00:00Tony Elliott has done a fantastic job in Charlottesville.
00:03This team is 10-2 overall, battle-tested on the road with a 4-1 overall record, 6-1 at home.
00:11Coach, when you look at both of their losses, they've lost two games to NC State and Wake Forest by a total of 11 points only.
00:20They don't get blown out in big matchups, and that's why they're favored in this ballgame.
00:25Tony Elliott, you know him very well.
00:27He has done and coached this team up in a great job in 2025.
00:33You know, and we talk about some of the bigger teams that went into the NIL, the portal, and got better players.
00:39Virginia's another one of those football teams that went in and found a lot of football players to help build their football team.
00:46But, you know, Tony Elliott was a coordinator running back coach at Clemson, and I used to go watch his drills and watch how intense he coached running backs.
00:54And I think you see that with their football team.
00:56They're going to run the football at UVA.
00:58And they've got a quarterback that, if he plays clean, if he manages the offense, he's kind of a coach's kid on the field.
01:06It's kind of a perfect mix for what they do.
01:09And so, you've got to, I mean, Virginia's checking all the boxes.
01:12When I look at Duke, I'm thinking, you know, it's that old play you twice, we got beat earlier, we're going to get you this time.
01:18And I've been through it, and I keep thinking about that.
01:22But if you're looking at the team that's playing better defense, they held Duke to their lowest offensive total of the year the last time they played them.
01:30So, it's going to be up to Menza.
01:32Menza's the answer to Duke's problems.
01:35If he can have a great day, throw touchdowns and not interceptions and not turnovers, and have big plays, that's going to be their key because they're going to give up some points.
01:44Now, Virginia has recorded 30 sacks on the year.
01:47Chandler Morris has had a solid season, coach, 65% completion percentage, 14 touchdowns, 7 interceptions.
01:57Was running a little bit more in the early part of the season, right?
02:00Had two big touchdown runs against Florida State in the home win in Charlottesville.
02:06He can run, but he's not as mobile as some of these other guys.
02:10Do you feel that Elliott utilizes his mobility in this matchup to put some pressure on Duke, or they're going to go status quo,
02:17or whatever worked in game one will work in game number two?
02:21No, I think you've got to mix it up just a little bit.
02:24You can't go in there just expecting the other team just to lay down and not correct their mistakes.
02:29The quarterback, Chandler, got hurt.
02:31Chandler Morris got hurt in the middle of the season, missed a game, and they lost a game with him hurt.
02:36And so, with him coming back, he has not run it as much.
02:40I do think that's a big part of their offense, letting him get yardage when necessary.
02:45He's not a great dual-threat quarterback, but he's a much better runner than a lot of people give him credit for.
02:51So, I think that's a big part of their ability to win a ball game.
02:55And maybe one of the biggest things in Virginia's favor is that if it's a close ball game, they win close games.
03:00They've won close games all year, and the ones they've lost have been close too.
03:05But they have been a team that find a way to win late in the game, and the quarterback doesn't make mistakes late.
03:11And so, that's why I think Virginia is the favorite in this one, and why most people think that they will win,
03:17unless you take into consideration the fact that it's a second game between the same two teams.
03:22Now, when you look at Virginia as a whole, the top three wide receivers, coach, leading wide receivers, all upperclassmen, seniors.
03:30Very important in a game like this, right?
03:32You want to roll with some seniors and juniors as opposed to some other underclassmen in this type of ballgame.
03:38Yeah, I mean, I've always said it's not just about talent.
03:43When you get to the postseason, to the championship of the conference, it's veteran talent.
03:48Guys that have been in the battle before, battle-tested, and guys that it means a lot to.
03:53Hey, this is my last year.
03:54I need to get it done this year.
03:56The NFL needs to see me play now.
03:58Those are all factors that get you out there with those guys not feeling like there's a tomorrow to show what they can do.
04:04They need to show it now.
04:05So I think those guys need to come through.
04:07A good veteran team is going to be important.
04:11I think Virginia has a pretty good veteran team.
04:13Now, if Virginia does pull off the victory, right, their favorite, you like Duke, in the college football playoff, big picture.
04:22Is this a team, depending upon margin of victory on Saturday night, that potentially can win a game or two in the college football playoff?
04:30You talk about Virginia now, if they win, because I don't think, yeah, because Duke won't make it.
04:35Yeah, you know what?
04:37I have not been impressed enough with the overall ACC when I compare them to the Big Ten and the SEC and even Texas Tech.
04:45I think getting there is one thing, progressing through the playoff is something else.
04:51I don't know who they would come against.
04:52Maybe they would start against someone that's not one of the top teams.
04:56But I don't really see, I don't haven't pegged the ACC winners or ACC teams when they get there going very far this year.
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