Less than a year ago, tragedy struck the Virginia football program when a gunman opened fire, killing three members of the team and injuring running back Mike Hollins. However, just under a year later, Hollins made a remarkable comeback, scoring three touchdowns and leading the Cavaliers to a 31-27 victory over No. 10 North Carolina. It was the program’s first-ever top-10 road win.
Hollins had spent months in the hospital, undergoing multiple surgeries and relying on a ventilator to recover from the gunshot wound he suffered during the shooting. The incident left the UVA community devastated, but the team rallied together and found strength in their belief.
Coach Tony Elliott expressed his pride in the team’s resilience, saying, “Since Nov. 13 of last year, this program has believed. Tonight was the night. We were going to stare that lion in the face.”
The unexpected win by UVA was just one of many surprising outcomes in college football that day. The sport saw questionable officiating calls in Houston and Iowa City, a school issuing an apology for a trivia question about Adolf Hitler, and several low-scoring games. Clemson suffered its third ACC loss of the season, something that hasn’t happened in over a decade. Both Rutgers and UNLV became bowl-eligible, a significant achievement for both programs. Michigan had a dominating victory without their suspended player, and USC made history by not making any players available for interviews.
Moving on to the Top 10 rankings, Ohio State claimed the top spot after a 20-12 win over Penn State. Despite their offensive struggles, the Buckeyes’ defense has been outstanding, allowing minimal points in most games. Florida State remains undefeated after a comeback win against Duke, while Oklahoma survived a scare against UCF. Washington climbed in the rankings after a narrow win over Arizona State, and Georgia continued its unbeaten streak with a bye week before a showdown with Florida.
Texas held on for a win against Houston but suffered a potential setback with the injury to their starting quarterback. Alabama showcased their resilience in a comeback win over Tennessee, and Michigan dominated Michigan State in the midst of a sign-stealing scandal. Penn State narrowly missed dropping out of the rankings after their loss to Ohio State, and Utah showed their strength with a victory over USC.
In summary, it was a day filled with surprises and unexpected outcomes in college football, culminating in an inspiring win for UVA and their resilient running back, Mike Hollins.
