The Virginia Cavaliers may be again. They not solely improved to 4-1 on Friday evening with a surprising 46-38 double-overtime win towards No. 8 Florida State, however it additionally gave head coach Tony Elliott a signature win for his tenure with this system.
Greatest win of the Tony Elliott period
It has been a protracted highway again for Virginia beneath Elliott, and after a 14-23 file in his first three full seasons, he lastly appears to have this system again on monitor and Friday is an enormous step ahead in that course of.
Whereas the Cavaliers entered Friday’s sport with a 3-1 file, that they had not but been totally examined, and there ought to have nonetheless been some wholesome skepticism as to how “actual” their quick begin was. Their wins have been over Coastal Carolina, Stanford and FCS William & Mary, with a detailed 35-31 loss to North Carolina State combined in.
Beating the No. 8 staff within the nation, nevertheless, is a large step and an awfully validating win.
Additionally it is the kind of factor that would get Virginia to crack the highest 25 for the primary time for the reason that 2019 season. That was additionally the latest season Virginia completed with a profitable file.
Florida State on each ends of top-10 upsets this season
That is the second time this season {that a} top-10 staff has misplaced to an unranked opponent, and oddly sufficient, Florida State has been on each ends of these outcomes.
The Seminoles opened their season with a 31-17 win over No. 8-ranked Alabama. It gave the impression to be an enormous steppingstone for a Seminoles staff that was wildly disappointing in 2024 and set the stage for a quick begin that noticed them climb as excessive as No. 8 going into Friday’s sport.
Now that the Seminoles made that climb, they have been the staff to get knocked off the top-10 perch to an unranked opponent.
It is poor timing for Florida State as a result of a win on Friday might have helped set the stage for a big ACC conflict subsequent week when it hosts the present No. 2-ranked staff, Miami.
Whereas it’ll nonetheless be an enormous rivalry sport, and an enormous sport within the convention, it actually loses a few of its luster with the Seminoles dropping the ball this week.
