The UVA Football program is hosting the biggest game in Scott Stadium maybe ever, certainly in the past 20 years.
The #12 ‘Hoos (8-1, 5-0 ACC) face Wake Forest (5-3, 2-3 ACC) with the chance to maintain control of their destiny toward a berth in the ACC Championship Game.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. ET. The game is being broadcast on ESPN.
ACC Network will be broadcasting its “ACC Huddle” pregame show from Scott Stadium beginning at 10 a.m. ET.
Pregame Coverage
- In Depth: What UVA Football fans need to know about Wake Forest
- Can UVA Football draw 60,000 fans to Scott Stadium on Saturday night?
- UVA Football: Offensive line being held together by spit and tape
- UVA Football: ‘Hoos ranked 14th in initial College Football Playoff Top 25
Game Notes
Series: Virginia leads series, 35-17-0
Last meeting: Virginia, 31-30 (2024)
TV: ESPN
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 81 / SiriusXM 383
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 81 / SiriusXM 973
Line: Virginia -6.5
Over/under: 47.5
Projected final score: Virginia 27, Wake Forest 21
Notes: Virginia holds a 35-17 advantage in the all-time series against Wake Forest, snapping the Demon Deacons’ five-game win streak with a 31-30 victory in Winston-Salem last season.
Wake Forest enters this year’s matchup coming off a 42-7 road loss at Florida State, its only defeat away from home in 2025. Quarterback Robby Ashford returned to action in that game, throwing for 93 yards and adding 59 on the ground.
The Deacons’ defense ranks second in the ACC in scoring defense (18.9 ppg), allowing 30 or more points only three times this season.
Defensive back Nick Andersen continues to anchor the defense with a team-leading 68 tackles, including eight in the win over SMU and 11 each against FSU and NC State.
Virginia rides a seven-game winning streak – the fifth-longest in the FBS – and is a perfect 5-0 at Scott Stadium, marking the most home wins under Tony Elliott and the program’s best home mark since 2020.
The Cavaliers feature the ACC’s No. 3 scoring offense (37.1 ppg) and have topped 30 points in seven of nine games this season.
Game Coverage
Injury report update
- UVA: Wideout Jayden Thomas is officially listed as out, but right guard Drake Metcalf wasn’t on the injury report posted at 5 p.m., so ostensibly, Metcalf will be in the lineup tonight.
- Wake: Wideout Micah Mays (17 catches, 17.4 yard/catch) is listed as out. Center Devin Kylany (525 snaps) is a game-time decision.
Blocked punt, but offense bogs down
Kam Robinson blocks the Wake punt to set up the UVA offense at the +24.
J’Mari Taylor lost two yards on third-and-1. Will Bettridge converts from 35 yards to put Virginia on the board first.
UVA 3, Wake Forest 0, 11:48/1st
⚡️ Special play on special teams by a special player ⚡️
KAM. ROBINSON.
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/A1DQN5Rh2n
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) November 9, 2025
Another stop by the D
Both Wake drives started with big gainers on the first play for a first down, then stalled.
UVA will start at its own 15 after the punt.
Teams trade failed fourth-down conversions
The UVA offense finally picked up a first down, but the drive stalled at the Wake 43.
End 1: UVA leads 3-0
The Virginia offense has 27 yards to show for its first three possessions.
The three points were set up by the Kam Robinson blocked punt.
The offense stalled in the red zone after getting to second-and-6. The second-down pass was a misread by Chandler Morris. He thought he saw Jahmal Edrine with an angle to the corner, but the DB had outside leverage and cut him off.
The fourth-down failure on the third possession was Wake doing its homework, and taking away Cam Ross on the crosser.
Wake comes up short on fourth-and-goal at the 1
The Wake offense had first-and-goal at the UVA 2. Lost one on first down, gained two, no gain.
On fourth-and-goal, the play was jumbled because they just tried to go too fast.
The pitch from Robby Ashford to Demond Claiborne was high, and he lost four yards.
Long drive by the backup QB leads to three
Daniel Kaelin in for Chandler Morris, who was knocked out (I think literally) on a cheap shot by two Wake defenders.
Kaelin broke a 54-yard run on a keeper to set up first-and-goal, but the drive stalled at the Wake 4.
UVA 6, Wake 0, 4:27/2nd
Big play for Wake for TD
A 50-yard Daniel Sparks punt, about 35 yards in the air on a knuckleball and 15 yards on the bounce, was fielded at the 12 by Carlos Hernandez, who weaved his way through the UVA coverage unit 88 yards for the TD.
Wake Forest 7, UVA 6, 1:33/2nd
Kaelin turnover turns into three for Wake
Danny Kaelin fumbled on a sack at the UVA 30. The D held, but Wake got three on a Connor Calvert 40-yard field goal.
Wake Forest 10, UVA 6, 0:40/2nd
Half: Wake Forest 10, UVA 6
Well, that happened.
The offense wasn’t doing much when Chandler Morris was in.
With him out for the game now, I dunno.
We had the 54-yard run on the keeper by Daniel Kaelin, but his knee is gimpy now after the hit on the fumble.
You almost need to come up with a new offensive game plan on the fly here at halftime, tailored to the situation.
The dream may be hitting a roadblock here.
The D pitched a shutout. The points came on a punt return and a short field from a turnover.
UVA gets points on its first drive
Danny Kaelin led a nice drive to the edge of the red zone, ending in a 40-yard Will Bettridge field goal.
Kaelin was 2-for-4 for 51 yards on the drive.
A false start on second down in the red zone set the drive back in scoring territory, unfortunately.
Wake 10, UVA 9, 10:35/3rd
Didn’t get to 60K
Tonight’s attendance: 55,568
Another sack-fumble
I’m surprised that they’re not looking at that. Looked to me that the ball was in his hands and he pushed it forward as he was being hit.
Oh, well.
First down Wake at the +49.
D holds, Wake gets three
The UVA D, again, does its job, but Wake converts, a 51-yard field goal by Connor Calvert.
Without the punt return, that’s the first points on the board.
Oh, well.
Wake 13, UVA 9, 3:49/3rd
Fourth quarter: Wake Forest 13, UVA 9
The UVA offense has a short-field field goal and two field goals on drives that stalled in the red zone.
Wake has a punt-return TD and two short-field field goals set up by fumbles.
Wake has 144 yards of offense through three, and is up a score.
Virginia is going to need to change momentum with defense and special teams.
That was a march
Wake went 16 plays, 48 yards, and didn’t sniff the red zone.
But … got a 49-yard field goal from Connor Calvert.
The three third-down conversions were killers, man.
All third-and-longs.
On each, Wake had three wide to the right, with a tailback as one of the three.
UVA was in man on two of the three, and Robby Ashford recognized that, and pulled the ball down and ran.
On the other, UVA was in zone, and Ashford hit the receiver at the sticks.
On the fourth third-and-long of the drive, John Rudzinski dialed up blitz, and forced a quick throw for a short gain.
Wake 16, UVA 9, 3:53/4th
Final: Wake Forest 16, UVA 9
Danny Kaelin drove UVA to the Wake 5 inside of 30 seconds to go, but on fourth-and-3 at the 5, was incomplete in the right corner, intended for Jahmal Edrine.
Recap to come.
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Chris Graham
