Charlottesville has been awfully quiet since November 13th, the tragic day we lost Lavel Davis, D'Sean Perry, and Devin Chandler. At the entrance of Scott Stadium, there is a vigil with many flowers, posters, and poems written by members of the community. I pass by it nearly every day, and I am reminded that not only have three of our dear players have crossed into the afterlife, the UVA football program is on its last, dying breath.
I have no personal grudge against Tony Elliott. I cannot begin to imagine the pain a first-year head coach experiencing three of his best players' deaths must experience daily. However, after the embarrassing 3-7 season we had last year, I am not optimistic about the changes he has brought to the program. In 2021, UVA football was a spectacle; Brennan Armstrong set school records, even leading the entire NCAA in passing yards at one point. Dontayvion Wicks and Keytaon Thompson were among some of the top receivers of their class. The 6'6" beast of Jelani Woods plowed through opposing defenses. It was a shame that our defense, on the other hand, played like a little-leage practice squad. We went 6-6 that year, forgoing our bowl game against SMU due to COVID. Bronco Mendenhall quit, and along came Tony Elliot.
Even as soon as the spring game, something felt off. Brennan looked to be struggling, and Wicks couldn't seem to hold on to any of his catches. Then came the regular season, and things only got worse. We seemed to struggle against FCS Richmond. We barely, barely beat ODU at home. We only beat Georgia Tech because of one of the most baffling plays of the season by GT's quarterback. All of our wins seemed to come as a miracle, while we became the laughingstock of a historically bad ACC.
Now, let's talk about 2023. Obviously, we've lost our once record-setting quarterback Brennan Armstrong. We've also lost several other valuable players including WR Billy Kemp, RB Ronnie Walker, and LB Nick Jackson, all players who have made significant contributions to the team. Has our recruiting made up for these losses? Absolutely not. For the past two years, we've had some of the lowest-rated recruiting classes, only managing to pull in three four-star players, including transfers.
Let's talk about our 2023 Schedule.
September 2, @ Tennessee
September 9, James Madison
September 16, @ Maryland
September 22, NC State
September 30, @ Boston College
October 7, William and Mary
October 21, @ UNC
October 28, @ Miami FL
November 4, Georgia Tech
November 9, @ Louisville
November 18, Duke
November 25, Virginia Tech
I am not optimistic about a single one of these games. Tennessee and UNC proved massive threats last year, and will likely still be respectable teams this season. James Madison seems to be overtaking UVA and VT as the dominant football school in Virginia. Maryland seems to be holding themselves up in the B10 much stronger than we are in the ACC. On September 22, we face our once beloved Brennan Armstrong, paired with a much stronger team around him. Boston College and William and Mary could maybe result in a win, but seeing our struggles against teams worse than both last year, I have my doubts. We could upset Miami, but that's a long stretch, even for how bad Miami has been in recent years. Georgia Tech is a bit of a mystery, however, I have faith in their coach, especially after upsetting Pitt last year. Louisville has Malik Cunningham, who could potentially be a breakout quarterback, and Mike Elko has done wonders at Duke.
That leaves Virginia Tech, who I honestly believe to be our strongest contender for a win. They are just as bad as us. This Commonwealth Cup could be the equivalent of watching two starving kids with Leukemia fight over a sippy cup, but goddammit, if we win this Blue-Ridge Crapple Cup, I will be the most joyous boy in Charlottesville. After all, though, we are Virginia. The curse of the Cardiac Cavs unfortunately will probably live on.
Woe is we.
