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20 CAVALIER CORNER Sept. 2 vs. Tennessee (Nashville, Tenn.) The Cavaliers will open up their 2023 campaign at a neutral site for only the fourth time in program history and the first time since the 1989 opener when they traveled to the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J. to take on then-No. 2 Notre Dame at Giants Stadium. The Cavaliers will square off against SEC foe Tennessee at Nissan Stadium, home of the NFL's Tennessee Titans. Virginia and Tennessee will meet for the first time since the 1991 Sugar Bowl, a game that saw the Volunteers escape with a 23-22 victory in New Orleans. Tennes- see scored 20 of its 23 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning touchdown with 31 seconds remaining. UVA's lone win in four tries against the Vols came in 1980, a 16-13 triumph in Knoxville. The Vols finished last season with an 11-2 record and No. 6 final ranking in the Associated Press and AFCA Coaches polls. Sept. 9 vs. James Madison (UVA Strong Game, Orange Out) JMU, playing its second year at the FBS level, will serve as the Cavaliers' opponent for the home opener in Charlottesville. The game will be the 500th played at Scott Stadium and is designated as UVA Strong Day in which the program will honor Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D'Sean Perry in a pregame ceremony. In conjunction with Paint the Town Orange, fans are encouraged to wear orange to the home opener. The Cavaliers and Dukes have played only three times despite less than 60 miles separating the two schools. The last meeting between UVA and JMU came in 1983, a 21-14 UVA victory at Scott Stadium. The two-time FCS national champion Dukes team compete in the Sun Belt Conference and are coming off an 8-3 season. Sept. 15 (Fri.) at Maryland The longtime UVA/Maryland rivalry will be renewed in College Park with the 79th all-time meeting between the former league rivals. The Cavaliers and Terps have not faced off since 2013, the final season Maryland competed in the ACC. The game will be the first of back-to-back Friday night contests for UVA. Mary- land and Virginia met every season from 1957-2013. Sept. 22 (Fri.) vs. NC State (True Blue Game — Wear Blue) The first meeting between the Cavaliers and Wolfpack since the 2020 season will have some extra juice added to it. The Friday night matchup on ESPN will feature the Cavaliers' all-time leading passer, Brennan Armstrong, suited up in NC State red in his return to Scott Stadium. Since 1998, Virginia has won four of the last five games against the Wolfpack in Charlottesville. Sept. 30 at Boston College The first ACC road contest of the 2023 season for the Cavaliers will take place in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Virginia will play its first road game at Boston College since 2010. The last time the two teams played, 549 yards of total offense powered UVA to a 43-32 win at Scott Stadium in 2020 and ended a six-game skid against the Eagles. After a 6-6 campaign in 2021, BC went 3-9 last season with ACC wins over NC State and Louisville. Oct. 7 vs. William & Mary (Homecoming) W&M has served as UVA's season opener and/or home opener six times since 1995, but the Oct. 7 Homecoming showdown will be the final nonconference tilt for the Cavaliers on the 2023 regular-season docket. Virginia will look to extend its five-game win streak against the Tribe. UVA has won 31 of 37 all-time meet - ings against W&M, including 11 of the last 12. In his fifth season, former Cavalier head coach Mike London will bring his current team to Scott Stadium after an 11-2 campaign in 2022 that ended in the FCS quarterfinals against Montana State. Oct. 21 at North Carolina The 128th edition of the South's Oldest Rivalry will take place in Kenan Stadium. Last year's 31-28 loss in Charlottesville was one of four UVA games decided by three points or less in 2022. Virginia has won two of the last three games in Chapel Hill, its only setback coming in 2021 despite a school-record 554 passing yards from Armstrong. Oct. 28 at Miami Four of the last five meetings between Virginia and Miami have been decided by one score, including the four-overtime contest that allowed the Hurricanes to es- cape with a 16-14 win last season. It was the longest overtime game in UVA history. The Cavaliers had dropped six straight games at Hard Rock Stadium, including the 2019 Orange Bowl (to Florida) until a 30-28 thriller that saw the Hurricanes miss a field goal as time expired in regulation in 2021. Nov. 4 vs. Georgia Tech (Family Weekend) The Cavaliers took control of the all-time series against Georgia Tech behind a dominant defensive performance last season in Atlanta. Virginia emerged with a 16-9 win in The Flats behind 8 sacks on Thursday night football. UVA will host the Yellow Jackets on Family Weekend at Scott Stadium, a place where Georgia Tech hasn't been victorious since 2013. Nov. 9 at Louisville Virginia will attempt to even up the all-time series against Louisville in prime- time on Thursday night. The Cardinals pinned a 34-17 setback on the Cavaliers at Scott Stadium last season. In the 2021 visit to Louisville, UVA came away with a 34-33 victory after a last-second Cardinal field goal missed. It marked the first ever win for the Cavaliers in the Derby City. Nov. 18 vs. Duke (Heroes Appreciation Day) Virginia's seven-game win streak against the Blue Devils came to an end last season in Durham. Duke is coming of a 9-4 year, the most wins since the 2014 season and one shy of matching a program record. The Blue Devils have not won a game in Charlottesville since 2013 and were shutout, 48-0, in their 2021 trip to Scott Stadium. The Cavaliers own a 40-34 mark against Duke in an all-time series that was first played in 1890. Nov. 25 vs. Virginia Tech (Commonwealth Clash) The 2023 Commonwealth Clash returns to Scott Stadium when the Cavaliers host the Hokies in the 104th in-state showdown. Prior to the rivalry game, UVA will honor its seniors with a pregame ceremony. The Hokies have won the last two matchups including a 29-24 comeback victory over the Cavaliers in 2021 at Scott Stadium. UVA will look to repeat its 2019 performance when it topped Virginia Tech 39-30 at home, the first Cavalier win in the series since 2003. 2023 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN Virginia will renew its rivalry with Maryland this fall. The two schools have not faced each other on the gridiron since 2013, but this will mark their 79th all-time meeting. (Photo by Pete Emerson/ courtesy UVA)