Sport
Virginia Welcomes Cal for Heroes Appreciation GameVirginia Welcomes Cal for Heroes Appreciation Game

Virginia Welcomes Cal for Heroes Appreciation Game

Kickoff from Scott Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m. on ACC Network and Virginia Sports Radio Network

Virginia vs. California
Scott Stadium

Virginia vs. California

Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia Cavaliers
vs.
California Golden Bears
California Golden Bears
Tv: ACC Network
Radio: Virginia Sports Radio Network

Gameday Timeline

8:00 AM8:00 AM

VAF Parking Lots Open

1:00 PM1:00 PM

Fan Fest Opens

1:20 PM1:20 PM

Wahoo Walk

3:16 PMFootball

Cavalier Marching Band Show

3:29 PM3:29 PM

The Ride

3:35 PM3:35 PM

Kickoff

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — In its penultimate home game of the season, Virginia (4-5, 2-4 ACC) hosts Cal (3-6, 2-4) at Scott Stadium on Saturday (Nov. 14). Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on ACC Network and the Virginia Sports Radio Network. 

Saturday’s contest is Virginia’s annual Heroes Appreciation Game, dedicated to honoring United States military personnel and first responders.  

Both the Cavaliers and Golden Bears are looking to snap three-game skids. UVA has won 10 of its last 12 games at Scott Stadium, including four out of five this year, while Cal has emerged victorious on the road only once, a 21-18 triumph over Syaracuse on Sept. 12. 

Virginia, which was idle last weekend, is 7-0 in games immediately after a bye weekend under head coach Tony Elliott. A win for the Wahoos on Saturday would also give them back-to-back seasons of at least five wins for the first time since 2019 and 2020, when they had seven and five home victories, respectively.

Ticket Promotions

ACC 2-Pack

ACC 2-Pack

Get tickets to both Cal (Nov. 14) and North Carolina (Nov. 21) for as low as $70.

Buy Now Opens in a new window
Thanksgiving Bundle

Thanksgiving Bundle

Limited-time, half-priced ticket to Men's Basketball vs. Loyola Maryland (Nov. 20) and Football vs. North Carolina (Nov. 21)

Buy Now Opens in a new window
Mobile Ticketing Guide Opens in a new window

Mobile Ticketing Guide Opens in a new window

Parking Information Opens in a new window

Parking Information Opens in a new window

Virginia Sports Mobile App Opens in a new window

Virginia Sports Mobile App Opens in a new window

Premium Seating Opens in a new window

Premium Seating Opens in a new window

Interactive Scott Stadium Map Opens in a new window

Interactive Scott Stadium Map Opens in a new window

Radio Affiliates Opens in a new window

Radio Affiliates Opens in a new window

New This Year!

👇 Tap to expand

Digital Parking.jpg

26FB_WaterBottles_1920x1080.png

  • Saturday will be the second meeting between Virginia and Cal. The Cavaliers won last season's inaugural matchup 31-21 in Berkeley. 
  • Under head coach Tony Elliott (since 2022), Virginia is 7-0 in games immediately following a bye week. Earlier this season, UVA defeated Norfolk State 59-3 after a Week 1 open date.  
  • Virginia is 4-1 at home this season and has won 10 of its last 12 games at Scott Stadium dating back to the start of the 2025 season. Since the 2025 regular season finale against Virginia Tech, UVA has won five of its last six games at Scott Stadium.  
  • The Cavaliers have won nine of their last 14 ACC games, only Miami (12), SMU (11) and Duke (10) have won more since the start of 2025. 
  • After Saturday, all four Power 4 teams in the state of California will have played in Scott Stadium: Cal (2026), Stanford (2025), UCLA (2014) & USC (2008). Including San Jose State (1998), five of the eight FBS California FBS Schools have visited Charlottesville. 
  • Cal is the most penalized team in the country. The Bears have committed 73 penalties for a total of 682 yards. The Cavaliers, on the other hand, are one of the most disciplined teams in the ACC, committing only 4.88 penalties per game, second behind only North Carolina (4.0). 
  • Virginia and Cal are among six teams tied for 10th place in the ACC standings with a 2-4 mark in league play.  
  • UVA is one of 17 FBS teams with six or fewer turnovers this season. The Cavaliers have gone without a turnover in six of their nine games are 3-3 in such contests. 
  • Virginia has recorded a sack in each of its first nine games of the season for the first time since 2019. The UVA pass rush has been sparked by the play of defensive end Matthew Fobbs-White, who leads the team in sacks (5) and hurries (9). 
  • Virginia and Cal are both coming off bye weeks, and both looking to snap three-game losing streaks. UVA’s last win came in comeback fashion over Syracuse, 28-25 on Oct. 10 in Charlottesville. The Golden Bears are seeking their first win since a final-minute 25-20 home victory over Virginia Tech on Oct. 9. 
  • With only a three-point lead and 45 seconds to play in last year’s meeting, UVA linebacker Kam Robinson picked off Cal's Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele’s first-down pass and returned his fifth career interception 35 yards for a touchdown, which sealed a 31-21 victory for the Hoos. The victory also marked a program-record fifth consecutive win in ACC play and the Cavaliers’ first-ever win on the West Coast. 
  • Saturday will serve as UVA’s Heroes Appreciation Day, honoring first responders and military personnel. Several Cavalier staffers have military ties, including Elliott who attended Air Force Academy Prep school before attending Clemson. Defensive coordinator John Rudzinski is an Air Force Academy graduate and served as a maintenance operations officer at Charleston (SC) Air Force Base. before transitioning to coaching. Assistant coaches ShaDon Brown (Army), Curome Cox (Air Force), Kevin Downing (Navy), Keith Gaither (Army) and Des Kitchings (Air Force) all coached at service academies. Current Cavaliers Donavon Platt (DB) and Justin Ross (CB) began their collegiate careers at Army and Navy, respectively. 
  • Prior to transferring to UVA, defensive end Fisher Camac had six tackles (five solo), including four tackles for loss and three sacks, in the Rebels’ 24-13 win over Cal (Dec. 18) in the Art of Sport LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk. His three sacks and four TFLs were both UNLV bowl records and the most by any FBS player in a 2024 bowl game. 
4.4

