‘Just joy’: Virginia coach reflects on historic win
-
Andrea Adelson, ESPN Senior Writer
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.
“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.”
-
Dave Wilson
AUSTIN, Texas — A week after Arch Manning struggled in a loss at Ohio State, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian saw his quarterback bounce back in a 38-7 win over San Jose State and said this game showcased more of Manning’s style.
Manning matched a career high with four touchdown passes, going 19-of-30 for 295 yards, and added a 20-yard touchdown scramble, tiptoeing down the left sideline at the end of the third quarter.
“I thought today was a by-product of the week of work. He played aggressive throughout the week. He studied the game plan. He knew exactly what we were trying to do, and I thought today he played more of his style,” Sarkisian said. “He extended plays, used his legs, scrambles for a touchdown. That’s the style of player that he is.”
On several plays, Manning rolled out and found receivers. A few of his passes were dropped, with Sarkisian saying Texas “didn’t catch the ball great for him.” But Sarkisian was pleased that Manning made plays when things broke down.
“Him playing his game and not trying to play at somebody else’s style of game, I think it is important for him,” Sarkisian said.
Manning also threw a bad interception while under pressure, heaving the ball into double coverage from the Spartans’ 14-yard line. San Jose State defenders had a shot at picking off a couple of his other throws but failed to haul them in.
“A lot to work on,” Manning said. “I thought it was sloppy for my part. Can’t turn the ball over in the red area. I’ve got to play better. I think all around, it was a little sloppy.”
Manning started slowly, going 3-of-6 for 11 yards on his first two drives. But then, on a third-and-3 with 2:52 left in the first quarter, Manning found Parker Livingstone along the left sideline, and he turned it upfield for an 83-yard touchdown.
The touchdown throw was part of a stretch where Manning went 5-for-5 for 142 yards and four touchdowns, including TDs on three consecutive passing attempts — a 3-yarder to Livingstone, then 36- and 16-yarders to tight end Jack Endries.
“Anytime you can get points on the board after a slow start, it feels good,” Manning said. “Then, [we] finally got some rhythm. Defense started stepping up, too, so we’ve just got to start quicker next week.”
The Longhorns, who committed 12 penalties for 115 yards, have four new offensive line starters, and many new players at wide receiver and tight end. And even Texas stars such as edge rusher Colin Simmons (two penalties for offsides, one for roughing the passer) didn’t perform their best.
“I think as our team in general goes, this is not the best version of Texas football this season that we’re going to see,” Sarkisian said. “My foot’s got to get in their butt here on Monday morning. That’s unacceptable. And there’s a standard in which we want to play the game, and 12 penalties does not meet that standard.”
Manning said all week that he had to play better for Texas to win. He was encouraged by his performance Saturday, finding a way to make plays, but doesn’t believe he’s at his best.
Sarkisian said Manning is gifted with his dual-threat abilities, but his team is learning on the fly how to block for him while he’s scrambling or that he could throw while on the move.
“There’s things that we’re learning as we go as a team, but those are some of the growing pains that we have to work through,” Sarkisian said.
Those growing pains still resulted in an easy win at home Saturday. For Sarkisian, he said he can see the trust growing among his players, including Manning.
“The guys rally around him, you can feel it today on the sidelines,” Sarkisian said. “They really like playing with Arch, and that’s important.”
-
Andrea Adelson
The father of Florida State linebacker Ethan Pritchard was on the sideline Saturday for the Seminoles’ game against East Texas A&M.
Earl Pritchard and another family member were on the sideline wearing his son’s No. 35 jersey. Ethan Pritchard remains hospitalized in Tallahassee after surviving a gunshot wound to the head last weekend.
Prayers up. pic.twitter.com/NCTZyoxiTV
— Warchant.com (@Warchant) September 6, 2025
Florida State safety Earl Little Jr. brought out a No. 35 jersey to midfield for the coin toss, and Florida State players wore No. 35 wristbands to honor their teammate.
All Garnet with the Gold lids
Continuing to think about Ethan 🙏🏼#NoleFamily | #KeepCLIMBing pic.twitter.com/FD6GSNpo5F
— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) September 6, 2025
#NoleFamily 🍢 pic.twitter.com/HSTjx9e7xp
— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) September 6, 2025
Defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. wore a T-shirt with Pritchard’s face on it during pregame warmups.
According to Earl Pritchard, Ethan Pritchard was driving his aunt home when he was shot in the back of the head in Havana, Florida, 16 miles from Tallahassee, on Sunday night.
The Seminoles routed East Texas A&M 77-3 on Saturday, after which coach Mike Norvell presented Earl Pritchard with the game ball, and asked him to break the rock – a tradition generally given to the player of the game after each Seminoles victory.
💛♥️ #NoleFamily pic.twitter.com/kg2kJtMNRA
— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) September 6, 2025
Norvell grew emotional as he discussed Pritchard during his postgame media availability.
“The way that he plays the game … he loves it, he absolutely loves it. To know that right now that’s taken away from him in a senseless act, you don’t always know why you have to go through things in life but I do believe God has his hand over Ethan and this football team,” Norvell said.
“To have Earl here today – He’s a wonderful man, and being with him I know it’s so very hard. I know it’s hard for anybody to have to go through, but he told me early in this week, ‘I know where my boy wants to be so I’m going to go stand in his place for him.'”
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment11 months agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024