No. 16 Virginia savors breakout season with trip to ACC title game 3 years after shooting tragedy

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Tony Elliott had just claimed the biggest win of his coaching career, leading No. 16 Virginia past rival Virginia Tech to clinch a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game.

Yet as he stood at the podium for his postgame news conference, Elliott thanked three mothers before mentioning football.

“This one’s for them,” Elliott said of the mothers of Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry, the players fatally shot on campus in November 2022 during Elliott’s first season. “We’re not here without the inspiration that they provide us on a daily basis.”

It was a reminder of how this has been a season of redemption for Elliott and a program that had a precipitous slide after former coach Bronco Mendenhall abruptly walked away in 2021. The tragedy still lingers over a team picked to finish 14th in the ACC this year, yet the Cavs now have a chance to reach the College Football Playoff by beating Duke on Saturday night.

It’s the ultimate chance to turn Elliott’s talk of building “the model program” and his preseason declaration about hunting a championship from coachspeak to fact.

“When I committed to come here and I signed on, I knew what the challenges were up front and I knew where we wanted to go,” said tight end Sage Ennis, who transferred from Clemson. ”To reap the rewards and see the fruit that’s bearing from the long time this staff has been here … it means a lot that I get to be a part of it.”

A difficult path

This season’s success is what Elliott envisioned when he left Clemson as offensive coordinator for Charlottesville. Getting here was more difficult than anyone could imagine.

It started on the field, with returning star quarterback Brennan Armstrong struggling to adjust to Elliott’s pro-style offense after flourishing in the previous free-flowing style of play.

Then the slayings rocked the program and university itself, forcing the school to cancel its final two games to finish at 3-7. And for all the credit he deserved for shepherding the program through tragedy, Elliott was facing growing pressure for on-field results in years that followed as he went 11-23 in three seasons — including 6-17 in ACC play.

Elliott ratcheted up pressure a bit himself, declaring that this season’s roster — one infused with 50 new players, including a number of high-priced transfers — was his most talented and deepest yet.

And everything clicked for the Cavaliers (10-2).

Successful retooling

The roster full of free agents gelled. Quarterback Chandler Morris (North Texas), running back J’Mari Taylor (N.C. Central), wide receiver Cam Ross (JMU) and center Brady Wilson (UAB) helped bring the offense to life.

Notably, the unit averaged 45.6 points during a 4-1 start, including a double-overtime upset of then-No. 8 Florida State, that stirred new expectations.

“This is not a place for everybody. This is not a program for everybody,” said offensive coordinator Des Kitchings, who has gone from embattled to embraced. “The characteristics and traits that we were seeking, it felt like we were able to get those type of guys. Now you’re seeing the benefit of that.”

And when the offense cooled in October, the defense — led by linebacker Kam Robinson, defensive tackle Jahmeer Carter and multiple transfers — took over.

That unit allowed an average of 17.7 points for the last seven games. Overall, it leads the ACC in third-down defense (27.3%) while ranking third in total defense (312.3 yards) and second in scoring (20.0).

“I think, just like in life, you put in the work and sometimes you end up getting the results that you want,” defensive coordinator John Rudzinski said.

Emotions remain strong

The impact of the slayings have remained with Elliott’s program amid this year’s success. That included the timing for the sentencing of the man who pleaded guilty to the killings of Chandler, Davis and Perry; it came during the Cavaliers’ November open week.

The judge sentenced Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. to life in prison. Elliott was in the courtroom, sitting with the victims’ families to support them.

That helps explain why he immediately brought them up after the win that sent the Cavs to Charlotte.

“Hopefully this brings them some joy,” Elliott said. “It’s been a very long three years for them. But we believe that we got some just due. Now we can embark on the road to recovery, but it’s still going to be a long way.

“Hopefully tonight is just an opportunity for them to find some joy in the program their sons were a part of.”

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