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Virginia Looks to Spoil Halloween at No. 14 Wake ForestVirginia Looks to Spoil Halloween at No. 14 Wake Forest

Virginia Looks to Spoil Halloween at No. 14 Wake Forest

Kickoff from Allegacy Stadium is set for 3:45 p.m. on ESPN2 and the Virginia Sports Radio Network

Countdown to Kickoff
Dallas, Texas

Countdown to Kickoff

Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia Cavaliers
at
Wake Forest logo
#14 Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Tv: ESPN2
Radio: Virginia Sports Radio Network

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Facing its second-ranked opponent in the last three weeks, Virginia (4-4, 2-3 ACC) travels to No. 14 Wake Forest (6-1, 4-1) this Saturday (Oct. 31). Kickoff from Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium is set for 3:45 p.m. on ESPN2 and the Virginia Sports Radio Network. 

The Cavaliers, who triumphed 31-30 in the waning minutes of the 2024 meeting with the Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, look to snap a two-game skid, their first since the close of the 2024 season. Wake enters Saturday’s matchup tied for second in the ACC standings, while riding a four-game winning streak and holding its highest AP Top 25 ranking since 2022. 

Saturday’s contest also pits UVA’s defense, which has not surrendered more than two touchdowns from scrimmage in 10 of its last 13 games and leads the ACC in pass defense efficiency (111.17), against one of the league’s best offenses led by quarterback Gio Lopez and receiver Carlos Hernandez. Lopez, who played for North Carolina last year and started in UVA’s 17-16 overtime win over the Tar Heels, is fifth nationally in total offense (314.3) and ranks second in the ACC in points responsible for per game (20.0). Lopez’s top target, Hernandez, is eighth nationally and third in the ACC in receiving yards per game (102.9). 

“But that's the fun challenge of it all every team is different, every unit is different. But I know this there's a lot of want to. Man, the guys are playing hard, right? And there's a lot of want to. We just got to get some of that bad gas out and start operating with precision."
Tony Elliott

Tony Elliott

Tuesday during his weekly press conference
  • Saturday will be the 54th meeting between Virginia and Wake Forest, an all-time series that was first contested in 1889. 
  • The Cavaliers have won 35 of the previous 53 meetings, including a 31-30 comeback win in Winston-Salem in 2024. 
  • No. 14 Wake Forest is Virginia's second ranked opponent in the last three weeks. 
  • The Demon Deacons are UVA’s highest-ranked road opponent since facing then-No. 8 Notre Dame in South Bend in 2024. 
  • Since 2000, Virginia is 4-30 against ranked foes on the road. Two of the four wins have come under head coach Tony Elliott - 2024 at then-No. 23 Pitt and 2023 at then-No. 10 North Carolina. 
  • Virginia is seeking its fifth all-time win over a top-15 team on the road. The previous four road top-15 wins came in 2023 at then-No. 10 North Carolina, in 1994 at then-No. 14 Virginia Tech, in 1989 at then-No. 12 Penn State and in 1984 at then-No. 12 West Virginia. 
  • Saturday will conclude an eight-game stretch for the Cavaliers without a bye. UVA's first bye came in Week 1 following its Week 0 matchup with NC State. The Wahoos are one of eight ACC teams that play a stretch of at least eight consecutive games in 2026. 
  • Virginia will play its fifth game in the month of October for only the sixth time since 1980 and first time since the 2020 season. The Cavaliers are one of five ACC schools (Cal, UNC, Pitt, Stanford, Syracuse) to play five October games this season. 
  • Virginia and Wake Forest will play for the third time on Halloween. Both previous meetings also took place in Winston-Salem, in 1959 (WF, 34-12) and 1998 (UVA, 38-17). The Cavaliers have won three of their last four games on Halloween, including a 44-41 win over North Carolina in 2020, and own an 8-9 record all-time. 
  • Saturday will be the second of three games this season in which UVA plays an ACC opponent coming off a bye: SMU (Oct. 17) Wake Forest (Oct. 31) and Cal (Nov 14). 
  • Virginia has won nine of its last 13 ACC games dating back to last season. Only Miami (11) and SMU (10) have won more league games than UVA since the beginning of the 2025 season. 
  • The Cavaliers bring the top pass efficiency defense in the ACC and 16th best in the country. Wake Forest has only thrown one interception, the fewest in the league, and it is one of 11 teams nationally with one or no interceptions in 2026. The Cavalier defense has eight picks on the season, third-most in the league. 
  • Virginia's defense has not allowed more than two touchdowns from scrimmage in regulation in 10 of its last 13 games.  
  • The only blemish on UVA’s ACC ledger last season came against Wake Forest at Scott Stadium in early November, halting a seven-game win streak, which was tied for the longest in program history. The Cavaliers managed only nine points in large part due to a second-quarter injury to then-starting quarterback Chandler Morris. Wake Forest’s 88-yard punt return late in the first half was the game’s only touchdown. The Cavaliers had the ball in the final minute on the Deacs' 5-yard line, but were unable to equalize. 
  • Virginia will square off against Wake Forest quarterback Gio Lopez for the second-straight year. The Alabama native was under center for North Carolina last season. He accounted for 220 yards of total offense and two touchdowns (1 rush, 1 pass), but UVA prevailed in overtime after downing the ball inside the 1-yard line on the Tar Heels' 2-point conversion attempt. 
  • In two losses this month, Virginia allowed 23 points (at SMU) and 19 points (vs. Duke). The setback in Dallas snapped a six-game win streak when allowing 23 points or less. Last year’s 16-9 loss to the Demon Deacons was the only other occasion in which UVA lost when allowing 23 points or less since the start of the 2024 season (18 games). 

By The Numbers

24

Fourth-down attempts by Virginia this season, tied for the fourth-most in the country. UVA is converting at 67% rate, the fourth-best in the ACC. 

38:47 

Time of possession for Virginia against Duke last week, the longest in any UVA game under Tony Elliott and the most since the 2018 Belk Bowl (42:35). 

51.1 

UVA punter Daniel Sparks leads the country with a 51.1 punting average and has an ACC-best 17 punts inside the 20. He was named to the Ray Guy Award "Ray’s 8" for the fourth time this past Monday. 

55 

Nate Sheppard, the ACC’s leading rusher was held to 55 yards on the ground last week, his lowest output of the season. In his last 19 games played, two of his three lowest rushing efforts have come against Virginia. 

HOO TO WATCH

#1

Montino Williams

A second-year safety, Williams has started in UVA's last three games, a span in which he's totaled 18 tackles, one forced fumble and one pass breakup. He'll play a pivotal role in trying to slow down a Wake offense that's averaging 290.3 passing yards per game.

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