Fast Start Fades in Charlotte as No. 25 Virginia Falls to West Virginia, 38-27 (9-19-26)
By: Darrell Owens
Headline Photo Credit: Arturo Jones-LMS Network
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — September 19, 2026 — Virginia arrived in Charlotte undefeated, nationally ranked and looking for its first 3-0 start since 2019.
For a quarter, the Cavaliers looked ready to deliver it.
Virginia twice grabbed an early lead and showed flashes of the balanced offense that powered its 2-0 start. But West Virginia’s explosive rushing attack eventually changed the complexion of the game, and the Cavaliers couldn’t generate enough answers down the stretch.
No. 25 Virginia suffered its first loss of the season Saturday night, falling to West Virginia 38-27 in the Duke’s Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium.
The Cavaliers dropped to 2-1, while the Mountaineers improved to 3-0.
Virginia Strikes First
The Cavaliers couldn’t have asked for a much better opening.
Virginia marched 75 yards on its first possession, with quarterback Beau Pribula directing an efficient drive that ended with J’Mari Taylor’s one-yard touchdown run.
UVA led 7-0.
West Virginia responded, but Virginia immediately punched back.
The Cavaliers moved down the field again, and Xay Davis broke loose for a 34-yard touchdown run, restoring Virginia’s seven-point advantage.
UVA had scored touchdowns on two of its first three possessions and led 14-7 after the opening quarter.
For a Virginia offense that had been rolling through the first two weeks, everything appeared to be moving in the right direction.
Then the game changed.
West Virginia Takes Control Before Halftime
Virginia’s defense entered Saturday having allowed only 11 points through two games.
West Virginia found ways to break through.
Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. became increasingly difficult for the Cavaliers to contain, both as a passer and runner.
The Mountaineers tied the game before Hawkins produced another touchdown late in the second quarter, giving West Virginia a 21-14 halftime advantage.
After scoring 14 points in the opening quarter, Virginia was shut out in the second.
More importantly, West Virginia had established the formula that would eventually decide the game.
Run the football.
Create explosive plays.
Keep Virginia’s defense guessing.
Cavaliers Fight Back
Virginia came out of halftime needing a response.
The Cavaliers delivered one.
Pribula engineered a scoring drive and connected with Cameron Ross for a 10-yard touchdown, pulling Virginia even at 21-21 midway through the third quarter.
Suddenly, it was a new game.
The Cavaliers had erased the halftime deficit and regained momentum.
But the tie didn’t last.
West Virginia responded with another touchdown, beginning a stretch of 17 unanswered points that ultimately put the game beyond Virginia’s reach.
The Mountaineers took a 28-21 advantage into the fourth quarter and continued to lean on their ground game.
Hawkins Creates Problems for Virginia
The biggest challenge for the Cavaliers was finding a way to contain Hawkins.
They never completely solved it.
The West Virginia quarterback finished with 190 passing yards and 123 rushing yards, accounting for 313 yards of total offense and five touchdowns.
His ability to extend plays and create explosive runs repeatedly stressed Virginia’s defense.
Running back Cam Cook was equally problematic.
Cook also rushed for 123 yards, giving West Virginia two 100-yard rushers on the same night.
The Mountaineers finished with 247 rushing yards, averaging 4.8 yards per carry.
For a Virginia defense that had surrendered only 131 rushing yards combined over its first two games, Saturday represented a dramatic change.
Pribula Keeps Competing
Even as West Virginia built its advantage, Pribula continued battling.
The Virginia quarterback completed 21 of 33 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.
He also contributed on the ground as part of a Virginia offense that finished with 354 total yards.
Pribula’s final touchdown came with 21 seconds remaining when he found tight end John Rogers for a two-yard score, producing the final 38-27 margin.
It was too late to change the outcome, but the possession reflected Virginia’s willingness to continue fighting until the end.
Middlebrook Provides a Spark
One encouraging development for Virginia came from Jekail Middlebrook.
Middlebrook led the Cavaliers with 75 rushing yards, providing another option in a Virginia backfield that has shown considerable depth.
