When the Cavalier fans in attendance at last weekend’s loss to Louisville trudged out of Scott Stadium, there was certainly some disappointment in the air. After all, UVa had just stormed back yet again from a double-digit second-half deficit to take a 4th quarter lead, only to come up short after a late Louisville touchdown sealed their fate. But unlike a lot of other recent UVa losses, there didn’t seem to be as much anger or frustration.
Virginia played a relatively good game on Saturday, and just came up short. Sometimes that’s just the way it is; you just get beat, you tip your cap, learn from it and move on. And that’s basically what happened against the Cards. UVa outgained Louisville, didn’t turn the ball over, and rallied back from a 17-7 deficit. It wasn’t enough, and Louisville deserves credit for making the plays needed to come out on top.
Even in a losing effort, their first in nearly a month, Virginia showed some progress. This wasn’t a game where UVa gave the ball away, couldn’t get anything going, or got shredded on defense. There were simply a few plays that didn’t go their way, and Louisivlle made a play or two more and got the win. The biggest error was the Daniel Sparks punt that ricochet off a teammate and gave Louisville the ball at the UVa 14 yard line. One play later, the Cards were up 10 in the 3rd quarter. That play, coupled with an empty red zone trip that ended on 4th and Goal from the Louisville 2 proved costly in a nip-and-tuck game.
It’s perfectly normal to be upset about losing, and identifying that this loss was a blown opportunity. UVa had a chance to go to 5-1 and 3-0 in ACC play, setting themselves up as a spoiler in the ACC title race down the stretch run. Instead, the loss drops the Hoos to 4-2 with a tough back half of the slate still to play. The Hoos have still been better than most expected, but a win Saturday would’ve been a big boost for the program. Still, even if fans and the players and coaches themselves were rightly frustrated about losing, it wasn’t necessarily because they beat themselves. It might not seem like much, but that is progress.
UVa football has been in the wilderness over the past two years, winning six total games and handling an off-field tragedy for which there is no playbook. But despite Saturday’s loss, signs of progress are there for the program in year three under Tony Elliott.
In three ACC games, the Cavaliers have rallied and been in the game in the fourth with a chance to win. Of those, they’ve won two out of three. Again, that’s progress, given how rough one-score games were for the Hoos a year ago. The defense has faced a schedule of competent to good offenses, and have held their own, particularly in the last two weeks, allowing just five total touchdowns over two games against ACC foes with a combined record of 8-4. Special teams had the big mistake in Saturday’s game, but its their first of the year that has really been costly, and we’re six games in. UVa’s offense has been playing with a bunch of players out with injuries, particularly at wide receiver, but still racked up 430 yards of offense and moved the ball well. There’s work to do, particularly in the red zone, but if the Hoos can get healthier for the stretch run, their offense can probably keep them viable.
The first half of this season has shown some progress towards consistent, cleaner football and it’s led to better outcomes. Last year, UVa was -6 in turnovers, and had 10 giveaways in their first six games. This year, UVa is +1 in turnover margin at the halfway point, with seven turnovers, and none in their last three contests. UVa had the worst sack margin in the nation last year at -32. Through six games in 2024, UVa is +1 in sack margin, already matching their total from a year ago (11), while allowing 12.
The work of Elliott and his staff is far from done. This team is still two wins away from bowl eligibility despite a solid start, and regardless of how that pans out, will have a critical offseason ahead, with a lot of this year’s starters set to graduate or move on. But it does feel like this staff has shown they’re capable of producing better results. The question now, is can they sustain them as the schedule gets tougher.
This weekend, Elliott returns to his alma mater and former employer as the Hoos head to Clemson for their first road game in nearly a month (Noon, ACCN). Surely Elliott will enjoy seeing old friends and acquaintances, and his old boss on the opposite sideline, but his program has a daunting task in front of them once the game kicks off.
Elliott’s return home should be anything but comfortable. The Wahoos are three-touchdown underdogs heading into the game, playing a Tigers team that hasn’t lost since getting throttled by Georgia in their opener. Since then, Clemson is 5-0 and 4-0 in ACC play, scoring 48.6 points per game and winning those games by an average margin of 29.4 points. On top of all that, the game is on the road. Clemson has lost just two ACC home games in the last eight years: Pitt in 2016, FSU last year.
Virginia has pulled off a similar upset in the recent past though, beating then top-10 UNC in Chapel Hill last year. That Carolina team wilted down the stretch though, and the Tigers are probably playing better than anyone in the conference right now, including unbeaten Miami and Pitt.
So you’re telling me there’s a chance? It’s a faint one, but expect UVa to fight to the finish even if the Tigers prove to be too much.
