The Virginia Cavaliers are facing the West Virginia Mountaineers tonight in Charlotte, what UVA hopes is their first of two trips to Charlotte this season. Both teams are off to 2-0 starts, with Virginia beating NC State decisively in week zero and then defeating Norfolk State 59-3 last weekend. West Virginia scored a week one win over Coastal Carolina and then a blowout win over Tennessee- Martin last week.
This is going to be a very interesting game pitting a team hoping to surprise in the Big 12 this season and one of the ACC’s top contenders. Both teams prioritize the ground game and they have the right personnel to run their offensive schemes. The defenses are going to be tested tonight and whichever one steps up might decide the winner and who reaches 3-0.
Here is all of the viewing information that you need for tonight’s game.
How to watch
TV: ACC NETWORK
• Play-By-Play- Wes Durham
• Analyst- Max Browne
• Sideline Reporter- Madison Fitzpatrick
RADIO: VIRGINIA SPORTS RADIO NETWORK
• Play-By-Play- John Freeman
• Analyst- Ahmad Hawkins
• Sideline Reporter- Jay James
• Affiliates: VirginiaSports.com/Radio
• Satellite: SiriusXM 179 or 234 | SXM App: 958
• App: Virginia Sports mobile app
LIVE STATS: UVA.StatBroadcast.co
Who wins?
While Virginia is the more accomplished team heading into this game, UVA should not be underestimating West Virginia. The Mountaineers have a powerful ground attack behind running back Cam Cook and quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr, while the questions come on the other side of the ball and in the passing game.
Through two games, it is hard to nitpick much about the Cavaliers performance, but this is going to be a different test. I think that West Virginia is a better team than NC State and have a scheme that can challenge even the best of defenses.
For UVA to win, they need to put WVU in uncomfortable situations and force them to throw the ball. That is not to say that they can’t be successful and surprise the Cavaliers, but that is not the strength of thier team.
If Virginia QB Beau Pribula continues to be efficient through the air and a skilled runner on the ground, I like Virginia’s chances quite a bit. Earlier this week when speaking with the media, Virginia head coach Tony Elliott talked about Pribula’s start to the season and what has made him successful:
“Yeah, so I think it starts with probably had some unfair assessments and evaluations of him as a quarterback. And I think I’ve said it several times, he’s got a quarterback mind. So he is a quarterback. He’s not just an athlete that plays a position. He thinks like a quarterback. He processes like a
quarterback. He understands the nuances of the position, the game management, all of those things. And I think that has helped him to transition to the system to where he’s very, very comfortable.
And I think he, along with the staff, do a good job of communicating, to being able to
figure out the passing game that he’s most comfortable with, right, instead of trying to force him into saying, hey, no, you’re going to do this. Like, what are you comfortable with? And then through that, man, we can start to develop in some of the areas that you want to develop. And I thought he did a
really good job in the RPO aspect of the system this past season. this past weekend of taking the access throws that resulted in some big plays. And then when we had a chance to drive the ball down the field, he’s been really, really accurate.”
All the talk around the country will be about LSU facing Ole Miss tonight, but this will be one of the best games of the day.
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