Virginia got exactly the kind of response it needed on Saturday.
After stumbling against West Virginia a week earlier, the Cavaliers handled Delaware and walked away with a 3-1 record. The win didn’t just stop the skid - it showed up in the numbers, too. Pro Football Focus had Virginia looking sharper on both sides of the ball, with several key players rebounding in a big way.
The cleanest takeaway came at quarterback. Beau Pribula posted a 91.5 PFF grade in 54 snaps, easily the top mark on the team and a strong answer after his uneven outing against West Virginia. Virginia also got useful work from Eli Holstein, who graded at 76.3 over 23 snaps, and Cole Geer, who finished at 60.5 in 10 snaps.
The passing game gave Virginia plenty to like. Lukas Ungar was the highest-graded skill player outside of Pribula at 87.6, though he played just 10 snaps.
Josiah Abdullah turned in an 80.2 on 17 snaps, while Rico Flores Jr. checked in at 79.8 over 31 snaps and Kameron Courtney followed closely at 79.5 across 37 snaps. Those are the kinds of numbers that suggest the Cavaliers had more rhythm than they did a week ago.
Up front, the offensive line also showed signs of recovery. Monroe Mills graded at 78.8 in 64 snaps, McKale Boley came in at 74.1 over 64 snaps, and Ben York posted a 67.4 on 44 snaps.
Makilian Thomas (65.9), Drake Metcalf (65.1), and Cole Surber (60.2) all logged meaningful work as Virginia rotated through the line. The group was better than it had been against West Virginia, which was part of the story of the day.
At running back, Noah Vaughn and Xavier Brown each finished at 63.8 on 17 snaps apiece. Jekail Middlebrook graded at 59.1 in 21 snaps, while Xay Davis had a 51.7 across 32 snaps. The tight ends were mixed, with Connor Cox at 70.3 in 26 snaps, Dakota Twitty at 59.4 in 37, Willem Thurber at 57.5 in 14, and John Rogers at 46.6 in 25.
On defense, Keke Adams stood out with a 91.2 grade in 19 snaps, the best mark on that side of the ball. Anthony Britton followed at 81.2 in 19 snaps.
After that came a solid cluster of contributors: Omillio Agard at 73.7, Maddox Marcellus at 73.4, and Jam Jackson at 72.7. Virginia also got steady work from Brandyn Hillman at 68.8 in 28 snaps and Ethan Minter at 67.8 in 31 snaps.
The front seven had its share of productive outings, too. Landon Danley graded at 68.5 in 20 snaps, Sichan John at 68.1 in 15, Kam Robinson at 65.8 in 27, and Matthew Fobbs-White at 65.5 in 28.
Darrion Henry-Young posted a 66.9 in 16 snaps, while Fischer Camac came in at 66.3 over 30. Jonathan Allen, Justin Townsend, Ezekiel Larry, Billy Koudelka, Gabe Sneed, Cayden Cook-Cash, and Jewett Hayes all logged varying amounts of work and landed in the middle of the pack.
The secondary had a few more bright spots beyond Adams. Josiah Persinger graded at 65.4 in 12 snaps, Patrick Campbell at 64.9 in 13, and Jalen McNair at 64.7 in 10.
Lukas Sanker finished at 58.8 in 10 snaps, Justin Ross at 59.8 in 19, and Donovan Platt at 54.1 in 38. Jacobie Henderson, Evan Ward, Nnanna Anyanwu, Myles Brown, Kevon Gray, and Caleb Hardy rounded out the defensive grades.
The biggest note from the PFF numbers is simple: Virginia looked more like itself. Pribula was back on track, Flores Jr. and Courtney delivered strong receiving performances, and the offensive line steadied after a rougher showing against West Virginia. Defensively, Adams led the way, and Hillman and Minter were both noticeably better than they’d been the week before.
In Other News...
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Florida State is the next one, and for Virginia it feels like the kind of game that can sharpen the path or expose the gaps. If the Cavaliers want to stay in the mix for the ACC title, they need a showing that matches the standard they have spent the season trying to build, especially against a conference landscape that rarely gives anyone much room for error. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Fans Get A Key Chance To Hear From A Breakout Playmaker
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Virginia Fans Now Know When Homecomings Gets A Bigger Stage
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Syracuse has not been a frequent visitor to Charlottesville, which adds a little extra edge to this one beyond the usual conference stakes. The timing also folds into a broader stretch of ACC football that includes updates on Virginia, Florida State and a full list of game times and TV assignments, but for Cavs fans this one stands out as the kind of fall night game that can give Homecomings a different feel. [Read more 🡒]