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Provo • Shortly after knocking off the Houston Cougars 33-25 last week, BYU football players one by one talked about their eagerness to face Virginia this week and exact a measure of revenge upon the Cavaliers for last year's season-opening loss in Charlottesville.

By Monday, that tone had changed.

All BYU coaches and players could talk about was how much Virginia has improved since a year ago, when it went 2-10. Talk of revenge had been replaced by talk of respect.

Funny, what an upset over a Top 25 team will do to change the perception of a program.

Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m. MDT at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The game suddenly has some interest nationally, and will be televised by ESPN.

"What is known now is that Virginia is an improved team, and playing well, and we are a good team, and playing well, so man, I think it is going to be a great game," BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "I am looking forward to it."

Two days after well-rested BYU defeated Houston, Virginia (2-1) stunned then-No. 21 Louisville 23-21 behind a stingy, opportunistic defense that leads the nation in forced turnovers, 13, and just enough plays from quarterback Greyson Lambert, who was making his third career start.

The Hoos' defense looks especially stout, keeping them in the game in a 28-20 loss to No. 7 UCLA in their opener before holding the Cardinals to 282 total yards.

"We're for real," coach Mike London told reporters after the upset.

"Opportunistic is a great word [to describe Virginia's defense]," Mendenhall said. "I think their front seven is really skilled. They are fast, athletic, tough and certainly gave us all we could handle a year ago, and most of them are still there."

At least, that much talked-about notion in Provo and throughout the airwaves that BYU needs to win convincingly and pick up style points because of its lackluster schedule will get a temporary break. Virginia looks capable of pulling off another upset, despite having to travel more than 2,100 miles and play in the thin air at 4,500 feet. A few national prognosticators are saying it very well could happen. Quint Kessenich, who will be ESPN's sideline reporter for the game, saw the Hoos almost upset UCLA and believes fans are in for a low-scoring, defensive struggle.

"Virginia's defense is really strong," Kessenich said.

Some Atlantic Coast Conference pride is on the line, too, after that conference said last summer that BYU can't be counted as a Power 5 conference opponent, for scheduling purposes.

"In a way, Virginia's win over Louisville made this game more exciting," BYU receiver Mitch Mathews said. "We want the teams that we play to beat everyone that they play, so our strength of schedule can go up. So we are glad. I am glad that they played well and that they won, so we could take this week more seriously. If every team we play keeps losing, the practices don't seem as focused. But because they won, we are more focused."

Last year, Kevin Parks ran 13 yards with 2:36 remaining to give Virginia the 19-16 win after a BYU turnover.

Jamaal Williams, who rushed 33 times for 144 yards in that game, said he has put the mistake behind him and is eager to test UVa's terrific defensive line again.

"It is good for us to play a team that is getting better and better every week so when we win, it makes us look better. Whenever are opponents are winning, that's a great thing," Williams said. —

Virginia at No. 21 BYU

O At LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo

Radio • 1160 AM/102.7 FM

Records • BYU 3-0, Virginia 2-1

Series History • Virginia leads, 3-1

Last Meeting • Virginia 19, BYU 16 (Aug. 31, 2013)

About the Cavaliers • They are coming off a 23-21 upset of then-No. 21 Lousiville in Charlottesville. … They are second in the NCAA in turnover margin at +8. … They are third in the nation in tackles for loss, with 10.

About the Cougars • This is the only game they will play in a 15-day stretch that began after they downed Houston 33-25 last week at home. … Senior WR Jordan Leslie has caught a pass in 31 straight games, dating back to his time at UTEP.