Virginia
Clemson Tigers vs. Virginia Cavaliers Predictions: Insider Picks and Analysis
It’s a reunion for Clemson Tigers coach Dabo Swinney and Virginia coach Tony Elliott when their teams face each other at noon on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
Elliott was an assistant coach for Swinney for a decade, working both of the Tigers’ national championship teams. On the strength of his work with Clemson, Elliott got the job with Virginia.
It’s been an odd week, Swinney admits, saying that he’s never faced a former assistant coach before. So there will be some hugs and some pleasantries extended during pre-game. But once the ball is kicked, it will be time to get to work.
The No.10 Tigers (5-1, 4-0 in ACC) has averaged 48.6 points in their last five games. Potential Heisman Trophy voters are starting to pay attention to quarterback Cade Klubnik. Most College Football Playoff pundits now have them winning the ACC.
The Cavaliers (4-2, 2-1) have cleared 30 points in three games this year, but only once against a power conference team. While the Cavaliers have a fine defense, they haven’t faced an offense as explosive as Clemson’s.
Virginia will also have to contend with a Clemson defense that has allowed 13.6 points in its last three games. The quality of the Tigers’ defense doesn’t get talked about enough.
So who wins? Here is the All Clemson staff’s predictions for the game.
Clemson 34, Virginia 13
Clemson is playing really good football right now and I don’t see Virginia getting in the way of that. I expect Klubnik to have time to throw the ball and I see the Clemson front seven dominating the Virginia offensive line.
Clemson 35, Virginia 20
Games before a bye week can be dangerous for the team that’s rolling, and few teams in the country are on the kind of role that the Tigers are on at the moment. Offensively they’re nearly impossible to stop, and their defense is making it difficult for opponents to move the football. Virginia is probably the best team they’ve faced in the past three weeks and the Cavaliers should give them some trouble. But I see Clemson pulling away in the second half.
Clemson 31, Virginia 13
The Clemson Tigers are riding a lot of momentum and are facing off against a Virginia Cavaliers team with a solid defense. Alas, their offense won’t be able to keep up with the explosive Tigers, who will win their sixth consecutive game. They will face a little more of a challenge this week but still come away with a decisive victory.
RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) – Events scheduled for Friday, July 17 are being canceled across the Richmond area due to poor air quality making it unsafe to be outside.
City of Richmond
- All camp programs are indoors on Friday.
- Outdoor city pools will also be closed Friday. Indoor swimming is available at Bellemede Community Center Pool (1800 Lynhaven Avenue, open until 8 p.m.) and Swansboro Pool (3160 Midlothian Turnpike, open until 8 p.m.).
- The scheduled Festival of the Arts performance at Dogwood Dell (KOS BAND) has been canceled.
- The Salvation Army at 1900 Chamberlayne Avenue will be a center for cooling and air quality relief from 2 p.m, on Friday, July 17 to 8 a.m. Saturday, July 18 and from 12 to 5 p.m.
Colonial Downs
Colonial Downs in New Kent canceled live racing for Friday but will continue on Saturday at an earlier-than-normal 11:30 a.m. post time. Military Appreciation Day at Colonial Downs is still on for Sunday, July 19.
Weather Updates
Some areas in Virginia area under a Code Purple Alert, which means everyone should limit their time outside, especially children, older adults, and those with lung and heart diseases.
Click here to track the air quality near you.
Copyright 2026 WWBT. All rights reserved.
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia has plenty of state symbols, be it the black bear as the state animal, the cardinal as the state bird or the rhododendron as the state flower, but did you know that the Mountain State also has its own official gun?
The Hall Flintlock Model 1819 was first manufactured in Harpers Ferry by John H. Hall in 1811 and was adopted by the United States Army in 1819, making it the first breech-loading rifle ever adopted by a country’s military.
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Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution -
Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution
All of this information is listed in Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, which was introduced and passed during the 2013 West Virginia Legislative session, and officially recognizes the Model 1819 as the official firearm of the State of West Virginia.
On top of being created in West Virginia, the resolution also points out that the rifle saw use during the Civil War, an event that directly led to West Virginia’s statehood.
While having an officially recognized state firearm may seem far-fetched, West Virginia is not the only state that has one. As a matter of fact, a fifth of the states in the country have officially designated a state firearm, including West Virginia’s neighbors in Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In this world of college football, with the transfer portal and recruiting battles, bad blood is present more than ever before between head coaches.
That’s not the case between the Virginia Tech head coach and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, however. In fact, Franklin revealed at ACC Kickoff on Thursday that the two are actually close friends, dating back to their time at the Nike trip that various coaches take over the summer.
“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”
The long-time Penn State head coach is making the move to the ACC after being fired from the Nittany Lions in October. 12 seasons of being with the program had Franklin hold a 44-21 record against top 10 opponents, an impressive record for a new conference foe of Swinney’s.
But when that trip comes around, there’s a camaraderie between Swinney and Franklin and both of their wives. In fact, the two hang out with each other instead of the other coaches at times. It simply comes to an “edgy” time in college athletics that raises tempers.
“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin said. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”
On Swinney’s end, there are a few who could immediately come to mind among Clemson fans. Perhaps the most recent would be Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who played the most significant role in the tampering of former linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
It’s a select list of coaches who make the good side of the Tigers’ head coach, and Franklin is certainly on that list. On the other hand, Hokies’ head coach has Swinney on his own shortlist.
“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” he said.
The two will see that close relationship face off at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. Clemson will host the Hokies on Oct. 24 in what could be a potential title-eliminator for the ACC Championship.
Of course, the last game that we’ve seen the Tigers play in was against Franklin’s former team in Penn State at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. That game ended in a 22-10 contest that saw a foundation of Franklin players end Clemson’s season in disappointment.
Swinney will see many of those players once again in October, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, in that contest. The anticipated Hokie starter recorded 260 yards and two passing touchdowns on the Tigers in the Bronx that day.
Although friends become foes, another ACC coach has given Swinney his flowers for what he’s been able to do for the conference. In the upcoming moments, Franklin will look to prepare his team to prove itself on one of the biggest stages in the ACC, while Swinney looks to put his team back at the top of a conference he’s dominated for over 15 years.
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