No more wishing, no more waiting, no more talking, and no more hoping for the 2025 college football season.
The time has finally come.
The Virginia Cavaliers will start their season off against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers on Saturday at Scott Stadium, marking the beginning of year four of the Tony Elliott era. The ball will kick at 6 p.m. ET, and all signs point to a beautiful late summer night in the land of milk and honey, with the forecast showing low 70s right before kick and reaching low 60s
early into the night.
This matchup has minimal history, as the only ever matchup between these universities occurred last season, when the ‘Hoos traveled to Conway and left with a victory photoshoot. Xavier Brown led Virignia to a 43-24 win thanks to his 171 yards on the ground on just nine carries.
Virignia would love nothing more than to replicate their 2024 performance at home and leave Scott Stadium 1-0 in dominant fashion. Tim Beck and his fancy roosters are going to do everything in their power to prevent that.
Three Players
QB MJ Morris
MJ Morris has yet to be given a chance to prove himself fully. A high 3-star athlete coming out of high school, he began his college career at NC State in 2022, playing in the shadow of former Virginia QB Brennan Armstrong. Then, in 2023, he lost the starting job to standout CJ Bailey. Morris transferred to Maryland last season and, yet again, sat on the bench, watching an older quarterback take the field week after week. It may be his year…but maybe not, as Tim Beck has yet to decide on his guy behind center just yet.
WR Jameson Tucker
Tucker is a 6-foot-2, 190 pound speedy wide receiver who has seen more production and success each year for Coastal Carolina. He was selected on the 2025 preseason second team all-Sun Belt, and all signs point to him achieving that. He will be a difficult matchup for UVA and their corners, as Virginia will have the advantage in size, but Tucker has the upper hand in speed.
LB Shane Bruce
Shane Bruce enters his graduate year at Coastal Carolina and has accumulated 194 total tackles in his four-year career in the teal, bronze, and black. In 2024, the fifth-year linebacker had 75 total tackles, one pass deflection, and one interception. He will be looking to slow down the Virginia run game on Saturday.
Two Matchups:
Tim Beck vs. The Coastal QB room
There is a chance we see four quarterbacks take the field for Coastal Carolina on Saturday. MJ Morris will take the first drive, but other than that, nothing is certain. The Chanticleers’ depth chart looks like my girlfriend trying to make a difficult decision. The amount of “OR”s on that sheet of paper should be illegal, and it isn’t Beck trying to play mind games; it is because Coastal lost most of their roster to the portal and welcomed in a whole new roster. Other quarterbacks we may see take the field on Saturday include Samari Collier, Tad Hudson, and Jon Hunt.
Social Media vs. Reality
The University of Virginia and its athletics department have done some impressive work this offseason in their efforts to create momentum and generate fan excitement. Their efforts have led to a significant increase in season ticket sales; however, questions remain about the size of the crowds this year, especially on Saturday. A beautiful night game awaits the Virginia Cavaliers, and there is no reason for this game not to have a solid turnout. However, it seems that a substantial number of tickets are still available in the lower and upper bowls.
The expected attendance is mid-40k with an upside of higher 40s; time will tell.
One Prediction
Virginia is going to take this one, and they should take it comfortably. 35-17, ‘Hoos.
