First look: Virginia travels to NC State for Week 2 nonconference clash
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- Virginia and NC State will meet in a nonconference game on Sept. 6 in Raleigh.
- UVA opened with a 48-7 win over Coastal Carolina behind 454 yards of offense.
- NC State hopes to improve its red zone efficiency in Week 2.
Virginia and N.C. State are both in the ACC, but their upcoming matchup won’t count toward the league standings.
The Cavaliers and Wolfpack play each other in Week 2 in a nonconference game, aimed to boost each other’s strength of schedule. It takes place after a scheduling merry-go-round with Louisiana Tech and Appalachian State matchups being rescheduled.
Virginia has floundered in recent years against ACC opponents, finishing 6-17 in conference play the past three seasons. Its three wins in the league last season were the most since the Cavaliers went 4-4 in 2021.
Tony Elliott’s team was again picked to finish 14th in the ACC after bringing in 51 new players. The Cavaliers opened their season Saturday and looked far from an ACC bottom feeder. UVA, instead, dominated Coastal Carolina and former N.C. State quarterback MJ Morris in a 48-7 showdown to open the season.
The Hoos fired on all cylinders, recording 454 yards of total offense and scored the most points in a game during Eliot’s tenure. On defense, UVA held the Chanticleers to 254 yards, including 91 yards on the ground. The first-half shutout was the first one since the Cavaliers held Duke scoreless in the first half of their 2021 game.
Additionally, Virginia added a blocked punt that ultimately turned into a touchdown and kickoff return touchdown.
Transfer quarterback Chandler Morris went 19 of 27 for 264 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Morris left the game in the third quarter after sustaining a hit to his non-throwing shoulder. He will be evaluated before a decision is made regarding his availability this weekend.
Morris is the son of Chad Morris, who was the head coach at SMU from 2015-17 and Arkansas from 2018-19. Chad Morris also served as the Clemson offensive coordinator from 2011-14, where he helped the Tigers go 3-1 in bowl games.
N.C. State is coming off a 24-17 win over East Carolina in its opener, where it started well but didn’t maintain the same intensity throughout the entire game and allowed the Pirates to hang around.
“There’s a lot to get better at,” Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren said. “I thought we stalled out in the red zone several times with penalties and tackles for losses. We went backwards. We’d have an explosive play to get down there, and then all of a sudden we’d be going backwards. Lots to improve on on offense, a lot of good things on offense, but you know, our goal is to score 31 or more. We were a touchdown short of our goal in this game, and we had two missed field goals, which hurt us. That’s an area we gotta get better [at], as well.”
The Wolfpack has an opportunity to fix those mistakes this weekend, but Virginia doesn’t look like it’s going to be quite as easy of a win as many hoped going into the season.
Players to watch: Cam Ross, Trell Harris
Virginia’s offense lit up the scoreboard in Week 1 thanks to wide receiver Cam Ross, N.C. State tight end Justin Joly’s former Connecticut teammate. Ross contributed the 100-yard kickoff return touchdown — UVA’s first since 2019 — and a second touchdown with 124 receiving yards. Ross now has four 100-yard receiving yards in his career, which leads the 2025 roster.
When the Wolfpack beat UConn on the road, 24-14, in 2023, Ross had one reception for 14 yards.
Trell Harris, in his second season as a Cavalier, started the season with a 93-yard performance. His best play of the day came late in the first half when Harris hauled in a one-handed catch for a gain of 48. Harris’ reception put the Cavaliers on the 2-yard line, which Virginia turned into a four-touchdown lead.
N.C. State’s secondary features a number of new or relatively inexperienced players, including Jackson Vick, Devon Marshall, Brian Nelson and Jamel Johnson. The quartet combined for 18 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in the opener, but Marshall was the only player of the four with a pass deflection.
The secondary will need to step up, and the defensive front will have to put more pressure on Virginia’s quarterback, while the special teams squad has to limit the Hoos in the return game. UVA has what looked like — at least in the limited sample size — one of the school’s best teams in several years, and N.C. State could have its work cut out for it.
Vegas betting line
N.C. State opened as a 3-point favorite, with the over/under set at 53. The Wolfpack moneyline is set at -154, while the Hoos’ moneyline opened at +124.
NC State vs Virginia game info
Teams: N.C. State Wolfpack (1-0) vs Virginia Cavaliers (1-0) Where: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh Date: Saturday, Sept. 6 Time: 12 p.m. TV: ESPN2 Stream: fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV Stream, Sling TV Series history: N.C. State holds a 37-22-1 record in the series, including five wins in the past six contests. The Wolfpack has won three in a row and is 17-9 when playing the Cavaliers at home.
This story was originally published September 1, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