Davis added 51 yards, highlighted by his first-quarter touchdown.
Virginia finished with 157 rushing yards as a team.
The Cavaliers’ offense wasn’t completely shut down — they generated 354 yards and scored four touchdowns — but they struggled to consistently sustain drives after their explosive opening quarter.
UVA converted only six of 16 third downs and came away empty on one of its four red-zone opportunities.
Against a West Virginia offense producing explosive plays, those missed opportunities became increasingly costly.
Virginia Defense Faces Its First Major Adversity
Saturday represented the first time this season Virginia’s defense was consistently pushed backward.
The Cavaliers had been dominant through two games, but West Virginia finished with 437 total yards.
Virginia also failed to create the takeaways that had become a major part of its defensive identity.
The Cavaliers entered the weekend having forced turnovers in 12 of their previous 13 games.
Against West Virginia, they finished without one.
The Mountaineers didn’t turn the football over at all.
That allowed West Virginia to consistently finish possessions and keep pressure on the Cavaliers.
Virginia recorded one sack, while Pribula was brought down three times.
Fourth Quarter Slips Away
Virginia entered the fourth quarter trailing by only seven.
There was still plenty of time to make another run.
Instead, West Virginia delivered the decisive stretch.
Hawkins added another rushing touchdown, extending the Mountaineers’ advantage before Jack Cassidy’s 21-yard field goal made it 38-21 with 1:57 remaining.
Virginia’s final touchdown cut the deficit, but there wasn’t enough time remaining for a comeback.
The Cavaliers had gone from a 14-7 first-quarter advantage to trailing by 17 late in the fourth.
West Virginia had scored 31 points after Virginia took its second lead of the night.
First Loss Doesn’t Define the Season
The result is disappointing for Virginia, especially after the Cavaliers’ impressive opening two weeks.
But Saturday’s loss doesn’t impact UVA’s ACC record.
Virginia remains 1-0 in conference play, and the Cavaliers have plenty of season remaining to respond.
There are also clear lessons to take from Charlotte.
Virginia must improve against mobile quarterbacks.
The defense has to limit explosive rushing plays.
The offense needs to maintain the consistency it showed during the opening quarter.
And against quality opponents, the Cavaliers need to capitalize when opportunities arise.
Those are correctable issues.
How Virginia responds to them will determine far more about its season than one difficult night in Charlotte.
Charlotte Remains Unkind to the Cavaliers
Bank of America Stadium has now delivered consecutive difficult results for Virginia.
The Cavaliers’ previous appearance in Charlotte came in the 2025 ACC Championship Game, where Duke defeated UVA 27-20 in overtime.
Virginia returned nine months later hoping for a different outcome.
Instead, the Cavaliers suffered another loss.
Saturday also marked Virginia’s first meeting with West Virginia since the Cavaliers defeated the Mountaineers 48-22 in the 2002 Continental Tire Bowl, which was also played in Charlotte.
This time, West Virginia walked away with the victory.
What’s Next: Time to Respond at Scott Stadium
Virginia returns home on September 26 to face Delaware at Scott Stadium.
The game provides the Cavaliers with an immediate opportunity to respond and build momentum before moving deeper into their ACC schedule.
For head coach Tony Elliott and his team, the message coming out of Charlotte should be straightforward.
Learn from it.
Correct it.
Move forward.
Virginia is no longer undefeated, but everything the Cavaliers hope to accomplish this season remains tied to how they respond from here.
Final
West Virginia 38, No. 25 Virginia 27
Virginia: 2-1 (1-0 ACC)
West Virginia: 3-0
Virginia Standouts
Beau Pribula: 21-of-33 passing, 197 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions
Jekail Middlebrook: 75 rushing yards
Xay Davis: 51 rushing yards, 1 touchdown
Virginia Offense: 354 total yards, 157 rushing yards, 197 passing yards
Virginia showed during the opening quarter why it entered Saturday night nationally ranked and undefeated.
But West Virginia exposed areas the Cavaliers will need to address if they intend to remain among the ACC’s top teams.
The first loss is in the books.
Now comes the more important part — Virginia’s response.
