Second quarter
Virginia sixth drive: Da’Shawn Martin gets the Cavaliers moving with a first down, but Virginia ultimately stalls out once again.
West Virginia sixth drive: The Mountaineers punt the ball right back after just a few plays.
Virginia fifth drive: Not much going for this offense in the second quarter. A quick punt.
West Virginia fifth drive: Hawkins takes off for a big run. Eventually, the drive stalls out and Virginia gets the ball back after a few minutes.
Virginia fourth drive: The Cavaliers stall out at their own 33-yard line. Daniel Sparks to punt away.
West Virginia fourth drive: Hawkins completes his first pass of the game, a big catch-and-run for over 25 yards. The Mountaineers ran their way into Virginia territory, but an illegal formation penalty turned a third-and-short into a third-and-long. After a timeout, Hawkins finds receiver DJ Epps for a 29-yard touchdown. The game is tied 14-14. During the drive, defensive end Devon Baxter was attended to by trainers.
First quarter: Virginia 14, West Virginia 7
Virginia third drive: Xavier Brown breaks through a huge hole on third and short, running for a 47-yard touchdown. The Cavaliers lead 14-7 at the end of the quarter. Another note — Middlebrook has already amassed 48 yards of his own. As a team, Virginia is already over 100 rushing yards after just three drives. The Mountaineers finished the first quarter with 0 passing yards.
Running back @XavierBrown22 takes it 47 yards to the HOUSE🚨
14-7 Hoos🔥 pic.twitter.com/lAyveKEPAa
— Corner Media (@CornerMediaCo) September 20, 2026
West Virginia third drive: Cavaliers force a three-and-out.
Virginia second drive: Middlebrook runs for a few yards, but Pribula and receiver Josiah Abdullah could not connect on third down.
West Virginia second drive: Cavaliers continue to stuff the Mountaineer run game, but cornerback Omillio Agard is called for pass interference on third-and-long. On the next play, running back Cam Cook escapes Ethan Minter’s tackle for a big gain. A few plays later, Hawkins breaks free for a touchdown. The game is tied 7-7.
Virginia opening drive: A lengthy drive of nearly seven minutes, highlighted by Rico Flores Jr. making his Cavaliers debut. The drive ends with a Jekail Middlebrook rushing touchdown, the first of his Virginia tenure. The Cavaliers lead 7-0.
.@JMiddlebrook9 gets us on the board with his first TD as a Cavalier 👏
📺 ACCN pic.twitter.com/l2EJcGbl4A
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) September 19, 2026
West Virginia opening drive: False start. Michael Hawkins Jr. runs for no gain. Hawkins looks for Cam Cook on third down, the pass is dropped. Mountaineers go three-and-out.
Pregame
Virginia won the toss and deferred.
Tonight’s captains: DE Fisher Camac, CB Jacobie Henderson, RB Noah Vaughn and K Elijah Slibeck.
No. 25 Virginia is aiming to start 3-0 for the first time since 2019. In its way, stands West Virginia.
The Cavaliers are also hoping to ascend in the national rankings, and keeping building a College Football Playoff resume — in the stadium where their 2025 CFP hopes were squashed. Follow along with this article for every update tonight.
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