Quick recap
Virginia led most of the way, but the conservatism on strategy in general and play-calling in the red zone in particular came back to bite Tony Elliott in the ass.
The ‘Hoos lost this one, 19-16.
Scratch that: TE gave this one to Manny Diaz.
The end of first half strategy that we wrote about in the live coverage blog could have been the difference between three points and seven points.
In a game lost by … three points.
Check the live coverage blog below.
I ain’t Monday morning quarterbackin’ here.
Virginia (4-4, 2-3 ACC) had a first down at the Duke 23 with 1:22 to go, and only got three snaps off before Will Bettridge was called out with one second left to kick a 32-yard field goal that sent the Cavaliers into the break up 13-7.
I guarantee you that Elliott, in a couple of minutes, from when I’m writing, will explain that one away to reporters as, well, last week, SMU had 18 seconds left, you know, at the end of the half, and got a field goal, right, so, you know, we didn’t want to leave them any time to work with, right?
UVA had a 17-minute advantage in time of possession, ran 77 plays to Duke’s 50.
But three red zone possessions ending in field goals, and a third quarter with two drives getting inside the Duke 30 ending with a fumble and a missed field goal, that will do you in.
Duke (5-2, 2-2 ACC) tied it with a pair of Gavin Strange field goals, the latter with 8:50 left.
Virginia, on its next possession, worked to a first down at the Duke 11 with 4:35 to go, but a no gain on a first down run, and an intentional grounding on Beau Pribula, left the offense with a third-and-17.
The play-call there: QB keeper, for five yards.
Bettridge put Virginia back on top, but the outcome seemed preordained from there.
Duke used a couple of chunk plays to get the ball to the UVA 28, and went to a trick play – a lateral to tailback Nate Sheppard, who had Brody Keefe so open in the end zone that Keefe had time to call for a fair catch.
There was 1:14 on the clock as Duke took the lead, but Strange left the door open with a shank on the extra-point try.
The two-minute offense leaves a lot to be desired.
Pribula went for 13 on a keeper, then was sacked, forcing the burning of a timeout, ahead of a misfire on second down, and a 7-yard completion to Da’Shawn Martin, who was tackled inbounds, burning another TO.
Fourth-and-13, Duke rushed four and dropped seven, and Pribula, as is his wont, created pressure, and flung the ball to deep center, with no Virginia receiver in the vicinity.
Duke’s Patrick Smith-Young pulled down the easy INT, and that was it.
Pribula was 15-of-24 for 158 yards – which works out to 6.6 yards per attempt.
He was 3-of-9 for 74 yards on passes that traveled at least 10 yards past the line of scrimmage, which is actually an improvement on his season numbers, though still rather pathetic.
Jekail Middlebrook looked like a pro tonight: 117 yards on 24 rushing attempts, and the lone UVA TD of the night.
Punter Daniel Sparks is not human: he averaged 56.2 yards on his five punts, with four going 50+.
Dog abuser Solomon Beebe got a touch at tailback and had a 23-yard kick return.
Shame on everybody involved with UVA Athletics for him being on the field.
Game details
Duke at Virginia | 7 p.m. ET
- Series: Virginia leads series, 42-35
- Last meeting: Duke, 27-20 (2025 ACC Football Championship Game)
- TV: ESPN
- SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 84 / SiriusXM 258
- SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 84 / SiriusXM 258
Pregame coverage
- First look: UVA Football faces ACC’s #2 defense with Duke coming to town
- UVA Football: Does the revised outlook for the 2026 season get us to six wins?
- UVA Football: Elliott, standing by his man at QB, tosses us another word salad
- UVA Football: Tony Elliott waxes poetic, philosophic on why his team stinks
- UVA Football: Did Solomon Beebe get on the field last week at SMU?
- UVA Football: Update on the injury list, with notes on key guys who are ‘out,’ ‘doubtful’
- Rape, abduction charges against former UVA Football player Jahmal Edrine dismissed
- UVA Football: What the now-dismissed Jahmal Edrine case did to the 2026 season
Game coverage
Update: 7:12 p.m. Here we go again
Virginia got a first down on its first play, then stalled – no gain on a pass to the tight end with the wideout open on the second level for a 15-yard gain, then a QB run for a yard, then a incomplete pass on a deep ball.
The punt went to the Duke 7, but Lukas Sanker tackled the returner after he’d signaled fair catch.
Duke drive: 4 plays, 78 yards.
Nate Sheppard between the tackles 32 yards for the score.
