Virginia coach to remember 'joy' of historic win vs. UNC
Virginia coach Tony Elliott knew he had a team ready to make a breakthrough. He had no idea it would happen the way it did: On the road, in historic fashion.
But what he will remember most from the Cavaliers' stunning 31-27 upset victory over No. 10 North Carolina on Saturday night is the pure joy in the locker room. Because only they know how much they have endured since last Nov. 13, when Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D'Sean Perry were tragically shot and killed after returning to campus from a field trip.
To put it simply, Elliott told ESPN on Sunday afternoon, his team has not stopped believing since that tragic day.
"That's what my message was in my postgame, right there on the field, just acknowledging the fact that it's been a hard road," Elliott said. "It wasn't even a sense of relief. It was just joy to see these young men smile. For me personally, it was a moment of confirmation that everything that we've tried to do since the passing of our three young men has been the right thing.
"This isn't the only way that it's going to be measured, but it was awesome to see the young men smiling and dancing and having joy in the locker room."
It was the first road win in Virginia history against a top-10 ranked opponent, and it was the largest upset by an ACC team since NC State beat No. 2 Florida State in 1998. It was also Virginia's first ACC win in a calendar year -- since a 16-9 victory over Georgia Tech on Oct. 20, 2022. The final two games of the 2022 regular season were canceled following the shooting.
Virginia opened this season 0-5 -- three of those five losses came by three points or less, all of them in the final minutes of the game. Elliott kept reminding players that, at some point, those close losses would turn into close wins, but they had to be willing to step up and make plays when it mattered the most.
A home win against William & Mary helped, but an open date the week before playing the rival Tar Heels provided an opportunity to hit the reset button and send a message as a 24-point underdog.
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"There's three things in life you don't get back. That's time, words and opportunity," Elliott said. "We don't get back those opportunities that we missed in the first half of the season, so let's focus on what we can control and how we play. What are the things we need to do better? I think the guys took that to heart."
Headed into the UNC game, the Cavaliers emphasized controlling the line of scrimmage with their offensive line -- something Virginia struggled to do in the early part of the season due to injuries and a lack of depth. But with Mike Hollins taking charge in the backfield, Virginia set the tone up front -- rushing for 228 yards.
Hollins, who survived the shooting that killed his teammates, had three rushing touchdowns.
When James Jackson intercepted Drake Maye with 26 seconds left to seal the victory, jubilation ensued.
"How do you keep believing when you come up short in a football game? Because it's just a football game," Elliott said. "They had to believe in each other to get through December, January and those months right after everything took place. So that's what gives them the fortitude to just keep believing. Because at the end of the day, they've been taken down to their knees and broken down with what happened. The only way that they were able to build themselves back up, to be able to take one step after another was to believe: to believe in each other, to believe in a greater cause than what they're seeing, to have faith in something that they hope for.
"That's what I believe is the motivating factor. These young men, those in particular that were here last year, they've been through something that forced them to come together and believe in each other. So they truly understand what it means to believe. Why yesterday? I don't really know. That's for the Lord to reveal in due time. We kept believing if we persevered and stick together, and we keep the right perspective, then our reward will come at the appropriate time. It's awesome they're going to be able to say that all of us collectively were a part of making history."
Elliott said he made sure to take a few minutes in the locker room to watch his players celebrate, to remember that moment forever.
"Because that's what motivates me," Elliott said. "That's really why you coach, to be honest with you, is for those moments."
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