‘Simply happiness’: Virginia coach assesses historical win

Andrea Adelson, ESPN

• Senior WriterOct 22, 2023, 05:58 PM ET Close ACC reporter.
• Signed up with ESPN.com in 2010.
• Graduate of the University of Florida.Virginia coach Tony Elliott knew he had a team prepared to make a development. He had no concept it would take place the method it did: On the roadway, in historical fashion.But what he will remember most from the Cavaliers’sensational 31-27 upset victory over No. 10 North Carolina on Saturday night is the pure happiness in the locker room. Because just they know how much they have endured because last Nov. 13, when Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry were unfortunately shot and killed after returning to school from a field trip.To put it just, Elliott told ESPN on Sunday afternoon, his group has actually not stopped believing because that tragic day

.” That’s what my message was in my postgame, right there on the field, just acknowledging the reality that it’s been a hard road,”Elliott said.” It wasn’t even a sense of relief. It was simply delight to see these boys smile. For me personally, it was a minute of verification that everything that we have actually attempted to do considering that the death of our 3 young men has been the best thing.”This isn’t the only way that it’s going to be measured, however it was awesome to see the young men smiling and dancing and having

pleasure in the locker space.”Editor’s Picks< img src="https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/photo/2023/1022/r1241808_1296x1296_1-1.jpg&w=130&h=130&scale=crop&location=center"width="

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1 Related It was the very first roadway win in Virginia history versus a top-10 ranked challenger, and it was the biggest upset by an ACC group given that NC State beat No. 2 Florida State in 1998. It was likewise Virginia’s first ACC win in a fiscal year– since a 16-9 success over Georgia Tech on Oct. 20, 2022. The last 2 games of the 2022 regular season were canceled following the shooting.Virginia opened this season 0-5– three of those 5 losses visited three points or less, all of them in the last 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, however an open date the week before playing the rival Tar Heels offered a chance to hit the reset button and send a message as a 24-point underdog.”There’s three things in life you don’t return. That’s time, words and opportunity,”Elliott stated.” We don’t get back those chances that we missed out on in the first half of the season, so let’s concentrate on what we can control and how we play. What are the things we require to do better? I believe the guys took that to heart. “Headed into the UNC game, the Cavaliers emphasized controlling the line of scrimmage with

their offending line– something Virginia struggled to do in the early part of the season due to injuries and a lack of depth. However with Mike Hollins taking charge in the backfield, Virginia set the condition front– hurrying for 228 yards.Hollins, who survived the shooting that eliminated his colleagues, had three hurrying touchdowns.When James Jackson intercepted Drake Maye with 26

seconds delegated seal the triumph, jubilation occurred.”How do you keep thinking when you come up short in a football game? Since it’s simply a football game,”Elliott stated. “They needed to believe in each other to get through December, January and those months right after whatever happened. So that’s what gives them the perseverance to simply keep thinking. Since at the end of the day, they’ve been removed to their knees and broken down with what happened. The only way that they had the ability to construct themselves back up, to be able to take one action after another was to think: to believe in each other, to believe in a higher cause than what they’re seeing, to believe something that they expect.” That’s what I believe is the inspiring element. These boys, those in particular that were here last year, they’ve been through something that required them to come together and think in each other. So they genuinely understand what it suggests to think. Why yesterday? I don’t really know. That’s for the Lord to expose in due time. We kept thinking if we persevered and stick, and we keep the ideal point of view, then our reward will come at the appropriate time. It’s amazing they’re going to have the ability to state that everybody jointly were a part of making history.”Elliott stated he made sure to take a few minutes in the locker room to enjoy his players celebrate, to remember that minute forever.”

Because that’s what encourages me,” Elliott said.” That’s actually why you coach, to be sincere with you, is for those moments.

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