What Does Virginia’s Gator Bowl Victory Mean for Tony Elliott’s Program?

With a successful TaxSlayer Gator Bowl matchup behind them, the Virginia Cavaliers can now enter their offseason with confidence and satisfaction. The 13-7 victory sent the Missouri Tigers home defeated, marking yet another upset for the Cavaliers.

This was a record-setting season for head coach Tony Elliott and his program. The Cavaliers hadn't appeared in a college football bowl game since 2019, when they faced Florida in the Orange Bowl. However, Virginia lost 36-28 — an undesirable outcome to an already shaky campaign.

The Weight of Victory

A football player in a white uniform holding a silver trophy and a brown football while smiling — Dec 27, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris (4) celebrates with the MVP trophy after defeating the Missouri Tigers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

It's not lost on Elliott how much work his players put into this season. Although they were hoping to clinch the ACC title and reach the College Football Playoff, winning a bowl game is a substantial step in the right direction. Not only were they one of only two teams in the conference to reach double-digit wins this year, but their 11-3 overall record and 7-1 record in ACC play have cemented themselves as serious threats moving forward.

The Cavaliers were doubted in the past, and even this season, but they have managed to carve out a new name for themselves after navigating their campaign with pure grit, all leading up to a Gator Bowl victory. As Elliott noted during his postgame press conference:

"Yeah, this team is special, right? This team is special because the makeup is different. You got some forefathers, like a Clary, like a Jah, Josie, James Jackson. You have guys like Eli that have been around from the beginning. You have Chandler who just came in this year. Devin Neal came in this year.

What they've been able to do is phenomenal. You take guys from totally different backgrounds, different university, different experiences, coming to Virginia, then everybody putting their own personal goals and agendas to the side to commit to the team and the overall mission of the team..."

Interestingly enough, the Virginia-Missouri matchup was the lowest-scoring bowl game this season, and the lowest since 2023, per Jeff White of Virginia Sports. This certainly wasn't an offense-dominant matchup, but this was telling of UVA's defense: they were not willing to let up.

Now that Virginia is back on track after ending its season with one final victory, 2026 is looking promising. The Cavaliers have finally earned well-deserved credibility on the field after years of uncertainty and doubt. Will they carry this momentum into next season?