CHARLOTTE, NC – Virginia’s 2022 football season was abruptly ended by the fatal shootings in Charlottesville. Job one for UVA will be finding away forward after last seasons’ tragedy.
That starts with the resolve of second year coach Tony Elliott, and some new leadership in FCS transfer quarterback Tony Muskett.
“I think the thing that we are trying to get the young people to understand, is that we live in a real world right?” Elliott said. “There’s a real world and stuff happens. What gets you through tough times is ultimately what you believe in, personally, and the people that you surrounded yourself with,” Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott says.
“To be able to have that knowledge of how I feel, like- to do things the right way on the field, and off the field, being able to share that with the locker room, I feel like the more leaders you have the more successful you are going to be,” Monmouth transfer QB Tony Muskett said. “If you have a team of 100 leaders, you are gonna be a really really good football team, so one is to be a good leader yourself, and two, make other people leaders as well,” UVA quarterback Tony Muskett explains.
Defense looks to be the cavaliers strength at seasons start, led by edge rusher and general disrupter Chico Bennett.
“I certainly look forward to having that opportunity to go out there with my teammates,” Bennett said. “Especially, you know, from what happened with the tragedy, and go other there, and just show the world we know how it is that we bounce back,” Bennett says
A key to watch early, can Virginia win the turnover battle?
They only do so twice last year, and it was costly.
Tennessee will face off against Virginia to open the 2023 season in Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 2 at 1 p.m. ET.