Notre Dame Football First Look: Virginia Cavaliers

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – SEPTEMBER 14: Head coach Bronco Mendenhall of the Virginia Cavaliers reacts to a first down call in the second half during a game against the Florida State Seminoles at Scott Stadium on September 14, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. He’ll face Notre Dame this Saturday. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

Let’s take a look at how the No. 18 Virginia Cavaliers stack up against Notre Dame this Saturday.

After a tough loss against No. 3 Georgia last Saturday, Notre Dame returns home to face the 18th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers.

The Irish, who were a few plays away from earning the signature win of the Brian Kelly era, must now shift their attention to the Cavaliers, who will look to play spoiler against the No. 10 Fighting Irish.

Virginia (4-0) opened the season unranked and has steadily climbed into the top-20 despite unimpressive performances in back-to-back games. After narrowly beating Florida State 31-24 two weeks ago, the Cavaliers struggled to put away Old Dominion (UVA trailed 17-7 at the half) before scoring 21 unanswered points to secure a 28-17 victory last Saturday.

For Virginia, the matchup with Notre Dame will serve as a litmus test for a team looking to improve upon its 8-5 record last season that included a Belk Bowl victory. Currently, UVA is an 11-point underdog against the Irish. Can Bronco Mendenhall’s Cavaliers pull off the upset? Let’s take a look at how they stack up.

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