Dec. 6, students from the University made a migration — and no, it was not the usual mass exodus to Northern Va.
This time, students headed south to Charlotte, N.C. to watch Virginia football take on Duke in the program’s first ACC Championship appearance since 2019.
This migration was not entirely surprising — Scott Stadium has been electric this season. With a 7-1 conference and 10-3 overall season record, Cavalier fans and students have packed the stands with a fervor that has been missing from Virginia football for years. So, when the Cavaliers punched their ticket to the ACC Championship, students reveled in the excitement of their newly dubbed “football school” — and brought that energy straight to Bank of America Stadium.
“We decided weeks ago that if we made it this far, we would strongly consider making the trip, but what solidified our decision was when we had a substantial lead during the Tech game,” second-year College student Fiona O’Reilly said. “The energy at Scott throughout that win was amazing, and we knew we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to watch U.Va. play in such a huge matchup the following weekend.”
That energy was well-earned. Virginia entered the ACC Championship riding a hot nine-streak win — aside from an upset loss against Wake Forest Nov. 8 — and fresh off a Commonwealth Clash title over Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers were slated as 3.5-point favorites against the Blue Devils, whom they had comfortably taken down 34-17 just three weeks prior.
Among the many hopeful Virginia fans was second-year College student Landen Barth.
“The entire drive was filled with excitement and nervousness,” Barth said. “Going into the game, I was expecting to win, although I thought it would be a close game because it’s always difficult to beat the same team twice in a season.”
Although Charlotte is a mere two-hour drive from Duke’s college town of Durham, Virginia student fans did not disappoint in overwhelming Bank of America Stadium despite their travel time doubling that of Blue Devils students. Flurries of navy blue and orange decorated the stands of the stadium. For one night, Charlotte unmistakably looked and sounded a lot like Scott Stadium.
“It was almost like a home game. People were constantly yelling ‘Go Hoos’ and chanting while walking down the street and waiting to get into the stadium,” Barth said. “The U.Va. side was a roller coaster of emotions throughout, with every score bringing a wave of noise from the student section and each failed drive a silence.”
Unfortunately for Virginia, the luck brought by fans all the way from Charlottesville waited until the game’s concluding 22 seconds of regulation when graduate quarterback Chandler Morris threw a touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Eli Wood. This play would send the game into overtime and Virginia fans watching everywhere — from Bank of America Stadium, to living rooms and the cramped quarters of Boylan or Trinity Irish Pub on the Corner — into a frenzy.
“The best part of the game was the last touchdown that tied up the game,” fourth-year Batten student Lily Liau said. “Everyone was going crazy and thought we had a chance to win it since we’re such a fourth quarter and overtime team.”
It is true. Virginia football — which has been affectionately dubbed by fans as the “Cardiac Cavaliers” for their seemingly impossible tight finishes — has played in six one-possession games, making a historic season out of such late-game contests. For a moment in overtime, a familiar promise of that recurring redemption felt very real to fans.
“The last play of the fourth quarter in which U.Va. scored and secured overtime was one of the most exciting moments I’ve had as a U.Va. student and football fan,” O’Reilly said.
For students like Liau and O’Reilly, however, hopes of another “Cardiac Cavs” comeback came crashing down in overtime. The Blue Devils sealed their ACC title with a touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line and an interception on Virginia’s first offensive play, ending the game with a devastating 27-20 final score.
“Losing the game in overtime was extremely emotional. Walking out of the stadium and feeling the excitement and pure bliss from the masses of Duke fans was heartbreaking,” O’Reilly said. “Despite the game not ending with the outcome we’d hoped for, this trip was an unforgettable experience with some of my best friends that I will cherish forever.”
Although overtime dangled an ACC title in front of Virginia, Cavalier fans didn’t leave Charlotte defeated. If anything, they left feeling hopeful for both the upcoming bowl game and the season ahead.
This sense of hope is the clearest takeaway from Virginia’s historic season — and certainly from this game. For Virginia fans, the fire blazed by Tony Elliott’s Cavaliers this year did not die in Charlotte. It will keep the program hot moving into future seasons. And if it wasn’t clear enough, Virginia fans are willing to go the distance for this team, win or lose.
“My first reaction after the pick and loss was just shock that we’d come so far and built everything up just to lose on the first down of overtime,” Barth said. “There was definitely some disappointment at the outcome, but a bright future shows what can happen if the team and school really comes together.”
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