Three Biggest Keys To Victory For Virginia In Their ACC Opener vs Stanford

The defensive line's success starts with veteran Jahmeer Carter. Carter is now in his sixth and final season holding down this defensive front. This past season, Carter showed his value as a run stopper, recording 33 tackles and two tackles for loss.

The Baltimore native is the only veteran presence on the Cavaliers' defensive line. This is defensive end Cazeem Moore's first season in Charlottesville after spending four years at Elon University. Same for former Ohio State Buckeye Mitchell Melton. Redshirt sophomore Jason Hammond only has seven starts under his belt in three years at UVA.

Carter will need to lead the charge to control the line of scrimmage at the point of attack if UVA wants to minimize the Cardinals run game.

2. Keep Offensive Drives on Track

While Chandler Morris has done everything the coaching staff has asked of him, the strength of this offense is certainly their running back room. This UVA offense needs to stay on track and not get behind the sticks to allow the rushing attack to thrive.

Even without Noah Vaughn this week, Virginia still has the facilities to hammer Stanford with the run. J'Mari Taylor is an absolute touchdown magnet, while Harrison Waylee broke out against William & Mary, proving he is a capable option for the Hoo's offense.

While Morris is definitely a capable passer as seen at North Texas and through the early weeks of 2025, Virginia's offensive plan of action will not be going to plan if they rely on Morris to drive this offense down the field.

3. Get Cam Ross Going

Cam Ross has proven to be one of the most explosive weapons in college football this season. The former James Madison Duke came to Charlottesville after earning third-team All-Sun Belt honors as a returner. The success in the return game continues with the Hoo's, after Ross won consecutive ACC Specialist of the Week honors earlier this year.

The senior has also had some impact in the passing game, reeling in seven catches for over 150 yards and a score against Coastal Carolina. Even when he did not play a massive role in the pass game in Week Two, he returned a punt for a score.

After a relatively quiet outing against William & Mary last week, Virginia needs to get Ross going again. He has the ability to turn the tide of a game and swing the momentum back in Virginia's favor in a variety of ways.