In sum:
- offense was what it’s been
- dumb play gives Duke 15 yards
- porous defense
Duke 7-0, 10:59/1st
Update: 7:19 p.m. The QB stepped up into that sack
I didn’t see the sack on third down live, because I was watching the slot receiver streak across the middle of the defense uncovered, and wondering why the ball didn’t go his way.
It was because, per the TV replay here in the booth, Beau Pribula stepped up into a clean pocket and into the sack, with his right guard doing a fair job blocking his guy.
But TE will tell us after the game that wasn’t on the QB.
?
Update: 7:36 p.m. Virginia is on the board
Nice 80-yard drive. Two big plays: a 20-yard run (with a 15-yard facemask tacked on) from Jekail Middlebrook; a 27-yard pass (24 yards in the air) to John Rogers.
Middlebrook scored on fourth-and-goal at the 1.
Game tied at 7-7, 3:05/1st
Update: 7:42 p.m. That hurry-up crap never works
We’re at the end of 1, after a third-and-2 run at the UVA 38 gained a yard.
I wish there was hard data on this, but …
Seems to me that whenever the offense does that hurry-up crap and then runs the ball, it goes for a yard or less.
That seems to be a Des Special.
Please, gawd, rip that page out of the playbook.
Update: 7:56 p.m. UVA goes on top, but leaves points off the board
Drive stalls inside the 5. Puzzling play call on third-and-goal from the 5, off-tackle run that went for a yard.
The second-and-goal from the 8 was also interesting: a drag route to Da’Shawn Martin to the boundary, so, an extra defender.
If the ball is on the other hashmark, he has a chance to outrun the corner.
Short field goal from Will Bettridge.
Virginia 10-7, 9:06/2nd
Update: 8:11 p.m. Gave that one away
Good field position, and then …
Plus territory, second-and-6 from the Duke 46, check to a pitch to the left, to the boundary, no room to run, gain of 1.
Third down, Pribula on a keeper, runs between the tackles, no gain.
Just bad.
Update: 8:14 p.m. Duke is running its backup QB
Dan Mahan is in because QB1 Walker Eget injured his throwing hand on the first drive.
So, Duke just ran Mahan on a keeper, and he got absolutely blown up by Christian Ellis.
Not the best game management there.
Update: 8:26 p.m. Three?
Virginia had first-and-10 at the Duke 23 with 1:22 on the clock.
Run for 6 yards on first down.
Next snap: 46 seconds on the clock.
Run for a yard on second down.
Next snap: 15 seconds on the clock.
Run for two yards on third down.
Field goal good.
Half: Virginia 13-7
Update: 8:54 p.m. Duke gets three back
The strategy at the end of the first half looks particularly good now.
Eget is back in for Duke, and he led the offense on an 8-play, 41-yard drive.
Stalled out at the UVA 22, but Gavin Strange was good from 39.
Virginia 13-10, 12:22/3rd
Update: 9:02 p.m. Fumble
I mean, they’ve gone with the one-read passing game that I suggested, and it’s largely working.
Except when the QB pulls the ball down after his one read, gains a couple of yards, and fumbles.
Whoopsie.
Update: 9:18 p.m. No good
Will Bettridge misses from 48.
In five years, he has not progressed in any way, shape or form.
That one barely got to the crossbar.
Update: 9:24 p.m. Headed to the fourth
Virginia moved the ball both times it had it in the third, with nothing to show for it, because of the fumble in plus territory, and the missed field goal.
The offense has life for the first time in a while, but 282 yards has resulted in only 13 points, because of the head-scratcher end of first half, and the fumble and missed FG.
Heading into the fourth: Virginia 13-10
Update: 9:48 p.m. Tied
Duke got a big play on the first snap of its possession after a 62-yard Daniel Sparks punt, and despite the drive stalling, Gavin Strange was good from 39 to get us square.
Maddox Marcellus was one-one-one in coverage with the tight end on the big play.
It was a better throw than it was bad coverage.
Game tied at 13-13, 8:50/4th
Update: 9:59 p.m. Just three
Virginia had first-and-10 at the Duke 11. Ended up with three.
This is how you lose games.
Virginia 16-13, 3:00/4th
Update: 10:04 p.m. Fear and loathing
There’s a segment of us watching who expect the worst.
Some watching are hoping for it.
Update: 10:09 p.m. Dear gawd
Nate Sheppard 28-yard TD on the halfback option to Brody Keefe.
Extra point shanked.
Duke 19-16, 1:14/4th
Update: That should be it on the Beau Pribula era
And honestly, should be it for Des Kitchings.
Pribula, on fourth-and-6 at the UVA 42, was pressured, and just threw it up for grabs into the middle of the field.
Pass INT’d, though it didn’t need to be.
Final: Duke 19, Virginia 16
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Chris Graham
