Could the Virginia Cavaliers go winless this season?
By Austin Lloyd
The Virginia Cavaliers just lost to the North Carolina State Wolfpack in upsetting fashion. At this rate, could they finish 2023 winless?
The Virginia Cavaliers, who sit at 0-4 on the season today, were a confusing team last Friday night, as their best-looking performance also spoke volumes about their inability to get ahead.
In the final moments of their home game against the visibly flawed NC State Wolfpack, the Cavs made multiple errors that even the least emotionally stable of players would call unacceptable.
Upon scoring a touchdown with under a minute to go to bring the game within two, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on an offensive lineman backed the two-point conversion attempt up 15 yards. Upon converting it, another unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, this time on starting quarterback Anthony Colandrea, backed up the ensuing kickoff.
Then, after committing all of that chaos and letting NC State get into field goal range, a Virginia special-teamer leapt over the line, making what ended up being the Wolfpack’s game-winning FG all the easier to make.
The affair’s thrilling conclusion showed a pathetic lack of discipline on behalf of the Cavs, which is a takeaway that will never leave a good taste in one’s mouth. That’s not even the worst part, though; that title goes to the fact that NC State was one of the more forgiving opponents that UVA had on its schedule, at least when compared to some of the ones yet to be faced.
So to summarize, the Cavs have a sorry record (which includes a home loss to James Madison), an alarming tendency to self-inflict damage, and an unforgiving couple of months staring them dead in the eyes. That’s enough for me to ask the dreaded question that no player, coach or fan ever wants to hear about their team: Could the 2023 Virginia Cavaliers go winless?