Washington State 2025 Spring Opponent Outlook: Virginia Cavaliers

Washington State will make a mid-season swing through Virginia for a date with the Cavaliers on October 18. The Cougs have squared off with UVA in a football game and their first-ever meeting should draw quite a bit of intrigue. Virginia finished near the bottom of a crowded ACC last year, coming in 5-7 overall. Head coach Tony Elliot now leads the Cavs into year four of his tenure and the team is completely his own now. What will that mean for the Cougars when they drop into Scott Stadium?

Offense

The biggest difference, at least offensively, from last year's team to this year's will be in the passing attack. Standout receiver Malachi Fields is no longer around and neither is signal caller Anthony Colandrea. Fields, who was a senior a season ago, caught 55 passes for 808 yards and five scores to pace team. He was good for 14.7 yards per snag on a Cavaliers offense that threw the ball for just about half as often as they ran it. Colandrea threw for 2,125 yards and 13 TDs but transferred to UNLV.

On the ground Elliot's team is tasked with replacing a big playmaker as well. Running back Kobe Pace is now gone after toting the ball 114 times last year. Pace picked up 499 yards and three scores in 2024. Now, though, it will likely be junior back Xavier Brown who will see the bulk of the workload. Running behind Pace last fall, Brown piled up 488 yards and a touchdown. He is currently listed at the top of the Virginia depth chart.

On top of all that turnover, the offensive line is expected to have two new faces on it as well with incoming transfers Monroe Mills at right tackle and Brady Wilson at center. They will be looking to develop a quick chemistry with ex-North Texas QB Chandler Morris who is likely to take over passing duties this year.

Defense

While that is going on offense, on the other side, UVA will look its youth as well as some more transfers to carry the torch. Guys like former Louisville safety Devin Neal and ex-Morgan State cornerback Ja'Son Prevard will fill into spots on the secondary while familiar faces such as sophomore Jason Hammond and junior Kam Robinson will come onto the line and linebacking corps respectively.

This is a game that... on paper at least... Washington State should have a solid chance at winning with all the changes Virginia is going through. Long road trips like this, though, can yield unsavory results and, if UVA has anything working for it, it's stability in the coaching department as Elliot retains both his offensive and defensive coordinators in Desmond Kitchings and John Rudzinski. That is a staff that has yet to go bowling but has familiarity with each other and the program; something that could carry them a long ways this fall.

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