Instant takeaways from Virginia’s comeback win over Syracuse

At halftime, all hope seemed lost. That feeling continued into the second half. But as Virginia's defense continued to get stops, its offense eventually awakened and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Here are instant takeaways live from Scott Stadium:

It took way too long, but this team learned how to punch back

The chronic illness of this football team was that it failed to respond to in-game adversity. The Cavaliers had chance after chance against West Virginia and Florida State but could not retort with touchdowns — but this changed Saturday.

The first half was a continuation of ugly play from last week — but the second half was a different story. Virginia almost shut out the Orange, and the offense scored 21 unanswered points to not only comeback but storm ahead to a double-digit lead. In the grand scheme of this 2026 season, that counts for a lot.

There needs to be major accountability and corresponding change 

In the first two losses of the season, Coach Tony Elliott said that the losses were on him. Whether or not that’s true, this is a 4-2 team that does not look the part of a real ACC threat. Significant changes need to be made. Virginia did alter its starting lineup tonight, but it was not enough. 

Cornerback Jacobie Henderson has consistently been burned in coverage, and the Cavaliers need to be holding live auditions for his playing time. Virginia could even consider firing assistant coaches. No matter what, the status quo is complacency and has led to general disappointment both inside the program and outside of it. 

Offensive coordinator Des Kitchings has often been maligned for vanilla play calling — or improper calls given a certain situation. Perhaps it is time for Elliott or another coach to take over play calling for a game or two. Kitchings finally opened up the direct snap tricks late in the game, but where was the creativity during the first 40 minutes of play?

It is time to give backups a chance

Safety Christian Ellis was solid in relief of the injured Brandyn Hillman (other than a lapse that resulted in a Syracuse touchdown). Defensive end Billy Koudelka made some plays, as did cornerback Justin Ross and other reserves. Perhaps the Cavaliers would benefit from shaking up their rotations at most positions and reopening in-house competition. After how medicore a majority of the team was in the first half, no one's snaps should be guaranteed.

Virginia’s defense is flirting with disaster, but it held strong at the end 

On paper, 25 points allowed does not seem disastrous. However, that was against a third-string (and eventually fourth-string) quarterback — and the reserve quarterback had total control of this football game for over half the game. It took an incredible effort in the second half in order for the hosts to win. Virginia’s defense deserves credit for a second half near-shutout, but penalties and missed tackles continue to plague this unit. 

This offensive line has underperformed given its elite talent

In the preseason, Phil Steele graded Virginia’s offensive line as No. 10 nationally. This is a unit that should be completely dominating every opponent. Instead, it has not paved big running lanes (except for a few plays), has occasionally been overloaded in pass coverage and has not been physically superior to arguably inferior opponents. Average to solid play is not enough. This offensive line should be exceptional.