No. 19 Virginia Lands In Gator Bowl and Will Face Missouri

Virginia is going to be playing in one of the premier bowl games in the ACC.

Things were in flux this afternoon after Notre Dame was denied a spot in the College Football Playoff, with the Fighting Irish eligible to be selected to any ACC bowl game, but they declined an invitation to a bowl game, opening up everything else for the other teams. That resulted in Virginia being sent to the Gator Bowl to face Missouri. The Tigers finished 8-4 this season, but they spent most of the year ranked and have close losses to teams like Alabama and Vanderbilt.

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This only going to be the second ever matchup between the two programs. Missouri won the only ever meeting in 1973, a 31-7 home win for the Tigers.

Can Virginia shake off the disappointment of last night's loss?

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back Davis Lane Jr. (29) celebrates going into overtime against the Duke Blue Devils during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

While this is going to be the first bowl game that UVA has played in under Tony Elliott, Virginia has to be kicking themselves for not being able to win last night's game and get to the College Football Playoff.

Still, there is a lot to like about this season for the Cavaliers and after the game last night, head coach Tony Elliott was thankful for the time that he has been given to build this program:

"I think it's more about Carla's (Williams) belief in this staff than it is me. I'm only one man. It took everybody to be able to continue to show up every single day. That's what I'm most proud of, of these players and this staff, that they just showed up every single day.

I'm sure that they probably have heard some things that tells them otherwise, but they showed up every single day.

It's not about me. It's about the folks that are hurting in that locker room, that believe even when they can't see it, that show up every single day, that sacrifice, that didn't run from a difficult situation but chose to stay and fight. That's why the program has been able to kind of continue to press forward.

But I am very grateful to Dr. Williams and the administration for believing in the staff, to give us the time and the resources to be able to lay a solid foundation, which we believe is the foundation that's going to carry us forward in the future and help us to be sustainable."

Can Virginia find a way to win their 11th game when they face the Tigers?

The 2025 Gator Bowl is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 27th at 7:30 and the game will be televised on ABC.