Know the Enemy 2025: University of Virginia Football

So what is their mascot anyhow?

Image Courtesy of @UVAfootball on X

This week we welcome talented young beat writer Corbin Lathrop to the chat to tell us all about the minds and experiences of the Virginia fan this season.

1. Virginia has exceeded expectations this season. What were the vibes going into the season, and where do you see things going from here? Has the fanbase already adjusted expectations?

Going into the season, Virginia fans were cautiously optimistic that we might finally have a decent team on our hands. Tony Elliott was given a boatload of NIL money to work with, and he brought in a top-25 transfer class with a few big names at the top. Even the most bullish of ’Hoos fans weren’t anticipating having a top-15 team, but the complete lack of respect that UVA was getting in the national media definitely didn’t match the internal expectations.

UVA has been so beaten down in football for years that I think a large portion of the fanbase still expects the team to crash and burn at any moment (the recent close calls against WSU and UNC haven’t helped). But the reasonable new expectations to close out the season are to take care of business against Virginia Tech (which is always the primary objective) and to stay in contention to make the ACC title game.

2. In keeping with the good vibes is there a Tony Elliot extension on the horizon, and is that something the fanbase is sure they want?

Every time Tony Elliott’s seat has gotten especially warm, he’s come through with a big win (in 2023 at then-No. 10 UNC and last season at then-No. 23 Pittsburgh). Still, with all the resources he was given, Elliott absolutely needed a winning season in 2025 to earn an extension, and he’s certainly exceeded expectations thus far. Elliott still has his fair share of critics within the fanbase, but at this point, an extension is likely on the way — and there aren’t many who will be too up in arms about it.

3. What’s the general feeling about the west coast trips in the new look ACC?

Virginia avoided both Cal and Stanford on the schedule last season, so this is actually the first time the ’Hoos will have to travel to face either of its new West Coast ACC rivals in football. But judging from the men’s basketball team’s lack of success in the Bay Area last season (0-2 with an average loss of 18.5 points), I can’t say I’m much of a fan.

4. Offensive player to watch?

Wide receiver Jahmal Edrine. In the absence of Virginia’s most explosive offensive weapon — slot receiver Cam Ross — over the past game-and-a-half, Edrine has stepped up and been UVA’s leading receiver in each of the past two games. At 6-foot-3, 221 pounds, Edrine is a big-bodied, sure-handed target who has emerged as quarterback Chandler Morris’s go-to target when the ’Hoos need to move the chains. He doesn’t require much separation to make a play, and Edrine is a guy who can be really effective in the red zone.

Though Ross is likely to be back in action against Cal, the offense has really found something in Edrine. Both Ross and Virginia’s other leading receiver, Trell Harris, are smaller receivers who can really stretch the field with their speed. But since Virginia’s primary receiving tight end went down with a season-ending injury, Edrine is the best bet to dominate over the middle of the field.

5. Defensive player to watch?

Linebacker Kam Robinson. A 6-foot-2 junior, Robinson is the heart and soul of the Virginia defense. He leads the squad with 48 tackles despite missing the first three games of the season, and his resume this year already includes 1.5 sacks, a pick-six, a fumble recovery, and the game-winning tackle for a safety two weeks ago against Washington State. At 235 pounds, he’s as gifted an athlete as there is in the ACC — he recorded a 34-inch vertical this offseason, and he reached a top speed of over 22.2 miles per hour last season.

Virginia’s identity has shifted drastically in the last few weeks. The ’Hoos were one of the top scoring offenses in the country to begin the season, averaging better than 45 points through their first five games. But momentum has stalled on that side of the ball. On the flip side, Virginia’s defense really struggled early in the season, giving up 34 points at NC State and 38 points to Florida State. Recently, however, it’s been the team’s strength, and the defensive improvement can be almost directly attributed to Robinson finding his groove.

6. What does Cal need to do to win this game?

Cal needs to get after Chandler Morris. Virginia’s offensive line has been a revolving door this season after each of its projected starting tackles went down with long-term injuries in the preseason, and starting center Brady Wilson missed a few games over the past month. Unexpectedly, though, the unit was dominant until last week, allowing just five total sacks in Virginia’s first seven games. But in Chapel Hill last Saturday, North Carolina generated constant pressure, resulting in six sacks and Morris’s worst performance thus far as a Cavalier.

Morris is dealing with an injured left shoulder, and it’s clearly impacting him. In the past three games, he’s completed just 59.3% of his passes and averaged just 176 passing yards. If the Bears’ defensive line can replicate what the Tar Heels did last weekend and make Morris feel their presence all afternoon, they’ll have a great chance of shutting down Virginia’s offense.

7. We don’t endorse violence at Write for California, but we’re still asking; Whom would you like to punch in the face?

The ’Hoos are having their best season on the gridiron since 2007, but UVA is still a basketball school at heart. With that said, the answer is, without a doubt, Coach K.