# 2024 Virginia Cavaliers football team
The 2024 [Virginia Cavaliers football](https://www.edgepedia.org/virginia-cavaliers-football) team represented the [University of Virginia](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-virginia) in the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season, the program's 135th season and its third under head coach Tony Elliott. The Cavaliers finished 5-7 overall and 3-5 in the [Atlantic Coast Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/atlantic-coast-conference) (ACC), missing bowl eligibility for a third consecutive season.[1](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/virginia/2024.html) • [2](https://static.virginiasports.com/custompages/sports/m-footbl/factbook/2024/2024_Virginia_Football_Record_Book_web.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Record | 5-7 overall (84th of 134 FBS teams), 3-5 in ACC play[1](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/virginia/2024.html) |
| Coach | Tony Elliott, third season as Virginia Fralin Family Head Football Coach[1](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/virginia/2024.html) • [2](https://static.virginiasports.com/custompages/sports/m-footbl/factbook/2024/2024_Virginia_Football_Record_Book_web.pdf) |
| Scoring | 272 points for (22.7 per game, 107th of 134); 345 against (28.8 per game, 94th)[1](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/virginia/2024.html) |
| Total offense / defense | 360.9 yards per game on offense; 408.3 allowed per game[1](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/virginia/2024.html) |
| Home / away | 2-4 at Scott Stadium, 3-3 on the road, 0-0 neutral site[3](https://virginiasports.com/sports/football/schedule/season/2024-25) |
| Season finish | Lost the final three games, ending with a 17-37 defeat at Virginia Tech[3](https://virginiasports.com/sports/football/schedule/season/2024-25) |
| Schedule strength | SRS -1.08 (80th of 134); schedule strength rating 4.17 (35th of 134)[1](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/virginia/2024.html) |
## Season results
Virginia opened with a 34-13 home win over Richmond on August 31, then won its ACC opener 31-30 at Wake Forest. After a 13-27 home loss to Maryland, the Cavaliers beat Coastal Carolina 43-24 on the road and [Boston College](https://www.edgepedia.org/boston-college) 24-14 at home, reaching 4-2 overall and 2-1 in conference play at the season's midpoint.[3](https://virginiasports.com/sports/football/schedule/season/2024-25) • [4](https://virginiasports.com/news/2024/10/13/schedule-leaves-hoos-little-room-for-error)
The second half of the season turned sharply. Virginia lost four straight, falling 20-24 to Louisville, 31-48 at No. 10 Clemson, 14-41 to North Carolina, and then winning 24-19 at No. 23 Pitt on November 9. The final three games were all defeats: 14-35 at No. 8 Notre Dame, 7-33 at home against No. 13 SMU in the home finale, and 17-37 at [Virginia Tech](https://www.edgepedia.org/virginia-tech) on November 30.[3](https://virginiasports.com/sports/football/schedule/season/2024-25) In all, the Cavaliers won only one of their final seven games.[5](https://virginiasports.com/news/2024/11/30/cavaliers-fall-at-virginia-tech-in-commonwealth-clash)
The late-season stretch was notable for its difficulty: the SMU game was, for the sixth time in program history (1949, 1996, 2002, 2005, 2019, 2021, 2024), the third consecutive game against a ranked opponent.[6](https://virginiasports.com/news/2024/11/23/cavaliers-stumble-in-home-finale)
## Schedule difficulty
The 2024 schedule was built to be demanding. Virginia played six true road games, beginning with the ACC opener at Wake Forest on September 7.[7](https://virginiasports.com/news/2024/01/24/2024-virginia-football-schedule-unveiled) Nine of the twelve opponents had played in a bowl game the previous season, including Boston College, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, Louisville, Maryland, North Carolina, Notre Dame, SMU, and Virginia Tech, and the opponents' combined 2023 record was 94-62 (.603).[7](https://virginiasports.com/news/2024/01/24/2024-virginia-football-schedule-unveiled) Sports-Reference's schedule strength rating of 4.17 ranked 35th of 134 FBS teams, well above the team's overall ranking of 84th.[1](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/virginia/2024.html)
## Team statistics
Virginia's offense averaged 360.9 yards per game over 12 games, with 229.0 passing yards and 131.9 rushing yards per game, while the defense allowed 408.3 yards per game, a difference of 47.4 yards per game in the opponent's favor.[1](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/virginia/2024.html) The Cavaliers scored 22.7 points per game and allowed 28.8, ranking 107th and 94th of 134 FBS teams respectively.[1](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/virginia/2024.html) Turnovers were a modest negative margin: 1.6 committed per game on offense against 1.3 forced by the defense.[1](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/virginia/2024.html)
## Commonwealth Clash finale
The regular season ended at [Lane Stadium](https://www.edgepedia.org/lane-stadium) in Blacksburg, where Virginia Tech won 37-17 to retain the Commonwealth Cup for a fifth consecutive year and clinch its own bowl eligibility.[8](https://hokiesports.com/news/2024/12/1/virginia-tech-football-game-recap-virginia-tech-vs-virginia) The game again decided bowl eligibility for the Cavaliers, who fell to 0-4 in such games against Virginia Tech (2006, 2008, 2014, 2024).[5](https://virginiasports.com/news/2024/11/30/cavaliers-fall-at-virginia-tech-in-commonwealth-clash)
## Context within the program
The 5-7 record was an improvement on the previous two seasons; by mid-October the Cavaliers had already won more games than they did in either 2022 or 2023.[4](https://virginiasports.com/news/2024/10/13/schedule-leaves-hoos-little-room-for-error) The roster then changed substantially: more than 50 newcomers, including 32 transfers, joined the program before the 2025 season.[9](https://virginiasports.com/news/2026/02/4/cavaliers-reload-with-latest-transfer-class)
## References
1. [2024 Virginia Cavaliers Stats, Sports-Reference](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/virginia/2024.html)
2. [2024 Virginia Football Information, Virginia Athletics Record Book](https://static.virginiasports.com/custompages/sports/m-footbl/factbook/2024/2024_Virginia_Football_Record_Book_web.pdf)
3. [Football 2024-25 Schedule, Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site](https://virginiasports.com/sports/football/schedule/season/2024-25)
4. [Schedule Leaves Hoos Little Room for Error, VirginiaSports.com](https://virginiasports.com/news/2024/10/13/schedule-leaves-hoos-little-room-for-error)
5. [Cavaliers Fall at Virginia Tech in Commonwealth Clash, VirginiaSports.com](https://virginiasports.com/news/2024/11/30/cavaliers-fall-at-virginia-tech-in-commonwealth-clash)
6. [Cavaliers Stumble in Home Finale, VirginiaSports.com](https://virginiasports.com/news/2024/11/23/cavaliers-stumble-in-home-finale)
7. [2024 Virginia Football Schedule Unveiled, VirginiaSports.com](https://virginiasports.com/news/2024/01/24/2024-virginia-football-schedule-unveiled)
8. [Game Recap: Virginia Tech vs. Virginia, Virginia Tech Athletics](https://hokiesports.com/news/2024/12/1/virginia-tech-football-game-recap-virginia-tech-vs-virginia)
9. [Cavaliers Reload With Latest Transfer Class, VirginiaSports.com](https://virginiasports.com/news/2026/02/4/cavaliers-reload-with-latest-transfer-class)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › College, minor, and international American football › College football seasons*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license