CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 SPORTS)-- It will be a short week for the Cavaliers but luckily their roster is getting reloaded as some key players are back in action. 

"Going into this game is probably the most healthy that we've been all year," said head coach Tony Elliott.

Most notably Tony Muskett is back in full practice after a shoulder injury in week one sidelined him for the home opener. Though Muskett remains day to day, Tony Elliott remains optimistic about his return for this Friday. 

"Tony looked good in practice and I feel a lot better about the day to day decision you know coming up to game time," said Elliott, "He's back in full practice, last week he was limited a little bit. He's been able to do everything make all the throws, go through the hand off progression so I'm excited about his possibility for this weekend."

In addition to Muskett, linebacker/safety Lex Long, tight end Sackett Wood and linebacker Josh Ahern are also cleared and ready for play this Friday night. With exception of Antonio Clary who remains day to day, the Cavaliers have regained all key players who sat against JMU.

With a largely clean slate from injuries, UVA is tasked with putting this weekend's heartbreaking loss behind them as they search for their first win of the season against Maryland. The Friday night matchup meant that UVA got back to work on Sunday, and Elliott himself was the first to admit that the sting of the loss had not quite worn off yet when they took the field for practice. 

"Sunday, everybody was hurting," said Elliott, "I don't know about y'all but man when I went home, I didn't eat, couldn't do anything but just say what can I do to get better to help us get over the hump. I showed up on Sunday and everybody was still a little down but man, that's an opportunity for us to grow. It doesn't matter if you win or you lose when you show back up on Monday in our game week you have to have the right mindset. You have to put the game to bed and start looking forward."

The one point loss to JMU on Saturday marked Virginia's sixth loss under Tony Elliott that's been decided by a touchdown or less. UVA is now 2-4 in one-score games since 2022. The record of losing close games highlights a problem so clearly seen on Saturday after JMU came back to erase their 11 point deficit and that is that UVA struggles to finish the game. 

"We were up in the fourth quarter but like ten or eleven and I personally feel like we got a little comfortable," said senior corner back Coen King "You really can't ever get comfortable no matter who you're going against. They have great athletes on their team just like Tennessee did and it just felt like we got a little comfortable, got a little lax with our assignments and our 'want to' to win that game."


"The key is as we practice we have the right intensity later in the week to make sure that we're building as we go into the fourth quarter and not just trying to coast and hope that we win," said Elliott, "I told the guys, in my opinion there are two ways that you win a game: either you go win it or the other team gives it to you. Right, that's how you win games you either go win it or you have it given to you and you know that was an example of, again not to take away anything from JMU but we didn't go win it."

Virginia will try to finish strong this Friday but will face a tough test as they go head to head with Maryland for the first time in ten years. The two schools met for 57 straight years when the Terrapins were members of the ACC. Now the Cavaliers will try to win their first road game against a Big Ten opponent since 2011. 

Kickoff is slated for 7pm in SECU stadium.