UVA Strong Day Next for Cavaliers

By Jeff White (jwhite@virginia.edu)
VirginiaSports.com

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Of the nearly 125 players on the UVA football roster this season, fewer than 20 were in the program when tragedy struck the University in 2022.

In November of that year, UVA players Lavel Davis Jr., Devin Chandler and D’Sean Perry were shot and killed after returning to Grounds from a class field trip to Washington, D.C. Two other UVA students were wounded in the shooting: Mike Hollins, who was a running back on the football team, and Marlee Morgan.

Tributes to the slain players can be found in multiple places in the Hardie Center: in a display on the first floor and in their respective position rooms. Davis, who wore jersey No. 1, and Chandler (No. 15) were wide receivers, and Perry (No. 41) played linebacker.

“Every day we walk in the building, we’re reminded with the gear display that we have in the likeness of Lavel, Devin and D’Sean,” UVA head coach Tony Elliott said Tuesday during his weekly media availability at the Hardie Center.

For the Cavaliers who were not on the team with Davis, Chandler and Perry, the displays are reminders “of what this program has overcome,” said Elliott, who’s in his fourth year at Virginia.

There will be more reminders Saturday at Scott Stadium, where UVA (1-1) hosts William & Mary (1-1) at noon. As part of UVA Strong Day, the memories of the three players will be honored. Permanent memorials to Davis, Chandler and Perry are displayed at Scott Stadium.

After practice Monday evening, Elliott said Tuesday, “I addressed it with the team, letting them know just the importance of this game in particular, but more importantly the legacies that we have a responsibility to carry forward. And everybody who comes into the program, they’re aware of that when they sign up to join the Virginia football team.”

The late players’ jersey numbers are being worn this season by linebacker James Jackson (1) and wideout Suderian Harrison (1), defensive tackle Hunter Osborne (15) and wideout Dillon Newton-Short (15), and kicker Will Bettridge (41).

AREA OF CONCERN: Virginia is coming off a 35-31 loss to NC State at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C. The Cavaliers’ defense gave up 416 yards and five touchdowns and recorded no sacks. Led by tailback Hollywood Smothers, the Wolfpack rushed for 216 yards.

“On the big plays in particular, we took a couple of bad angles,” Elliott said.

The Hoos gave Smothers “way too much space, and I think we all know how good Hollywood is,” Elliott said. “And then there were a couple times where we had three defenders at the point of attack, and we just didn’t down the football, and we allowed him to spin out, dive forward, and turn a potentially 0-yard gain into a 5-yard gain or a 2-yard gain into a 7-yard gain. And then that just becomes advantage offense when you’re calling second-and-shorts as opposed to second-and-longs.”

Elliott cited other plays on which the Wolfpack’s offense executed well, and that’s “going to happen from time to time,” he said. “But I do feel like we left a couple plays out on the field defensively where we had solid calls, guys in position. We just didn’t [tackle] the way that we did in the first game.”

Virginia allowed only 91 yards rushing in its season-opening rout of Coastal Carolina at Scott Stadium.

MULTI-DIMENSIONAL: UVA’s quarterbacks have yet to be sacked this season. That speaks not only to the work of the offensive line and the pocket presence of quarterback Chandler Morris, but to the blocking of the tight ends and running backs.

Tailback J’Mari Taylor rushed for 150 yards and three touchdowns against NC State, and he also shined in pass protection. Using a phrase often repeated by former UVA head coach Al Groh, Elliott said that Taylor “put his face in the fan, going against a guy that probably outweighs him by about 15, 20 pounds that’s coming full speed. He stood in there and put his face in the fan and gave the quarterback time to deliver the ball. So it’s the O-line, the backs, tight ends and the quarterbacks all working together. And, knock on wood, we need to continue that trend going forward.”

A transfer from North Carolina Central, which competes in the NCAA’s Football Championship Subdivision, Taylor has rushed for five TDs in his two games as a Cavalier.

Taylor is productive in part, Elliott said, because “he’s got really, really good eye-feet coordination. So his eyes talk to his feet very seamlessly, and so what that means is he can see the cut and then he knows when to tell his feet to do what [they need] to do to get to the cut.

“You see some backs, they struggle with natural patience. He’s one that that he doesn’t struggle with patience. He can find the cut, and then he understands situations, too. There was some short-yardage ones where he knew the situation, where he got down behind his pads. Even though he’s right at 200 pounds, he’s down behind his pads, running through contact. And there’s other situations where, like on the screen pass [against NC State], you saw on the screen, he was very, very patient, because he understood where his blocker was going to be. Some backs are going to see the green grass and they’re just going to go and they’re going to run themselves into a tackle.”

In Taylor, Xavier Brown, Harrison Waylee and Noah Vaughn, Virginia has four capable tailbacks, and each has had at least one run of 10 yards or longer this season.

“I’m really proud of that group, because they put their egos to the side,” Elliott said. “They’ve made it about the position. They’re all pushing to create a standard of performance at running back, regardless of who’s in there.”

ON THE MEND: Antonio Clary started Virginia’s first five games at safety last fall and was playing at an All-ACC level before suffering a knee injury that required offseason surgery. He’s been rehabbing diligently and is close to being cleared to practice.

“So we should get that here in the next couple days,” Elliott said, “and hopefully within the next couple weeks, you’ll see Clary back out there. The tough part with him is that he’s been through a lot in trying to get back, and we don’t want to put him out there until he’s absolutely ready to go. Because I said this last year when he got hurt, he’s [like a] soldier that’s going to die on the field. And I don’t want to put him out there until we know that it’s 100 percent and he’s ready to go.”

FBS VS. FCS: Virginia has won six straight over W&M and leads the series 32-6-1. From 1996 to 2008, the schools didn’t play each other in football, but since then they’ve met seven times.

“I think it’s great for the state for the bigger schools to play some of the smaller schools,” Elliott said, “and to give them a venue to play on this stage and to get the exposure. Because every kid wants to play Power 4, but there’s not enough spots for every kid that’s getting recruited to play at the Power 4 [level]. Or maybe they’ve got to develop a little bit more, but it’s a great opportunity for them to say, ‘Hey, I can go to William & Mary. I can go to these smaller schools and develop and then have an opportunity to compete against the higher level and then possibly maybe elevate my status over time.’ I think it’s just good for football. I think it’s good for the state when you play these games.”

FAMILIAR FACE: Former UVA head coach Mike London is in his seventh season as the leader of W&M program. London, whose record with the Tribe is 37-27, took over as Virginia’s head coach after the 2019 season. His final season with the Hoos was 2015.

Elliott said it’s “going to be pretty cool to go out there and shake hands with Coach London, and I’ve always respected him from afar. We met in person the last time he was here, and he’s been encouraging since then and does a great job. He’s won a national championship [as head coach at FCS Richmond], so he’s a very accomplished coach. So it’s going to be fun to be able to have a good conversation pregame and then watch our teams go and go battle and compete.”

London’s staff includes four former UVA players: Ras-I Dowling, Keenan Carter, Darryl Blackstock and Perry Jones. The Tribe’s defensive backs include Aidan Ryan, a transfer from Virginia.

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