November 14, 1898. That is how far back this limited but fierce rivalry goes. WVU Football and Virginia take over Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 19. The neutral site game marks the first meeting between the programs since the 2002 Continental Tire Bowl, also held in the same stadium. Read more: Tale of the Tape 2.0 – Virginia.
The Mountaineers and Cavaliers played periodically through the 20th century, with 23 recorded all-time matchups, according to WVU Athletics.
This time, it is the Duke’s Mayo Classic.
Setting the stage
Older fans have described this pairing as a bitter one, with mudslinging on both sides. After all, the two universities’ identities are vastly different. Trust me, I spent a summer in Charlottesville.
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No matter the circumstance, a primetime slot between Big 12 and ACC opponents brings a lot of promise, with passionate fan bases expected to make the trip to North Carolina.
Matchup history
UVA leads the all-time series, 12-10-1. It has been evenly-matched, to say the least.
West Virginia got out to a 3-0 start in the series, with victories in 1898, 1921, and 1922.
After a 21-year hiatus, it was the Cavaliers’ turn. UVA took the next eight contests over the Mountaineers between 1943 and 1953. WVU finally got back on track in the series with a win in 1954.
A 6-6 tie in 1957 came next, before Virginia routed WVU, 41-0, in 1965.
Between 1972 and 1981, it was the season of the Mountaineer once again. WVU picked up six consecutive wins.
“Recent” history has favored UVA, with the Cavaliers coming out on top in the past three contests (1984, 1985, and 2002). In those three games, UVA outscored WVU 102-36.
Luckily for the Mountaineers, it has been a long time since the upset loss in the Continental Tire Bowl at then-Ericsson Stadium. WVU came into that game ranked No. 15, but fell flat in a 48-22 drubbing.
Turn those clocks to the modern age.
What to expect
Besides an electric crowd taking over the home of the Carolina Panthers for the night, expect quite the interesting matchup.
WVU is coming off the disappointing 4-8 campaign from last year, but this is the third game of the new season. That goes out the window.
For reference, UVA is coming off a red-hot year — the Cavaliers finished 11-3 with an ACC Championship berth and a Gator Bowl title. It marked the first time the program ever reached 11 wins, and it came under head coach Tony Elliot in his fourth season.
Before spearheading the rebuild in Charlottesville, Elliot was a 2x CFP champion as the offensive coordinator for those dominant Clemson Tiger squads of the late 2010s. He knows what he is doing.
The Cavaliers have improved in the conference win category each year Elliot has been with the program, leading his team to a 7-1 conference record in 2025.
It will be a mix of old school and new school when he gets into a chess match with WVU’s head man, Rich Rodriguez. His second year of his second stint really gets going with this tough test away from home.
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He is 0-1 against the Cavaliers when leading the old gold and blue, wearing the headset in the 2002 bowl loss.
Opposing players to watch for
A few familiar names are in the mix for UVA’s QB1 spot. Missouri transfer Beau Pribula, who took the college football world by storm in 2025, looks to be the man.
But watch out for a man who has unfinished business with the Mountaineers. Pitt transfer Eli Holstein is not out of contention for that top spot on the roster. We all know how his last dance against WVU went, after all.
The Cavalier backfield could prove to be a problem in this game. Two RB1s are expected to split time due to their respective talents and varying styles. Peyton Lewis and Jekail Middlebrook make up that duo.
Lewis, a Tennessee transfer, scooped up seven touchdowns last season and increased his season total in rushing yards by more than a 100 from 2024 to 2025.
The workhorse of the bunch, Middlebrook had a terrific season at Middle Tennessee State this past year, finishing with 752 yards on the ground and averaging 5.4 yards a carry. Add on top of that another 412 yards receiving and you have an absolute winner.
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A solid defense and an incredible offensive line make this contest a rather tall task for WVU. It will serve as a proper heat check before Big 12 play begins.
Final wrap
Action from Charlotte, North Carolina, kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium.
ACC Network has the primary TV broadcast, and you can listen to the action on WVU’s Learfield associate.
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