Only a major upset Saturday night would have revealed any significant new truths about the 2026 Virginia football program. Instead, the Cavaliers took care of business, posting a convincing 42-3 romp over Delaware .
As usual, Beau Pribula was effective and efficient. That's nothing new. Neither is overwhelming an outmanned opponent; the Cavaliers did the same thing to Norfolk State 15 days earlier.
But we did learn a few things about Tony Elliott 's team that could affect the rest of the season. Here are three:
Big things were expected from Flores, a high-profile transfer who had made previous stops at Notre Dame and UCLA . Recurring hamstring issues kept him sidelined for Virginia 's first two games, though, and he had just one catch against West Virginia last week.
Saturday night marked Flores' official coming-out party. He had nine receptions for 113 yards, all in the first half, including a 7-yard touchdown pass. Most of his catches came on quick slants, where his 6-2, 211-pound frame makes him a tough matchup.
He looked like the legitimate No. 1 wide receiver that Pribula had been searching for through three games, and he helped the offense thrive on a night when the usually reliable running game was relatively unproductive.
Most importantly, though, he gave future opponents something to think about--and could loosen coverages against teammates like Kam Courtney, DaShawn Martin (four catches each) and Jacquon Martin (two catches).
"If you have multiple kind of weapons, then defenses have to decide how they want to stop you, right?" Elliott said. " ... If they decide to send a safety over the top of Rico, then somebody else should be open. It helps you to have the versatility to attack a defensive game plan however they decide to try to stop you."
Virginia held Delaware 's pass offense, which was averaging nearly 300 yards per game, to just 71 yards through the air. When starter Nick Minicucci left the game with an apparent ankle injury in the second quarter, the game was effectively over. Backups Braden Streeter (2 for 16, 9 yards, 2 interceptions) and Riley Trujillo (1 for 3, 38 yards) were ineffective as their team fell further and further behind.
The Cavaliers sacked Streeter twice and Trujillo once, but never got to Minicucci. They have a modest eight team sacks through three games - none by Fisher Camac , their highest-profile edge rusher.
With games coming up against pass-happy ACC rivals like Florida State, Syracuse, SMU and California , the Cavaliers would like to get home more often. Linebacker Kam Robinson's recovery from a torn ACL should allow him to begin blitzing more often.
"At the end of the day, we just want to play good defense," Elliott said. "If that means it's being disruptive, and getting the ball out earlier without getting them on the ground, I can live with that. Every day, coaches are on the edge guys and the D-tackles to create some pass rush, but we're still figuring out personnel."
Virginia's players could have let the hangover from a disappointing effort against WVU carry over to the UVA Strong Game. They could have underestimated Delaware, especially with an upcoming string of eight straight ACC contests beginning with next Saturday's visit to FSU.
Instead, the took care of business comfortably and kept their goals intact.
"I don't feel like we took a loss [against WVU]," Flores said. "I think we learned a lesson about our program and about the things we need to improve on our part. And I feel like we did that tonight."
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/virginia as What did we learn about Virginia in a romp over Delaware? .
