Virginia head coach Tony Elliott stood at the podium with a smile that reflected both relief and pride. His Cavaliers had just outlasted Florida State 46–38 in double overtime, delivering one of the most memorable nights in Scott Stadium history.
“When I decided to take the job here, [it was] the potential,” Elliott said. “And man, really, really proud of the students and the fans for showing up. It made it a very, very difficult place for a good football team to come in here to play. The atmosphere was unbelievable. It felt like a championship kind of game, and that’s what we desire to be as a program.”
The Cavaliers leaned on what Elliott calls “competitive stamina.” Florida State, led by quarterback Tommy Castellanos, rattled off three straight touchdowns in the first half. But Virginia never folded. “Competitive stamina is just competing to a standard regardless of circumstance,” Elliott explained. “And man, the circumstances constantly changed. That was a heck of a football game…it was going to come down to who could find a way to make one more play than the other.”
Virginia’s offensive line, decimated by injuries, delivered its best performance of the season. Despite missing five transfer linemen, the Cavaliers racked up 211 rushing yards on 48 carries. “At the end of the day, it’s belief,” Elliott said. “They didn’t know how it was going to get done, but they believed. And super proud of that offensive line.”
The field has been LOST AT SCOTT#GoHoos 🔶⚔️🔷 pic.twitter.com/AFBfl20F2i
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) September 27, 2025
Quarterback Chandler Morris embodied that toughness for Virginia. Playing through a sprained hand, he finished with 229 yards passing, 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and added 37 yards rushing with 3 more scores. “He’s a warrior,” Elliott said. “That’s why he came here. He believed in me, the staff, the players, and that he could help this program take the next step.”
Defensively, the Cavaliers bent but found timely stops against Castellanos and the Seminoles’ explosive weapons. “Hey man, that’s the No. 1 offense in the country,” Elliott said. “They scored 70, 60, and they beat Alabama. All we wanted was to find a way to get enough stops to give our offense one or two more possessions…and when we needed stops, they got us a stop.”
After three turbulent seasons filled with criticism, Elliott acknowledged the personal weight of the win. “Heavy is the crown,” he said. “Adversity is a companion of a champion, an enemy to the weak. Hopefully tonight just gets people’s attention. But in the big scheme of things, we just won an ACC game. Now we go on the road to Louisville with a chance to win another.”
More Virginia News:
- Dangerous field storm follows Virginia upset of Florida State
- Tony Elliott sees growth in FSU QB
- FSU not overlooking Virginia