Cavaliers' schedule and roster

Saturday, vs. BYU, 3:30 p.m., ESPNU

In their only previous trip to Scott Stadium, the Cougars outlasted the Cavaliers 38-35 in 2000, making up for a 45-40 home loss to Virginia in 1999. UVa had won the only previous meeting, 22-16 in the All-American Bowl in Birmingham, Ala., in 1987. Brigham Young was 8-5 last year in its eighth season under Bronco Mendenhall (74-29).

Sept. 7, vs. Oregon, 3:30 p.m., WSET

The Cavaliers will meet Oregon for the first time in a two-game home-and-home series that was scheduled last winter. Oregon has been one of the elite teams in college football over the past decade and was ranked second in the country last year after a 12-1 season that was capped by a 35-17 Fiesta Bowl victory over Kansas State. Oregon finished outside the top 10 only once in its past five years under coach Chip Kelly, who subsequently jumped to the Philadelphia Eagles and was replaced by offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich.

Sept. 21, vs. VMI

Since losing to the Keydets in three straight meetings, 1976-78, Virginia has won its past nine games with VMI, with none of the past seven games decided by fewer than 25 points. Prior to a 2010 meeting, won by the Cavaliers 48-17, VMI and UVa had not played in 19 years. The Keydets, coming off a 2-9 season in 2012, are coached by former Cavalier offensive coordinator Sparky Woods.

Sept. 28, at Pittsburgh

As fellow Coastal Division members, ACC newcomer Pittsburgh and Virginia will be meeting on an annual basis. The teams had a two-game series in 2006-2007, with the home team winning both games, but they've played only five times in their programs' history and went 48 years between games in 1958 and 2003. Pitt was 6-7 last year under first-year coach Paul Chryst.

Oct. 5, Ball State

Ball State is one of the few Mid-American teams that hasn't visited Virginia for a guaranteed payday over the years. The Cardinals are coming off a 9-4 season in 2012 under third-year coach Pete Lembo and have the capacity to spoil the occasion for the Cavaliers. Lembo had a 35-22 record in five seasons in the Southern Conference as the head coach at Elon.

Oct. 12, at Maryland

Randy Edsall is entering his third season at Maryland and the Terrapins' last as a member of the ACC before going to the Big Ten. Edsall has a 6-18 mark at Maryland, an Atlantic Division team that has Coastal Division foe Virginia as its "scheduling partner." The road team has won the last four games in the series and the Cavaliers have three straight wins at Byrd Stadium.

Oct. 19, Duke

The Cavaliers once dominated this series, winning 17 of 19 games between 1989 and 2007, but Duke has won four of the last five meetings, including a 42-17 shellacking last season at Wallace Wade Stadium. Duke won six games last year and received a bid to the Belk Bowl but was still picked to finish last in the Coastal Division, one spot below UVa.

Oct. 26, Georgia Tech

The Cavaliers are 9-1 against Georgia Tech in Scott Stadium since 1992, with many of those victories coming over ranked Yellow Jacket teams. The Yellow Jackets routed UVa last year in Atlanta, 56-20, but lost three straight games after that and four of five before head coach Paul Johnson relieved ex-UVa coach Al Groh of his defensive-coordinator duties.

Nov. 2, Clemson

When the Cavaliers and Tigers kick off, Virginia will be playing at home for the seventh time in nine games. Whether UVa can recapture any of its one-time Scott Stadium magic will be one of the keys to the season, but Clemson is a formidable opponent that many see as a likely ACC champion with Virginia-bred Tajh Boyd at quarterback.

Nov. 9, at UNC

The Cavaliers end the season with the three teams that were atop the Coastal Division poll - No. 1 Miami, No. 2 North Carolina and No. 3 Virginia Tech. Moreover, the last four games will come against the four quarterbacks with the highest total offense among ACC returnees, including another Virginian, the Tar Heels' Bryn Renner.

Nov. 23, at Miami

Unlike fellow marquee quarterbacks Renner, Boyd and Virginia Tech's Logan Thomas, the Hurricanes' Stephen Morris is not a Virginian, but the Cavaliers recruited him like he was. UVa has won the last three games in the series and has gone 2-0 against Hurricanes' coach Al Golden, a former UVa defensive coordinator, so it's unlikely Miami will be looking past the Cavs.

Nov. 30, Virginia Tech

For a UVa team that has lost nine straight games to its archrival, maybe the bad news is that the game will be played in Charlottesville, where Tech has won games by 38, 38 and 29 points since 2005. On the surface, there wasn't much difference between the teams at the end of the 2012 season, with the Hokies pulling out a 17-14 squeaker at Lane Stadium.

Prediction 5-7

A five-win season would mark Virginia's third losing record in Mike London's four seasons as head coach but would qualify as an improvement on last year's 4-8 mark, which led to a staff shake-up that has added four new full-time assistants to the staff. A school-record eight home games could work to the Cavaliers' advantage if there's not a repeat of last year, when Virginia was 3-4 at Scott Stadium, losing three straight home games during one stretch. Intersectional battles with BYU and Oregon in Weeks 1 and 2 could be taxing.

Weather Journal

2 days ago

1. One person injured in Friday night shooting in Roanoke

2. Britney Spears spotted at Lynchburg restaurant

3. East Carolina poses new challenge for Virginia Tech football 

4. Lowe's tapes may hold clues to Roanoke woman's death

5. William Byrd stuns Salem in football win

6. Roanoke County electrical short quiets 5 Wheeler radio stations

7. Roanoke resource officer's quick action saved young girl

8. Concert review: Timeless Willie Nelson plays to appreciative crowd

9. History says this one will matter for Virginia Tech

10. Blacksburg lawyer Painter’s bond revoked