Virginia rallied for a 31-30 victory at Wake Forest. ~ Photo courtesy Virginia Athletics Media Relations
When the Virginia football team set sail for Winston-Salem last week, it did so with hopes of starting 2-0 for the first time under Tony Elliott. The Hoos framed it as a barometer game for program progress.
It wasn’t purely smooth sailing at Wake Forest, but the Cavaliers navigated the waters well enough for a 31-30 victory. Headlines across the UVA media landscape, including here on The Sabre, called it a ‘program win’ in reference to the pregame measuring stick talk and there were references to resilience, mental toughness, and, in Elliott parlance, competitive stamina. All of which is to say, Virginia did what it needed to do to start 2-0, to win an ACC opener for the first time since 2020, and to stop a five-game slide against the Demon Deacons.
Now comes the hard part.
The Hoos flipped the sails in a new direction. Truly charting a new course requires harnessing the light breezes of newfound hope for a still long journey ahead.
This win at Wake Forest can only be program-altering if what follows it truly captures the winds of change. Twice before in Elliott’s first two seasons, moments of opportunity arose. Virginia sunk on the shoals before ever really getting out of harbor.
In 2022, the Cavaliers grabbed the first road victory of Elliott’s tenure a bit unexpectedly at Georgia Tech. Three straight home losses followed that 16-9 Thursday night win, including two almosts against Miami and North Carolina. The Hurricanes won 14-12 in four overtimes and the Heels escaped 31-28 in regulation.
Last fall, Virginia came out of a bye week with back-to-back wins that included an upset of top 10 UNC in Chapel Hill. The latter marked the program’s first ever victory on the road against a top 10 opponent. After that game, Elliott told his team: “This is a program win and not only is it a program win, it’s a catalyst to where we’re going.”
The Wahoos then lost at Miami 29-26 in overtime and got walloped 45-17 by Georgia Tech in Charlottesville. Louisville made it three straight defeats with a 31-24 victory, before the Cavaliers found a brief 30-27 home win against Duke to stem the tide. Only to fold under the rivalry tidal wave a week later as the Hokies delivered a field-rushing 55-17 rout at Scott Stadium.
Here the Hoos sit. Back on deck, rigging secure, and hopes anew. Talk of a “program win” again in play. Columnists writing about the Wake win being border-line essential to Virginia bowl hopes. Saturday night primetime storm brewing against long-time rival Maryland.
Now is not the moment to bask in the sun sheltered from the wind. Batten down the hatches, Hoos. Steel your nerves. It’s time to embark on a greater voyage. Lest, it’s back into the abyss.
Oof. Curb that metaphor.
Nah. Just having fun.