The Virginia Cavaliers (9-2, 6-1 ACC) got back into the win column on Saturday evening, toppling the Duke Blue Devils (5-5, 4-2) in dominant fashion on the road. Quarterback Chandler Morris was back to playing to his early season standard, throwing for 316 yards (23-for-35), two touchdowns, a pair of picks, and a bunch of big plays through the air.
Morris was complemented by a receiving corps that similarly looked back to its best. Trell Harris was electric versus the Blue Devils defense, hauling
in eight passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. Cam Ross (seven catches for 63) and Jahmal Edrine (two catches for 34) also got in on the action with a few key conversions each.
The Virginia running game re-found its groove as well. J’Mari Taylor, who is up to 917 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns this season, ran for his second-most yards of the year and the most since September 6. Taylor carried the rock 18 times for 133 yards (7.4 yards per carry) and two scores while adding a catch for 25 yards in the passing game.
Taylor was nicked up early and Harrison Waylee stepped up in his absence and as a complementary back as the game progressed. His physical, between-the-tackles running style gobbled up 62 yards on his 16 carries.
It was Taylor’s 78-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter was essentially the dagger in Duke’s chances of a truly threatening come back. On the play, Morris ran the option, pulling Duke’s edge defender towards him before popping the ball to Taylor on the right hash. Taylor’s cut to the inside made one man miss before he galavanted through a wide open seam down the middle of the field.
Duke’s first touchdown of the game near the beginning of the fourth quarter and a pick six thrown by Morris on the ensuing drive cut the Blue Devil deficit from 28 points to 14 in the blink of an eye and put pressure on the Wahoo offense to respond. It did just that with a seven-play, 50-yard drive that wound 3:48 off the clock and resulted in a 42-yard Will Bettridge field goal to make it a three-possession game.
That truly put the game out of reach for Duke and sealed what was UVA’s most complete win in two months. Virginia out-gained Duke 540-255. The interception that the Blue Devils returned for a touchdown made the game look closer than it was. Duke averaged just 1.8 yards per rush and completed just 51% of its passes.
“I felt like this was the most complete game that we played in all three phases,” head coach Tony Elliott said postgame.
While they still need some help, this win puts UVA in a good spot to make the ACC Championship game if they take care of business against the Virginia Tech Hokies in two weeks’ time. That’s a massive “if,” of course, given the program’s record against its rival from Blacksburg. But, with a bye week ahead and the ‘Hoos hitting nine wins for the eighth time in school history, there’s plenty to be optimistic about for the Cavaliers ahead of their regular season finale.
