Virginia

Five Takeaways from Mizzou’s 13-7 Gator Bowl loss to Virginia

Published

2 weeks ago

December 28, 2025

Five Takeaways from Mizzou’s 13-7 Gator Bowl loss to Virginia

Mizzou’s 2026 season ends with an 8-5 record after losing the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl to Virginia. Missing a host of offensive players to transfers and injury, Mizzou’s offense failed to put up any points after the opening drive, making Virginia’s lone touchdown and two field goals enough to come out on top.

Here are your five takeaways.

Bowl games may not matter in the grand scheme of things. But despite what you may be told, they do have an impact on fan perception of a program. And Mizzou’s performance against Virginia will certainly leave a sour taste in mouths for the next few months.

Mizzou, a team that prides itself on a dominant run game and time of possession, was out-possessed by almost 17 minutes of game clock. A defense that made its bones on third-down conversion allowed the Cavaliers to convert 13 third downs for a 56.5 percent rate. The First Team All-American running back? Held to just 15 carries on the night, including conspicuous absences in critical, late-game moments (despite averaging 5.9 yards per carry.)

Don’t let the one-score outcome, or the fact that Mizzou nearly came back to win it late, fool you. The Tigers were flattened by Virginia in Jacksonville. Eli Drinkwitz and his staff will have plenty of bulletin board material to use for next season just based on this game alone.

2. So those final two plays…

I had written out a whole takeaway about how bad Matt Zollers was tonight. And by no means was he good. But the final drive, which saw him uncork a few mouth-watering throws, redeemed his performance somewhat. Unfortunately, an ultimate redemption was taken out of his hands by the referees.

With Mizzou sitting at the edge of the red zone on third-and-10, Matt Zollers scrambled to his right and threw a ball away under pressure from a Virginia defender. Then, after the ball had been out of his hand for a good second, another Cavalier came barreling in to lay a blind side hit on the freshman, whipping his head onto the turf and causing Zollers to grasp his helmet. After a few seconds of lying on the ground, Zollers bounced up for his final shot at the end zone.

Except it never came. The referees, using their discretion, removed Zollers from the game under the auspices of a possible head injury. Zollers, looking disconsolate at the decision, could only watch as walk-on Brett Brown put a lob into the corner of the end zone that was broken up by Virginia’s defense.

Perhaps it’s the right call by the officials given the game’s lack of importance and Zollers’ obvious discomfort after the hit. But allowing the hit to go unpunished in the first place will add to the grievance Mizzou fans will feel given the referees then put the Tigers at further disadvantage by removing their best passer from the game.

3. All chalk, all the time

With Mizzou’s loss to Virginia, the Tigers end their season perfect against teams with losing records… and winless against teams with winning records.

A team’s record isn’t everything, and it shouldn’t be the only factor in how we evaluate the program moving forward. The advanced numbers say that Mizzou was one of the country’s top 25-30 teams this year, and that’s meaningful when you play in the SEC. But it’s kind of poetic that this Mizzou team was exactly what it ended up on the scoreboard: Good enough to beat the bad teams, but not good enough to beat the good ones. It’s a tag that is starting to follow Eli Drinkwitz’s teams around, one that will be especially noteworthy given his new, eye-popping salary.

It’s a downer note for his season to end on, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t call out Mizzou’s new all-time single season rushing champion. Ahmad Hardy started the game with a bang, rushing 42 yards to set up Mizzou’s only scoring drive of the night. And while he was inexplicably sat for much of the game, he was able to bust enough trademark YAC runs to brake Cody Schrader’s record of 1,624 yards on the ground.

All eyes will be on the First Team All-American when Mizzou takes the field next season, and it’ll be difficult for him to top what he’s already done in black-and-gold. But he’s earned those distinctions, as well as the right to have an offense built around him. Get to work, Mr. Lindsey.

5. All eyes on the transfer portal and draft

Mizzou’s season on the field is over. But off-the-field, things are getting hairy.

Will the Tigers bring in QB competition for Zollers? Can they rebuild their WR corps and secondary? Will there be any upgrades in the trenches? How many more players will they lose? Which eligible players will declare for the draft?

A lot of questions hang in the air, and we won’t have to wait too long for answers.

Thanks to everyone who reads these pieces each week. Sometimes they’re a lot of fun to write. Sometimes they kind of suck. They’re always a challenge, and the engagement they get makes a writer feel good.

Happy New Year, all! M-I-Z!

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Virginia

The Good, Bad and Ugly From Virginia’s Dominant Win Over California

Published

6 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

The Virginia Cavaliers clinched yet another conference win last night, this time against California. Overall, this has been a remarkable season for the Cavaliers thus far, with few hiccups along the way. Their latest victory came with a stunning 84-60 finish, but as the story goes, there are still areas that need attention. With that, let’s take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly of last night’s meeting.

The Good

Jan 7, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers forward Thijs de Ridder (28) passes the ball around California Golden Bears forward John Camden (2) during the second half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The Cavaliers are undoubtedly more consistent on offense — they’ve encountered quite a few challenges defensively. However, last night appeared to be a bit of a turning point, said cautiously. The Golden Bears’ efforts with the ball were met with great resistance from UVA. Malik Thomas, in particular, has made strides on both sides of the ball, but his defensive improvements have been noteworthy. As head coach Ryan Odom stated during his postgame press conference:

“… I thought our guys did a nice job. The discipline was there for the majority of the night. They did get us on occasion, not on occasion, probably too many times at the end of drives with shot fakes, but for the most part, in that first 10 minutes of the second half, we were able to stop them in and around the rim and stay down. And they were kind of left with some really hard shots there, which allowed us to get out in transition. I thought our press was pretty good. Even though we didn’t get a lot of turnovers or anything like that, I thought our press, you know, was effective.”

