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Five Keys to a Virginia Victory Against Wake Forest 

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Five Keys to a Virginia Victory Against Wake Forest 


The Virginia Cavaliers roll into week two against a much more formidable opponent in ACC foe Wake Forest, who pulled off a 45-13 win over NC A&T. With UVA looking to improve to 2-0, here are our five keys to a Virginia victory on Saturday night. 

Hank Bachmeier commands the slow mesh offense for the Demon Deacons, which hinges on the offensive line that ranked 8th last year in FBS football, allowing their plays to develop. If the Cavaliers want to leave Winston-Salem with a win, it’ll be essential for the defensive line to put pressure on Bachmeier, something they struggled with against Richmond last week. The Cavaliers only recorded one sack against the Spiders, and it came towards the end of the game. Against Wake Forest, Virginia needs to get pressure early and often. 

Wake Forest loses four of the five members from their starting secondary in 2023, and it will be critical for the Cavaliers to take advantage by exposing one-on-one matchups and testing the integrity and chemistry of this group. This will come down to quarterback Anthony Colandrea seeing openings in this defense, making pre-snap adjustments, and trusting his wide receiver corps to make catches in tight spaces. This involves throwing the ball more in the middle of the field on quick slants, something the Cavaliers showed little of last week against the Spiders. 

Winning the turnover battle will be critical for the Cavaliers to get their first road win of the 2024 campaign. Avoiding turning the ball over starts with Colandrea protecting the football and making no careless hero plays that could jeopardize possession. Defensively, it is about making a play similar to the forced fumble by Corey Thomas Jr. last week that shifted the momentum of the game early on in favor of Virginia. Since 2001, teams that have won the turnover battle have won more than 75% of the time, according to the football perspective. 

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The Cavaliers rushed for 200 yards against Richmond. To give Colandrea some help, the Virginia backfield, which was outstanding last week, will need to continue to complement the passing game. The lead tailback, Kobe Pace, rushed for 93 yards and one touchdown while averaging over eight yards a carry, and it will be critical the Cavaliers lean on Pace in addition to Jack Griese and Xavier Brown once again against the Demon Deacons. 

Wake Forest’s Taylor Morin had a 73-yard punt return last week. The Cavaliers ranked 90th in special teams in 2022, allowed two blocked punts for touchdowns, and had only 58 touchbacks (second-fewest in the ACC) in 2023. Luckily for the Cavaliers, Daniel Sparks looked good during kickoffs, allowing only one non-touchback in game one. If Virginia wants to defeat Wake Forest, reversing the trend from last season and winning the special teams battle will be critical.

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Virginia hires Richmond’s Aaron Roussell after Amaka Agugua-Hamilton’s firing, investigation

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Virginia hires Richmond’s Aaron Roussell after Amaka Agugua-Hamilton’s firing, investigation


Virginia has its new women’s basketball coach, after a messy ending with its previous one.

The Cavaliers announced Tuesday they had hired Richmond head coach Aaron Roussell to replace the fired Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, who was reportedly the subject of an internal investigation over allegations of staff mistreatment. Roussell will be the seventh head coach in program history.

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Roussell had been the Spiders’ head coach for seven years, accruing a 148-72 record and leading them to three straight NCAA tournament appearances since 2024. They notched the first tourney win in their history against Georgia Tech in 2025.

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Aaron Roussell has some work to do in Charlottesville.

(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / REUTERS)

Roussell will not have to travel far for his new job, but he will enter a program facing surprising levels of instability after a Cinderella run in this year’s March Madness.

After entering their first NCAA tournament in eight years, the Cavaliers reeled off wins over Arizona State in the First Four, No. 7 Georgia and No. 2 Iowa to reach their first Sweet 16 since 2000. Then, days after the season ended, the program announced Agugua-Hamilton’s firing in a cryptic “Virginia Announces Leadership Change for Women’s Basketball” statement.

Per On3’s transfer portal tracker, six Virginia players have entered the portal, including last season’s leading scorer Kymora Johnson.



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Former Virginia Gov Glenn Youngkin hints at political future, says he’s ‘chomping at the bit’ after exit

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Former Virginia Gov Glenn Youngkin hints at political future, says he’s ‘chomping at the bit’ after exit


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Former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signaled his political career may not be over, telling Sean Hannity he still has “more to give” just under three months after leaving office.

“I have more to give. I just do. The one year of campaigning and the four years of running, so five years, went by in five seconds. It was amazing,” Youngkin said on the “Hang Out with Sean Hannity” podcast.

In the full episode, debuting Tuesday, Youngkin sat down with the Fox News host to discuss his time in office, as well as what things have been like since his term expired in January.

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Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin addresses the crowd during an early voting rally on Sept. 21, 2023, in Petersburg, Va. (Steve Helber/AP)

Every morning [when I was governor], I woke up literally bounding out of bed, ready to roll, and that was the most purposeful I’ve ever felt in my whole life.

Youngkin oversaw a range of conservative measures passed in the state, including a push to ensure age-appropriate curriculum in public schools.

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Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger responds to President Donald Trump’s unseen State of the Union address. (Steve Helber/Reuters)

He also pushed for tax cuts, including efforts to reduce the state’s grocery tax, rolled back COVID-19 restrictions early in his tenure and emphasized tougher public safety policies.

His time in office concluded earlier this year, when Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s administration succeeded his.

I’ve been out of office for six weeks. I took [my wife] Suzanne on vacation, which she so deserved. She’s been amazing. I think she’s of the best first ladies in America,” he said.

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“But six weeks has felt like six years… You’re chomping at the bit.”

While Youngkin stopped short of outlining specific plans for the future, his comments suggest he is keeping the door open to a return to public office.

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.



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Denver police arrest man suspected in fatal shooting on E. Virginia Avenue

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Denver police arrest man suspected in fatal shooting on E. Virginia Avenue


Denver police have arrested the man they believe was responsible for a fatal shooting on E. Virginia Avenue on Thursday afternoon.

According to an arrest affidavit, the Denver Dispatch Center received a 911 call around 12:35 p.m. to report a shooting in the 10100 block of E. Virginia Ave. The caller told dispatch workers that a white SUV was fleeing the scene.

Responding officers found a man who was critically wounded. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

Investigators reportedly discovered a handgun, the victim’s cellphone and money in the area where the shooting happened. They also located surveillance footage in the area, which appeared to show the victim exiting a white Chevrolet Tahoe as gunshots could be heard. He walked to the east, looking for help, before collapsing on the ground.

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The affidavit says a conversation was discovered on the victim’s Instagram account in which he was speaking with another person who was selling a firearm.

Aurora police assisted investigators using the Flock License Plate Reader system, identifying the Tahoe at several locations. Police said the vehicle had unique characteristics on the passenger rear wheel. The affidavit says that, before the shooting, the vehicle had a rear license plate, but after the shooting, it was missing.

Daniel Villegas

Denver Police Department

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Investigators found the vehicle, executed a search warrant and found a fired cartridge case in the back seat. A person connected to the case reportedly told officers that he drove his friend, later identified as Daniel Puga Villegas, to meet a person to collect money from him. However, he says an argument took place, and Villegas shot the victim, then ripped off his temporary rear license plate and, while still holding the gun, told him to drive.

Villegas was arrested on Sunday with assistance from the APD and is facing charges of first-degree murder.



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