West Virginia’s third game of the season brings a tricky road test, and it comes with a short clock. The Mountaineers head to Charlotte on Saturday to face Virginia at 7:30 p.m. in week three, with the Cavaliers sitting as roughly a 9.5-point favorite depending on the sportsbook. ESPN’s numbers give WVU a 15.9% shot to win.
Virginia has started fast under fifth-year coach Tony Elliott, who owns a 25-26 record since taking over in 2022. His first three seasons produced just 11 wins combined, but last year flipped the script with a school-record 11-win run.
Elliott’s background at Clemson - where he served as offensive coordinator during multiple national championship seasons - also adds a familiar wrinkle here. He was even on the Tigers’ staff back when Rich Rodriguez was there as a player in the early 2000s.
The Cavaliers are 2-0 and ranked No. 25 after blowout wins over Norfolk State and NC State.
Offensively, Virginia is built around transfer quarterback Beau Pribula, who came over from Penn State and Missouri. He’s been efficient and dangerous with his legs, piling up 102 rushing yards while throwing only 25 passes through two games.
When he has been asked to throw, he’s delivered: 21 completions on 25 attempts for 317 yards with a 5-1 touchdown-to-interception line. The bigger challenge Saturday will be whether he can keep that efficiency if the passing load increases.
The backfield is still taking shape. Virginia has used a committee approach, and none of its top three backs checks in above 205 pounds.
Jekail Middlebrook handled most of the work against NC State, while Xay Davis and Noah Vaughn were the standouts against Norfolk State. That makes the pecking order a little cloudy heading into week three, and the hot hand may end up deciding who gets the bulk of the carries.
At receiver, Kameron Courtney has emerged as the name to know, even if the passing volume has been light. The 5-foot-11 junior leads the team with seven targets and has turned them into 47 yards. He’s been used all over the field, but he does most of his damage working the middle.
Virginia’s offense has been humming at 46.5 points per game, powered by a strong offensive line and Pribula’s efficiency. For a West Virginia defense that has already shown some vulnerability, that’s a difficult matchup.
The Cavaliers have been just as sharp on the other side of the ball. They’ve given up only eight points to NC State and three to Norfolk State, and the structure is as important as the production. Virginia plays out of a 4-2-5 but mixes in other looks, and the defensive standout is safety Brandyn Hillman.
Hillman, a transfer from Michigan who started there last season, has been all over the field. In just 65 snaps, he’s posted an 81.9 ProFootballFocus grade, including a 91.0 mark against the run.
He already has three interceptions and a forced fumble, and opposing quarterbacks have had very little success throwing his way - he’s been targeted only four times, with two catches allowed and no touchdowns. Virginia can line him up deep, then move him into the slot or box when needed because of what he brings against the run.
He looks like one of the ACC’s best defensive backs, and Michael Hawkins Jr. will have to keep tabs on him snap after snap.
The Cavaliers also have plenty of edge pressure to work with. Matthew Fobbs-White and Fisher Camac have combined for 15 quarterback pressures, and Nnanna Anyanwu adds another layer as a third-down piece.
Anyanwu has played 42 snaps and earned a 76.8 PFF grade, along with four solo stops. Virginia can rotate those three to keep heat on Hawkins throughout the game.
The numbers tell the rest of the story: Virginia is allowing just 2.38 yards per rush and 3.37 yards per play overall. That sets up a strength-on-strength battle when West Virginia tries to lean on the ground game with Cam Cook and company.
In Other News...
Zac Alley Just Put West Virginias Biggest Defensive Concern On Blast
West Virginias defense spent the week of its recent game under a familiar kind of microscope, and Zac Alley did not dance around the problem afterward. The Mountaineers defensive coordinator pointed straight to communication as the biggest issue, framing it as less about a single bust and more about how consistently the unit handles the basics from snap to snap.
The challenge now is making the defense react with more certainty when offenses shift formations or add motion, which is where Alley said anticipation has to improve. For a group trying to tighten up its execution, the message was clear: the fix starts with cleaner calls, sharper communication and fewer moments where the defense is one step behind. [Read more 🡒]
Backyard Brawl Is Getting A Stage WVU Fans Will Love
Ross Hodge, Wren Baker and a group of West Virginia mens basketball players spent time promoting a new event that should immediately catch the attention of Mountaineer fans with a Pittsburgh tilt. The inaugural Hope Gas Backyard Basketball Classic is set for Dec. 9, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena, and it brings together four Division I programs in one building for a doubleheader that puts the annual rivalry front and center.
For West Virginia, the appeal is obvious: the Backyard Brawl is already one of the sports most charged matchups, and this version gives it a larger showcase alongside Pitt, Duquesne and Robert Morris. Hodge and Baker helping launch the event only adds to the sense that the Mountaineers want to make a statement in a setting their fans will recognize, even if the full shape of the night is still waiting to be seen. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Suddenly Has A D-Line Problem After Darius Wiley Blow
West Virginias defensive line took a major hit just as the season was getting started, with Darius Wiley undergoing successful surgery after the lower-body injury he suffered in the opener against Coastal Carolina. Rich Rodriguez said Wiley is done for the season, and the recovery timeline stretches well beyond the usual month-to-month uncertainty, leaving the Mountaineers without a player they had expected to lean on.
Now the focus shifts to depth, and that is where the concern grows. Emerson Joy, Wilnerson Telemaque and Brandon Caesar are among the players being asked to step forward in Wileys absence, and WVU will need that group to stabilize a front that suddenly looks thinner than planned. How well that reshuffling holds up could shape the early part of the season for a defense that has already absorbed an unwelcome setback. [Read more 🡒]