According to PFF, Daniel Sparks leads all FBS punters in average hang time. His 50.8 yards per punt also leads the nation. Only seven punters since 1983 have finished a season averaging more than 50 yards per punt. 
5

Of quarterback Beau Pribula’s 14 touchdown passes this season, five of gone for 40 yards or more.  
6

Receiver Da’Shawn Martin is tied for fifth in the ACC with six TD catches, tied for 5th in the ACC and most by a Cavalier since Malik Washington in 2023. 
111.1

Virginia leads the ACC and ranks 15th in the nation in team passing efficiency defense. 
#21RB

Jekail Middlebrook

Head coach Tony Elliott said in his weekly press conference that tailback Jekail Middlebrook is on track to return to the lineup this Saturday after missing UVA's last game (vs. Wake Forest) due to injury. Middlebrook leads the Cavaliers in both rushing yards per game (64.1) and rushing touchdowns (4).

“Focus on what you can control, what you do have ahead of you, and that's really what we've been focused on ... Now it's really just accepting the challenge of facing the adversity that you have in front of you. And don't run from it, run to it, and know that if you do that, on the other side there's gonna be a tremendous amount of growth."
Tony Elliott

Tony Elliott

Tuesday during his weekly press conference
Loading YouTube Video...

Tony Elliott Media Availability - Nov. 10, 2026

Homestretch Arrives for CavaliersHomestretch Arrives for Cavaliers
Football

Homestretch Arrives for Cavaliers

Virginia’s Home Finale Against North Carolina Set for 12:30 p.m.Virginia’s Home Finale Against North Carolina Set for 12:30 p.m.
Football

Virginia’s Home Finale Against North Carolina Set for 12:30 p.m.

Coach's Corner with Tony Elliott – 11.9.26Coach's Corner with Tony Elliott – 11.9.26
Football

Coach's Corner with Tony Elliott – 11.9.26

Mills Featured on Comeback Player of the Year Midseason Watch ListMills Featured on Comeback Player of the Year Midseason Watch List
Football

Mills Featured on Comeback Player of the Year Midseason Watch List

Cal FB Radio Graphic Opens in a new window
Homestream BannerHomestream Banner Opens in a new window
Virginia Team Information
Virginia Team Information
Roster Opens in a new window Schedule Opens in a new window Statistics Opens in a new window Game Notes (PDF) Opens in a new window
Cal Team Information
Cal Team Information
Roster Opens in a new window Schedule Opens in a new window Statistics Opens in a new window Game Notes (PDF) Opens in a new window

BannerAds_UVA_728x90_Leaderboard[89]

Stay Informed!

Text HOOSFB to 434-826-2868 to subscribe and receive marketing promotions gameday traffic updates and weather alerts for the entire season.

Have An Issue?

For questions, concerns, or to report an issue, text HOOSHELP to 434-826-2717.

Message and data rates may apply. Text messages are sent on an as-needed basis. This service is provided per the Terms of Use: https://www.getrave.com/help/Terms.action, and Privacy Policy: https://www.getrave.com/help/Privacy.action. Text STOP to 226787 to cancel or HELP for tech support.