a chance to make a statement in front of its home crowd.
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NC States opener against Virginia comes with a little extra edge because the matchup shifted late into a true road game, giving the Cavaliers an early chance to measure themselves against a familiar Atlantic Coast Conference foe. The spotlight will be on how Virginia handles quarterback C.J. Bailey and whether its defense, with Harvey Dyson III as a central figure, can make the Wolfpack work for every yard after an offseason of buildup.
For Virginia, the bigger concern is whether its pass rush can turn the game in its favor early, especially with Matthew Fobbs-White expected to be a disruptive presence off the edge. If the Cavaliers can get heat on Bailey and set the tone up front, they can make a season-opening statement in front of a home crowd, but NC States protection and the rest of the matchup pieces should give this one a sharp edge from the start. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Gets An Early Chance To Prove This Team Is Different
Virginia opens the season with a chance to show whether this group really is built differently, and the matchup does not offer much room for easing in. Tony Elliotts team will face NC State in a setting that immediately tests both the Cavaliers maturity and their ability to handle a familiar ACC hurdle, with a veteran roster and an experienced offensive line giving Virginia a foundation that looked a lot different in recent years.
The Cavaliers believe their depth of experience can help them start on the right foot, especially at home and with a defense that should be a strength. But NC State has been a problem for Virginia, and Elliott still has unfinished business in the matchup, which gives this opener a little extra weight beyond the usual first-game jitters. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Opens With An Early Test That Could Shape The Buzz
Virginia is heading into its season opener with a chance to find out a lot about itself right away, and the matchup with NC State has drawn the kind of preview attention that usually comes with a game carrying more than September weight. Media outlets and podcasts have spent the week breaking down the meeting, which gives the Cavaliers a stage to show whether the early buzz around the program has real substance.
The interest around the opener only adds to the broader spotlight on the program this week, with running back Thomas Q. Jones also back in the conversation through a new docuseries on his football journey. It traces his rise from Big Stone Gap to UVA, then on to the NFL and acting, a reminder of the kind of long-term Virginia stories that still resonate even when the focus is on what comes next in the fall. [Read more 🡒]