This is the way the season ends, not with a bang but a whimper.
In an all-too-familiar scene, Virginia was humiliated Saturday on its home turf. After hanging tough with Clemson for much of the first half, a combination of offensive and defensive ineptitude allowed the Tigers to score 21 unanswered points in 4:05 to close the half with a 35-7 lead. The second half was no better, and the Tigers dealt the knockout blow to the Cavaliers’ already withered bowl dreams.
Saying it’s been a tough season for Virginia (2-7, 0-5 ACC) fans is a gross understatement. The scariest prospect is that there is a very real chance the Cavaliers will lose out and finish winless in the conference for the first time since 1981 — the last year before the beginning of the George Welsh era.
So why continue to watch? Why should Virginia fans continue to put themselves through the agony of watching their team get beaten soundly, week in and week out?
Because true fans support their team no matter what. If fans think it’s been a tough season on them, then think about the guys on the field. They haven’t been performing up to anyone’s expectations this season, but nobody feels worse than them. It takes incredible mental fortitude to endure a six-game losing streak and continue to come out each week.
“I believe that everybody on the team doesn’t like losing — definitely me, I hate losing,” junior tailback Kevin Parks said. “Like coach [Mike] London was saying, ‘This is what makes the most of a man.’ You either stop playing or you keep fighting. And I know I’m going to keep fighting until the end, give it my all to the last game and hopefully that’s what my team is going to do too.”
But why do they keep coming out and playing? Regardless of being tough or not, it seems like the way this season has gone, it’d be pretty easy for some players to pack it in and call it a year. The slate was already stacked against the Cavaliers, who boast the toughest schedule in the nation, and poor play, poor coaching and injuries haven’t helped matters.
“We love this game,” sophomore quarterback David Watford said. “You play it and give everything you have, no matter what the situation is. We could be 0-whatever, I’m still going to get up, I’m still going to fight because I love to do it. I love playing with my teammates, no matter what the situation is.”
For Watford particularly, it has been a trying year. Thrust into the spotlight as a first year starter, much of the criticism not hurled at London and offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild has come his way.
Watford has also not performed up to expectations and his accuracy still leaves much to be desired. But the hope is that this season — a true trial by fire — will be a valuable learning experience after spending a year on the bench, in terms of developing as both a quarterback and a leader.
“Last year I was kind of in the background, watching and observing how everybody handled themselves and how everything went,” Watford said. “So I feel more responsible for keeping my guys up and making sure everybody’s attitudes are positive — no negativity in our locker room because we don’t want that cancerous effect.”
We saw Saturday how much damage a veteran quarterback can inflict on an opposing defense, especially one as hobbled as Virginia’s — which was missing starting cornerbacks Demetrious Nicholson and Maurice Canady, as well as senior defensive tackle Brent Urban. And while Tiger quarterback Tajh Boyd is undoubtedly incredibly talented, the experience factor that comes with being a fifth-year senior can’t be overstated.
“He’s a good quarterback — he’s experienced, knows how to read coverages and where to go with the ball in different situations,” junior safety Anthony Harris said. “We showed our hand a few times, which you can’t do with a veteran quarterback and he took advantage.”
Boyd, who — like Watford — hails from Hampton, Va., advised patience for the Cavaliers’ sophomore signal-caller. Perhaps he was being a bit generous because he had just won 59-10 while accounting for four touchdowns, but Boyd seemed optimistic for Watford and Virginia’s future.
“It’s a tough time for him and their team, but at the same time, everything you experience in this life is a learning lesson,” Boyd said. “He has to take what he has this year and utilize it in the right way, and that’s what I expressed to him. He’s got to go out there and keep leading. I think they will have a tremendous team. They have a lot of young players right now, they’ve got to build around him.”
The young talent surrounding Watford has had similar struggles at times this year. Freshman tailback Taquan “Smoke” Mizzell has shown a few flashes of brilliance, but has been downright mediocre at times, and has been hobbled by a high ankle sprain for part of the season. Freshman cornerback Tim Harris, while certainly trying his best to fill the void left by Nicholson and Canady, has been victimized in recent weeks by Boyd and Duke quarterback Anthony Boone.
“Playing out there at corner, you’re on an island and people are going to test you,” Anthony Harris said. “[Tim Harris] is a young guy, so guys are obviously going to go at him. It’s all about how you respond — you’re going to give up plays sometimes, so you just have to know how to bounce back from it and continue to compete… We’re just going to continue to talk to him and keep his head up.”
And that goes for all of the Cavalier players. They’ve all given up big plays in a truly vexing season. But I hope that the players stay positive and stand by their “keep fighting” talk in their postgame press conferences. It doesn’t make the losses any easier, but with bowl eligibility no longer an issue, it gives the fans a reason to keep watching, and keep fighting.
But for those of you who have already given up on Virginia football, basketball season starts Friday.
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