Virginia, coming off a bye week, gets back to the field with a nonconference matchup with Washington State.
The ‘Hoos (5-1, 3-0 ACC) are 16.5-point favorites, but don’t overlook Wazzu (3-3), which played fourth-ranked Ole Miss tough in a 24-21 loss last weekend.
Washington State at #18 UVA | Saturday, 6:30 p.m. | The CW
Series: First Meeting
Line: UVA -17.5
Over/under: 56.5
Projected final score: UVA 37, Washington State 20
Pregame coverage
- UVA vs. Washington State: What UVA Football fans need to know about Wazzu
- UVA Football: No news on Wallace Unamba; updates on other O linemen
- First look: Washington State | Week 8 just got more interesting for the ‘Hoos
First quarter
UVA’s first possession: Three-and-out. Incompletion on a shovel pass on first down. Chandler Morris forced to scramble on second down. Morris high on a pass to Jahmal Edrine on third-and-9.
WSU first possession: Cougars started at their own 22, and quickly moved into plus territory. Zevi Eckhaus connected with Joshua Merritt on a 32-yard TD pass.
Drive: seven plays, 78 yards, 4:02.
Washington State 7, UVA 0, 9:47/1st
Second UVA possession: Another three-and-out. Morris and J’Mari Taylor couldn’t connect on a deep pass on second down.
Good pressure from the WSU defense on third down.
Second WSU possession: Three-and-out. Two false starts on third down helped.
The exchange gives the ball to UVA at its own 41.
Third UVA possession: Quick strike drive. Five plays, 59 yards. Cam Ross scored on a reverse, 19 yards for the score.
A 30-yard pass from Morris to Edrine got thing rolling.
UVA 7, Washington State 7, 4:48/1st
Cam Ross TD
🎃🍬 Trick or treat? @camross07 takes it to the house on a 19-yard end-around, his first career rushing TD!
📺 The CW pic.twitter.com/fXprYl0tw1
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) October 18, 2025
INT: Donavon Platt in plus territory on the first play from scrimmage after the TD.
UVA turnover on downs. Had a third-and-1 at the 31. Tried a deep shot on third down, then stopped on a fourth-down pass.
I don’t mind taking the shot.
Surprised they didn’t just run on fourth down.
Second quarter
Washington State moved the ball into plus territory after the turnover on downs. D got the stop on third-and-8 at the UVA 38.
UVA got one first down, stalled, punt.
This one isn’t playing like a 16.5-point margin game.
Washington State takes the lead. Eight plays, 64 yards, Zevi Eckhaus scored on third-and-goal from the 1.
WSU dominating the stats: 182-91 advantage in total offense.
Washington State 14, UVA 7, 6:35/2nd
Another UVA three-and-out. But on another note, Daniel Sparks with a 65-yard punt.
So, we’ve got that going for us. Which is nice.
Wazzu adds to their lead. Eleven plays, 62 yards, 37-yard field goal by Jack Stevens.
Washington State 17, UVA 7, 35 seconds left in the half.
Refs pick up the flag on an obvious targeting on a pass over the middle to Cam Ross, who was absolutely blown up on a cheap helmet-to-helmet hit under his earhole.
At least they threw that flag. Daniel Sparks was at least run into on the punt, which would have given Virginia a first down.
Whatever.
Halftime recap
Washington State is playing like the ranked team coming off a bye week, and not the team that is on its second cross-country trip in two weeks.
Wazzu has a 252-109 advantage in total offense, and even with a turnover in plus territory, they lead, 17-7.
Chandler Morris is 8-of-15 for 66 yards.
No sacks, just one QB hurry in the statbook, but it feels like he’s been either under duress, or he’s been creating duress for himself.
The run game has been nonexistent, mainly because it’s not been used much – just 10 attempts for 43 yards, the biggest gainer being a trick play, the 19-yard reverse to Cam Ross that went for a TD.
I would assume Ross is out with the cheap shot that he took.
Wazzu gets the ball to start the second half.
Third quarter
Wazzu goes three-and-out, then Virginia gets a 47-yard field goal from Will Bettridge, whose kick barely cleared the bar, which is all it needs to do, I guess.
The drive was stalled out by a tripping penalty on Noah Josey.
Washington State 17, UVA 10, 8:38/3rd
Washington State answers with three. Jack Stevens good from 42.
Biggest thing there: Wazzu ate 6:20 of game time with that drive.
Washington State 20, UVA 10, 2:18/3rd
Three-and-out for Virginia. Hate to say it, folks, but we probably only get the ball two more times, maybe three more, if the D can get a couple of early stops.
Down two scores.
Things need to be perfect from here.
Fourth quarter
97-yard drive: Nine plays. Harrison Waylee scored from a yard out. Three carries for 28 yards on the drive.
Morris was 3-of-3 for 55 yards on the drive.
Washington State 20, UVA 17, 9:45/4th
Harrison Waylee TD
TOUCHDOWN @hwaylee02‼️
His fifth rushing TD of the season caps a 9-play, 97-yard drive 💯
📺 The CW pic.twitter.com/dZ1h0Yc1g1
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) October 19, 2025
UVA started at the Wazzu 35 after an INT, but got stopped on a third-and-short in the red zone.
Will Bettridge was good from 34 to tie it.
UVA 20, Washington State 20, 2:55/4th
Ja’Son Prevard INT
INTERCEPTION @PrevardJa, his third of the year 😤
📺 The CW pic.twitter.com/IfymOsKwPJ
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) October 19, 2025
Wazzu’s returner flubbed the kickoff, started at their own 2.
On third-and-11 at the 1, Kam Robinson tackled the ball carrier in the end zone for a safety.
UVA 22, Washington State 20, 2:41/4th
Safety!
SAFETY, HOOS BACK ON 🔝
📺 The CW pic.twitter.com/eMLN7dCntI
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) October 19, 2025
Virginia picked up a first down with a seven-yard run on third-and-3 by J’Mari Taylor, and was able to run out the clock.
Final: #18 Virginia 22, Washington State 20
Quick recap
Virginia’s defense won this one, holding Washington State to eight total yards in the fourth quarter, as the ‘Hoos scored three times – on a 97-yard TD drive, a short drive set up by an INT leading to a field goal, and a rare game-winning safety, to come back from a 20-10 deficit in posting a 22-20 win.
Harrison Waylee scored from two yards out to cap the 97-yard drive that got the score to 20-17.
Ja’Son Prevard intercepted a Zevi Eckhaus pass on a third-and-2o play – following two false starts on the Cougars’ O line – setting up the offense at the Wazzu 35.
The ensuing drive stalled in the red zone, and Will Bettridge made a nerve-inducing 34-yard field goal to knot the score at 20-20 with 2:55 left.
What happened next is still something I’m sorting out.
What I’m gathering is, one of the Washington State deep men on the kickoff unit called for a fair catch, but a different guy caught the ball, and the result of that was: Wazzu ball at their own 2.
On third-and-11 from the 1, then, Kirby Vorhees took the handoff five yards deep in the end zone – Washington State was in shotgun – and Kam Robinson and Hunter Osborne got to him before he could get back out.
That safety turned out to be the ballgame, after the UVA offense picked up a first down and was able to bleed the clock.
The Virginia offense finished with a season-low 301 yards, and Chandler Morris was a pedestrian 15-of-25 for 179 yards through the air.
The defense, though, came up big in the second half, the fourth quarter, in particular.
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Chris Graham
