Even with back-to-back losses to top-25 opponents and despite lingering questions about the status of its record-setting quarterback, the goal is still in front of Virginia.

The Wahoos will travel to Heinz Field later this week to face another nationally-ranked opponent on Saturday afternoon. This time it’s No. 20 Pitt—who, unlike BYU or Notre Dame, is a fellow member of the ACC.

The Panthers are 8-2 overall and, more importantly from the UVa perspective, 5-1 in the conference. That’s a game in front of the 4-2 Wahoos (6-4 overall) with two games to go. So Saturday’s winner will head into the final week of the season in control of its Coastal Division destiny.

“Coach Mendenhall framed it this morning, that all our goals from the beginning of the year are still up in the air and that it's up to us,” UVa linebacker Josh Ahern told reporters Monday morning. “We still have the power to control what we want to control.”

This has become a common late-season scenario for the Cavaliers. In 2018, Virginia and Pitt were tied atop the division with one ACC loss apiece entering a Friday night matchup at Scott Stadium in early November. The Panthers won that game 23-13 and went on to win the Coastal. The following season, the Hoos and Virginia Tech were tied for first place at 5-2 going into their end-of-season showdown in Charlottesville. UVa famously won that game 39-30 to clinch its first-ever division title.

With the status of quarterback Brennan Armstrong still unclear, Virginia is an early two-touchdown underdog heading into Heinz Field.

“I feel like really we all know we have the Coastal in our hands. It’s on us to go out and take that on Saturday,” said UVa receiver Dontayvion Wicks. “So it’s exciting for all of us, knowing that we can get back to the ACC Championship and even win it this year. It’s up for grabs.”

Bronco Mendenhall takes a lot of pride in the idea that, because last season was played without the division format due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UVa is still the reigning Coastal Division champion. It’s become his expectation that the Cavaliers remain in contention for that division title annually at this point in the season.

“You can't put more emphasis on it than we have,” Mendenhall admitted on Monday. “I like that opportunity and I like how hard the program has worked to earn that chance. Yeah, so here we go.”

With more on Saturday’s matchup with Pitt and the latest on Armstrong’s injured ribs, it’s the latest edition of the 3-2-1: