# 2023 Virginia Cavaliers football team

The 2023 Virginia Cavaliers football team represented the University of Virginia as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cavaliers were led by second-year head coach Tony Elliott and played home games at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Virginia Cavaliers football team drew an average home attendance of 43,293 in 2023.

## Schedule

Virginia and the ACC announced the 2023 football schedule on January 30, 2023. The 2023 season was the conference's first season since 2004, other than 2020, with a scheduling format not split into two divisions. The new format sets Virginia with three set conference opponents, while playing the remaining ten teams twice (home and away) in a four-year cycle. The Cavaliers' three set conference opponents for the next four years are Louisville, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. No. 12 Tennessee* | Nissan StadiumNashville, TN (SEC Nation) | ABC | L 13–49 | 69,507 |
| September 9 | 12:00 p.m. | James Madison* | Scott StadiumCharlottesville, VA | ESPNU | L 35–36 | 56,508 |
| September 15 | 7:00 p.m. | at Maryland* | SECU StadiumCollege Park, MD (rivalry) | FS1 | L 14–42 | 37,041 |
| September 22 | 7:30 p.m. | NC State | Scott StadiumCharlottesville, VA | ESPN | L 21–24 | 42,979 |
| September 30 | 2:00 p.m. | at Boston College | Alumni StadiumChestnut Hill, MA | The CW | L 24–27 | 41,868 |
| October 7 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 10 (FCS) William & Mary* | Scott StadiumCharlottesville, VA | ACCN | W 27–13 | 38,289 |
| October 21 | 6:30 p.m. | at No. 10 North Carolina | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC (South's Oldest Rivalry) | The CW | W 31–27 | 50,500 |
| October 28 | 3:30 p.m. | at Miami (FL) | Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens, FL | ACCN | L 26–29 $^{OT}$ | 58,503 |
| November 4 | 2:00 p.m. | Georgia Tech | Scott StadiumCharlottesville, VA | The CW | L 17–45 | 42,606 |
| November 9 | 7:30 p.m. | at No. 11 Louisville | L&N StadiumLouisville, KY | ESPN | L 24–31 | 44,628 |
| November 18 | 3:00 p.m. | Duke | Scott StadiumCharlottesville, VA | The CW | W 30–27 | 36,400 |
| November 25 | 3:30 p.m. | Virginia Tech | Scott StadiumCharlottesville, VA (Commonwealth Cup) | ACCN | L 17–55 | 42,976 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after November 1) - Released prior to gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Game summaries
### vs Tennessee

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Virginia | 0 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
| No. 12 Tennessee | 7 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 49 |
at Nissan Stadium • Nashville, Tennessee
* Date: Saturday, September 2, 2023
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Sunny, 80 °F (27 °C)
* Game attendance: 69,507
* Referee: Matt Loeffler
* TV announcers (ABC): Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Jesse Palmer (analyst), Katie George (sideline)
| Statistics | UVA | TENN |
| First downs | 12 | 29 |
| Total yards | 64–201 | 85–499 |
| Rushing yards | 40–95 | 52–287 |
| Passing yards | 106 | 212 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 11–24–0 | 23–33–0 |
| Time of possession | 32:54 | 27:06 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Virginia | Passing | Tony Muskett | 9/17, 94 yards |
| Virginia | Rushing | Perris Jones | 7 carries, 39 yards, TD |
| Virginia | Receiving | Malachi Fields | 4 receptions, 63 yards |
| Tennessee | Passing | Joe Milton III | 21/30, 201 yards, 2 TD |
| Tennessee | Rushing | Jaylen Wright | 12 carries, 115 yards |
| Tennessee | Receiving | Ramel Keyton | 3 receptions, 66 yards |

### at Maryland

| Pregame line | Over/under |
| MD -16.5 | 48.5 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cavaliers | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Terrapins | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 42 |
at SECU Stadium • College Park, Maryland
* Date: September 15th
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT/12:30 p.m. PDT
* Game attendance: 37,041
* Referee: Mike Roche
* TV announcers (FS1): Eric Collins (play-by-play) and Devin Gardner (analyst)
| Statistics | Virginia | Maryland |
| First downs | 25 | 20 |
| Plays–yards | 69-354 | 61-461 |
| Rushes–yards | 30-91 | 31-119 |
| Passing yards | 263 | 342 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 23-39-3 | 19-30-0 |
| Time of possession | 31:27 | 28:33 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Virginia | Passing | Anthony Colandrea | 23/39, 263 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT |
| Virginia | Rushing | Perris Jones | 9 carries, 37 yards, 1 TD |
| Virginia | Receiving | Malik Washington | 9 receptions, 141 yards |
| Maryland | Passing | Taulia Tagovailoa | 19/30, 342 yards, 1 TD |
| Maryland | Rushing | Colby McDonald | 10 carries, 75 yards, 1 TD |
| Maryland | Receiving | Jeshaun Jones | 5 receptions, 96 yards, 1 TD |

### NC State

| Pregame line | Over/under |
| NCSU –8.5 | 47.5 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wolfpack | 0 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
| Cavaliers | 0 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 21 |
at Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, VA
* Date: September 22, 2023
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT/4:30 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 42,979
* Referee: Riley Johnson
* TV announcers (ESPN): Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst), Paul Carcaterra (sideline)
| Statistics | NCSU | UVA |
| First downs | 21 | 20 |
| Total yards | 319 | 384 |
| Rushing yards | 139 | 113 |
| Passing yards | 180 | 271 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 27:26 | 32:34 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| NC State | Passing | Brennan Armstrong | 15–30, 180 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| NC State | Rushing | Brennan Armstrong | 15 rushes, 64 yards |
| NC State | Receiving | KC Concepcion | 6 receptions, 116 yards, 2 TD |
| Virginia | Passing | Anthony Colandrea | 18–30, 271 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Virginia | Rushing | Anthony Colandrea | 13 rushes, 43 yards |
| Virginia | Receiving | Malik Washington | 10 receptions, 170 yards, 2 TD |

### Virginia Tech

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Virginia Tech | 10 | 14 | 24 | 7 | 55 |
| Virginia | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 17 |
at Scott Stadium • Charlottesville, VA
* Date: November 25, 2023
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: sunny • Temperature: 43 °F (6 °C)
* Game attendance: 42,976
* Referee: Gary Patterson
| Statistics | VT | UVA |
| First downs | 16 | 18 |
| Total yards | 500 | 286 |
| Rush yards | 252 | 43 |
| Passing yards | 248 | 243 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 28:46 | 31:14 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Virginia Tech | Passing | Kyron Drones | 10/22, 244 yards, 3 TD |
| Virginia Tech | Rushing | Bhayshul Tuten | 16 carries, 117 yards, TD |
| Virginia Tech | Receiving | Da'Quan Felton | 3 receptions, 133 yards, 2 TD |
| Virginia | Passing | Anthony Colandrea | 29/46, 243 yards, 2 TD |
| Virginia | Rushing | Donte Hawthorne | 4 carries, 16 yards |
| Virginia | Receiving | Malik Washington | 14 receptions, 115 yards |

## Players drafted into the NFL

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
| 6 | 184 | Malik Washington | WR | Miami Dolphins |