Virginia football just got absolutely steamrolled, dropping their third straight loss 51-7 to #14 Wake Forest. This 44-point blowout isn’t just a loss, it’s the biggest margin of defeat in the entire Tony Elliott era, and it plunges the ‘Hoos to a dismal 4-5 record, 2-4 in the ACC.
A Full-Blown On-Field Carnage
Let’s be real, this game was ugly from the jump, just like everyone expected. Virginia went into Winston-Salem as a 12.5-point underdog, their biggest of the season, against a Wake Forest squad that was 6-1, ranked #14, and coming off a bye week. The ‘Hoos were already limping into this one, missing more of their two-deep than usual. Leading rusher Jekail Middlebrook and fellow running back Noah Vaughn were out, Rico Flores Jr. had season-ending surgery, Kameron Courtney was out with a high ankle sprain, and all three safeties, Brandyn Hillman, Ethan Minter, and Corey Costner, were still sidelined.
Wake Forest took full advantage of the depleted Virginia squad, scoring on each of their first nine possessions. They were up 20-0 at halftime and had built a suffocating 44-0 lead late in the third quarter. Virginia’s only touchdown, a 47-yard pass from Beau Pribula to Da’Shawn Martin with just 50 seconds left in the third, was the only thing that kept them from being shut out for the first time since 2017. Wake outgained Virginia 538-330, and absolutely ran all over them, outrushing the ‘Hoos 309-16. That’s not just a loss, that’s a full-blown demolition, and it felt like Wake Forest was the far more physical and aggressive team right from the start.
Coaching, Chemistry, and a Locker Room in Crisis
The coaching edge was clear as day, and it really makes you wonder if Tony Elliott may have lost the locker room. Wake Forest, a team picked 13th in the ACC preseason poll, looked every bit the #14 team in the country. Their head coach, Jake Dickert, is one of the hottest coaching names out there right now, and he had two weeks to prepare for Virginia. It showed, big time. Wake’s first four possessions covered 250 yards, producing two touchdowns and two field goals, finding answers for everything Virginia tried to throw at them. They went 9-for-14 on third down and ran the ball a season-high 51 times for those 309 yards.
Meanwhile, Virginia’s offensive plan apparently “didn’t survive the opening drive,” which ended in a three-and-out. This was from a script that’s usually the best stretch for this offense. You could see the chemistry between Wake Forest quarterback Gio Lopez and his offensive coordinator Rob Ezell, who coached him at South Alabama. That kind of connection was a stark contrast to what Virginia was putting on the field. Given the significant investment in the program after their “miracle 2025 season” which relied on last-second victories, and the current struggles, this performance raises some serious questions about where the team goes from here.
The ‘Hoos now have a bye week to figure things out, which they desperately need. After that, they close out the season with games against California, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech. Can they stop this three-game skid and salvage anything from a season that’s looking increasingly bleak? We’ll be watching to see what happens next.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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