Cavaliers Welcome First-Place SMU for Senior Day

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (5-5, 3-3 ACC) hosts No. 13 SMU (9-1, 6-0) Saturday (Nov. 23) for its home finale, also Senior Day and Heroes Appreciation Day. Kickoff from Scott Stadium is set for noon on ESPN2 and the Virginia Sports Radio Network. 

Virginia will honor a combined 41 seniors and graduate students for Senior Day during a pregame ceremony.

GAME DETAILS
Date: Saturday, Nov. 23
Time: Noon
Location: Scott Stadium (61,500)
Television: ESPN2 • Roy Philpott, (play-by-play), Sam Acho (analyst), Taylor Davis (sideline)
Radio: Virginia Sports Radio Network, Virginia Sports Mobile App, TuneIn App, SiriusXM Channel 381 

INSIDE SATURDAY’S MATCHUP 

• Saturday will be the first ever meeting between Virginia and SMU. 

• The two teams were scheduled to play in the 2021 Wasabi Fenway Bowl, but it was canceled due to COVID-19 issues. Virginia has won back-to-games in its first league games against newly minted ACC members, defeating Syracuse in 2015 (44-38) and Louisville in 2014 (23-21). 

• UVA will face its third straight ranked opponent in 13th-ranked SMU, a first since 2021, and for only the seventh time in program history (1949, 1996, 2002, 2005, 2019, 2021, 2024) the Cavaliers have played three consecutive ranked foes. 

• UVA is 2-5 against ranked opponents under head coach Tony Elliott. Both wins have come on the road (North Carolina in 2023 and Pitt in 2024). 

• Virginia has not defeated a ranked opponent at home since Oct. 31, 2021, against then-No. 15 North Carolina by a final score of 44-41. 

• Since 2018, Virginia is 3-2 against top-25 opponents at Scott Stadium. 

• UVA is seeking its first win at home over an opponent ranked 13th or better since 2011 (defeated then-No. 12 Georgia Tech, 24-21). 

• SMU is the only remaining ACC team with an unbeaten record in conference play. A win for the Mustangs on Saturday would clinch a berth in the ACC Championship game. 

• SMU has won 15 straight conference games dating back to its time in the American. Its last conference loss came on Nov. 17, 2022, at Tulane. 

• The Mustangs are one of eight FBS teams riding a win streak of at least seven games. 

TOP STORYLINES 

• With two games remaining on the schedule and five wins on its ledger, Virginia is looking to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2021 and first time under head coach Tony Elliott. 

• Virginia has five wins overall and four ACC wins for the first time since 2021. UVA has not won five league games since winning the ACC Coastal Division with six conference victories in 2019. 

• SMU has the top rushing defense (99.0 ypg) in the ACC and the sixth best in FBS. The Cavaliers have rushed for at 125 yards and combined for four rushing touchdowns in their last two games, at then-No. 23 Pitt (170 yards) and at then-No. 8 Notre Dame (128 yards). 

• After Saturday, Virginia will have faced four of the ACC’s top five offenses. SMU enters this weekend’s contest ranked second in the league with an average 39.9 points per game. The Cavaliers held Louisville (No. 4 offense) and Pitt (No. 5 offense) to their lowest scoring outputs of the year. 

• Jonas Sanker was named the ACC Defensive Back of the Week for the fourth time this season, becoming UVA’s first defender to take home an ACC weekly honor four times in one season. In his last two weeks, Sanker has totaled 18 tackles including 12 solo efforts, a sack and four tackles for loss. The Cavalier playmaker also has an interception, a field goal block and a fumble recovery in his last two games. 

• Wide receiver Malachi Fields continues to climb in UVA’s record books. With four catches and 81 yards against Notre Dame, he moved into ninth on UVA’s career receiving yards list (1,787) and now has 123 career receptions, which is tied with Terrell Jana (2017-20) for the 13th most in program history. He needs 89 yards to post the 15th most yards in a season by a UVA pass catcher. 

• Prior to Saturday’s contest, the Cavaliers will honor its seniors and graduate students in a special pregame ceremony. For a complete list of honorees, visit page 5 of the game notes (PDF) and page 41 in Saturday’s game program. 

NUMBERS TO KNOW 

1 – The Cavaliers held Notre Dame to only one third-down conversion on 12 attempts. The last time the Irish only converted one third down was against New Mexico on Sept. 14, 2019. Notre Dame’s average distance to-go on third downs was 10.5 yards. 

6 – Virginia has scored in each of its last six red zone trips, including four touchdowns. 

8 – Points away that placekicker Will Bettridge is from 200 for his career. He’s looking to become the 12th Cavalier to score 200 career points. 

9 – Virginia has held a lead in every game but one (Notre Dame), including a 10-3 advantage early in the second quarter on the road at then-No. 10 Clemson and a three-point lead until the 1:55 mark in the fourth quarter against Louisville. 

ON THE HORIZON
The Cavaliers travel to Virginia Tech (5-5, 3-3) for the regular-season finale and a Smithfield Commonwealth Clash on Saturday, Nov. 30. Kickoff from Lane Stadium is scheduled for 8 p.m. on ACC Network and the Virginia Sports Radio Network.