Virginia is in the Top 25 for the first time in six years, but the ‘Hoos (4-1, 2-0 ACC) are road ‘dogs at Louisville (4-0, 1-0 ACC).
I get it. Virginia was 4-1 going into its 2024 game with Louisville, lost in the final two minutes, then skidded all the way to 5-7.
Folks are still skeptical.
Human nature.
#24 Virginia at Louisville | 3:30 p.m. ET
Series: Louisville leads series, 8-5-0
Last meeting: Louisville, 24-20 (2024)
TV: ESPN2
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 121 | SiriusXM 194 | SiriusXM 371
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 371 | SiriusXM 956
Line: Louisville -6.5
Over/under: 62.5
Projected final score: Louisville 34, Virginia 28
Game Notes: Louisville and Virginia renew their ACC rivalry this weekend, with the Cardinals holding an 8-5 edge in the all-time series, including a current three-game winning streak dating back to 2022.
Virginia enters the matchup riding a wave of momentum, ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll — its first appearance since 2019 — following a dramatic double-overtime win over then-No. 8 Florida State. That victory marked the Cavaliers’ highest-ranked home win in the past 20 years.
Offensively, Virginia has been explosive, ranking second in the ACC in total offense (539.6 yards per game), rushing offense (243.4 yards per game), and scoring (45.6 points per game).
Louisville is off to a 4-0 start for the eighth time in the last 23 seasons and is aiming to improve to 5-0 for the second time under head coach Jeff Brohm. The Cardinals have won seven straight games, a streak that is tied for the second-longest among Power 4 teams nationally, trailing only Ohio State and Missouri.
Defensively, Louisville continues to make plays on the back end, recording three interceptions in last week’s win over Pitt. The Cardinals now lead the ACC and rank ninth nationally in total interceptions this season.
Pregame Coverage
- UVA vs. Louisville | What UVA Football fans need to know about the Cardinals
- UVA Football | Feels familiar, with the 4-1 ‘Hoos facing Louisville
- UVA Football | Injury and availability updates for Week 6 at Louisville
- UVA Football | Trap game? Hardly, as ‘Hoos head to Louisville as road ‘dogs
- First look: UVA Football | #24 ‘Hoos set to face Louisville on Saturday
First quarter
First UVA possession: On the second play from scrimmage, Dakota Twitty, blocking on a running play, went down with an apparent leg injury, and is being carted off the field.
Virginia gets a third-down conversion, but stopped short of midfield.
Clev Lubin, who I told you about in the what you need to know about Louisville preview, with the QB pressure on the second third-down effort.
***
TV commercial break: Marks & Harrison trying to get us to sue over dog bites.
***
First Louisville possession: Miller Moss is not getting pressured, and the secondary is laying off in coverage.
Good Louisville drive not only stalls, but blows up.
Ja’Son Prevard with a big tackle to force fourth-and-1 at the UVA 37.
Louisville with a lot of confusion on the play call, snapped it late, Isaac Brown fumbled the pitch, and Donavon Platt with the 61-yard scoop-and-score.
UVA 7, Louisville 0, 6:12/1st
***
That drive by the D was the one big tackle by Ja’Son Prevard, and then Donavon Platt being opportunistic.
***
⚡️ SCOOP & SCORE ⚡️
Donavon Platt recovers a Cardinal fumble and goes 61 yards to the HOUSE‼️
📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/7RQzX1i0PR
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) October 4, 2025
***
Weird first quarter: Louisville scores on the final play of the first quarter, a Miller Moss 1-yard TD run on fourth-and-goal.
Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:12.
The Virginia offense had it once, and ran six plays, to Louisville’s 23.
Score at the end of 1: UVA 7, Louisville 7
***
TV commercial break: Winsome Earle-Sears commercial on trans kids in schools.
The Dems need to go wall-to-wall with Trump/Epstein ads.
That would shut that up.
Second quarter
Long UVA answer: Virginia extended the drive with two third-down conversions and one on fourth down.
Score: 19-yard pass from Chandler Morris to Cam Ross on third-and-10.
Drive: 16 plays, 75 yards, 8:04
UVA 14, Louisville 7, 6:56/2nd
***
.@Chandleram4 👉 @camross07 FOR 6!!
📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/7PHljxxlqw
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) October 4, 2025
***
The defense is lacking: seven plays, 70 yards, too easy.
Chris Bell with the 15-yard TD catch.
Bell: eight catches/eight targets, 130 yards
UVA 14, Louisville 14, 3:26/2nd
***
Louisville has moved the ball into scoring territory on all three of its possessions.
Would be up 17-7 or 21-7 if not for the fumblesix.
***
Offense steps on its dick: False start on third-and-6, then a drop on a screen by J’Mari Taylor, who would have had a first down if he’d hauled that ball in.
Ugh.
Then, Jack Witmer with a horse-collar tackle penalty on the punt return sets Louisville up in plus territory.
***
Louisville kicker Cooper Ranvier, who had been perfect this season, missed badly from 43.
Half: UVA 14, Louisville 14
Third quarter
A stop? Two sacks on Louisville’s first possession, on back-to-back plays – Daniel Rickert and Mitchell Melton.
A punt.
Wow.
***
Sputter: The UVA offense started at midfield, picked up one first down, but a procedure penalty on third down pushed them back, and they had to go for it on fourth-and-10 at the 35, because Will Bettridge has not developed into the kind of kicker to be relied on from 52.
***
Picksix! Miller Moss tried to avoid a sack by trying to get rid of the ball before going down. Oopsie: threw it to Kam Robinson, who ran it back 47 yards for the score.
Horribly dumb play by the fifth-year senior.
UVA 21, Louisville 14, 6:25/3rd
***
Three-and-out for Louisville. Three-and-out for ‘Hoos.
***
Great punt by Eli Slibeck downed at the 1. Three-and-out by the D. UVA offense to start at the plus-40.
***
Two-score lead. Will Bettridge good from, dare I say, 46. The offense is really running on fumes with all the injuries on the O line.
McKale Boley is out. Already had to go without Brady Wilson.
Lots of makeshift stuff.
UVA 24, Louisville 14, 0:27/3rd
***
Trey McDonald tossed on a bogus targeting call on a special-teams, open-field tackle.
Fourth quarter
Another three-and-out for the UVA defense. Mitchell Melton with a sack on second down.
***
Three-and-out for Virginia. Two incomplete passes. Didn’t eat any clock.
***
Chris Bell with an OBJ-like 13-yard TD catch. Louisville goes 55 yards in six plays.
UVA 24, Louisville 21, 9:41/fourth
***
Bell: 11 catches/12 targets, 165 yards, two TDs
UVA offense: 178 total yards, nine first downs
Louisville should be up big in this one.
By my count, it’s either 27-10 or 31-10 Louisville, without the two UVA defensive TDs.
***
The UVA offense got a couple of first downs and ate some clock, but ultimately had to punt.
Louisville gets the ball at its 28, 4:31 to go.
***
Cooper Ranvier good from 50 with 1:08 to go to tie the game at 24.
Wow.
Can’t believe they didn’t go for fourth-and-2.
***
Headed to another OT.
Another year off the end of my life.
Overtime
Louisville, on offense first, had to settle for a short field goal to go up 27-24.
Virginia got a first down on a play-action to backup tight end John Rogers, then Chandler Morris picked seven yards on a scramble on a second-and-8 to get the ball to the Louisville 2.
Morris was injured on the play.
Third down: direct snap to J’Mari Taylor, who went in basically untouched for the 2-yard TD.
Ballgame.
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Chris Graham