The Bad

Jan 7, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Chance Mallory (2) dribbles the ball as California Golden Bears guard Dai Dai Ames (7) defends during the second half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Although Virginia wrapped up the matchup with a 24-point lead, there were moments throughout the night in which leads were swapped between programs in the first quarter. Once the second half rolled around, the Golden Bears were unable to catch up. However, the brief moments that they did control the scoreboard could have cost UVA the game, and ultimately, another loss in the ACC.

“I’m not worried about the margin,” said Odom. “It’s more about how we’re playing. And I thought our guys played well tonight, you know, defensively, we’re trying to make strides. We’re trying to get better. The guys are focused on that. Offensively, we can’t lose that, you know, ability to really share the ball and put pressure on our opponents. And I think we’re improving.”

The Ugly

Jan 7, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Chance Mallory (2) dribbles the ball around California Golden Bears guard Dai Dai Ames (7) during the second half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Much of the back-and-forth lead during the first quarter was due to Cal’s pressure. Their defense stayed on top of UVA, which ruffled some of the Cavaliers’ feathers on the court, forcing some turnovers along the way.

Odom described this situation by stating, “Cal was really bothering us with their defense, their aggressiveness, and stepping out and pick and roll, even though we didn’t have a ton of turnovers in that first half. We had five. There were still some bobbled balls. The ball was loose and a little bit too loose for us. And their pressure had a lot to do with that. The end of the half was really important for us, the execution on defense and offense to give us a little bit of a cushion there going into halftime.”

Virginia certainly encountered some difficulty last night, but it wasn’t anything they couldn’t successfully navigate. Now, the Cavaliers are gearing up for their upcoming matchup against Stanford on Jan. 10 at John Paul Jones Arena. Will UVA capitalize on its opportunity to extend its ACC record to 3-1?

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Virginia

Stanford gets win over Virginia Tech, freshman Ebuka Okorie calls game

Published

18 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Stanford gets win over Virginia Tech, freshman Ebuka Okorie calls game

Freshman guard Ebuka Okorie lifted Stanford over Virginia Tech with a game-winning, step-back 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left to give the Cardinal a 69-68 win at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia, on Jan. 7.

Okorie sized up his defender, Virginia Tech freshman Neoklis Avdalas of Greece, before getting into his sweet spot and rising up.

Okorie scored 31 points, going 11-for-18 from the floor with four 3-pointers, including the go-ahead bucket. His four made from long-distance tied a collegiate career-high. He added six assists and had only one turnover.

Virginia Tech led 31-24 at the end of the first half. However, Stanford came out of the second half and switched gears. The Hokies were outscored in the second half 45-37.

Virginia Tech was led by Avdalas with 21 points. Hokies sophomore guard Ben Hammond scored 14 points off the bench.

Chisom Okpara had an off night for Stanford, scoring just four points on 1-of-11 shooting, but still the Cardinal would get some help in the scoring department from Donavin Young and Oskar Giltay, who chipped in with 11 and eight points, respectively.

Stanford continues its road trip with a visit to No. 23 Virginia on Saturday, Jan. 10. Virginia Tech has a home game Saturday against California.

Stanford vs. Virginia Tech: Ebuka Okorie hits game-winning shot

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Virginia

University named among ‘Top Wedding Vendors’ by Virginia Living magazine

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

University named among ‘Top Wedding Vendors’ by Virginia Living magazine

Hopwood & LaRue Catering and Events at the University of Lynchburg has been named a “2026 Top Wedding Vendor” by Virginia Living magazine.

Hopwood & LaRue was listed among Central Virginia vendors in the following categories: Catering, Venue-Event Space, and Venue-Gardens & Estates. For earning a top spot, vendors are listed in the digital “2026 Top Wedding Vendors” guide and receive a virtual badge to share on their website.

According to Virginia Living, the annual list spotlights “vendors who help make Virginia weddings truly unforgettable — from florists and photographers to venues, planners, and more. … This exclusive online list is a companion to ‘Weddings 2026,’ featured in our February issue, one of the year’s most anticipated editorial sections.”

Through Hopwood & LaRue Catering and Events couples can plan weddings at University-owned facilities, including Snidow Chapel and Claytor Nature Center’s Cloverlea Farmhouse.

The company also offers event planning and a full range of beverage and catering services, including vegan, vegetarian, and ethnic options, along with “special curated menus” designed to help clients “develop their ideal cocktail hour and reception dinner experience for themselves and their guests.”

Referring to the 491-acre Claytor Nature Center specifically, Marsh described a typical event: “On their special day, the wedding ceremony typically takes place at the reflection pond, which holds a magical view of Sharp Top and Flat Top mountains,” she said.

“Cocktail hour is then enjoyed [on] the ash lawn, and the reception dinner is later paired with desserts, drinks, and dancing under our extra-large, tented reception area. And the sunset views are just as exceptional as the dining experience.”

According to Marsh, Hopwood & LaRue’s wedding sales have “increased significantly in the past year, and our Cloverlea wedding bookings have quadrupled since 2025. We now have over a dozen weddings and events lined up at Cloverlea for 2026 and are excited to book more and also look ahead into 2027.”

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