Virginia football is once again leaning into a day that means far more than a game week. As the Cavaliers get ready to host Delaware on Saturday night, the program is asking the community to show up and “be UVA Strong” on a day built around the numbers 1, 15 and 41.
Those numbers have become part of the identity of the program. They honor Lavel Davis Jr., Devin Chandler and D’Sean Perry, the UVA student-athletes who were shot and killed on Nov. 13, 2022 aboard the bus returning from a field trip. Mike Hollins and Marlee Morgan were injured in the attack, and the Virginia community rallied around one another in the aftermath.
Head coach Tony Elliott said Tuesday that the meaning of the day remains central to the program.
“Just want to take a few seconds to acknowledge UVA Strong Day,” Elliott said. “It's a big, big day for our program, especially with this staff.
I think everybody knows what happened back in November of ‘22, and it's something that, as a program, we carry forward every single day. As I said back then, that we were going to turn tragedy into triumph, and we were not moving on.
We were moving forward.”
Virginia has built the tribute into the fabric of the program. Every player wearing No. 1, 15 or 41 now has a special jersey patch recognizing the former Cavalier who wore that number. The three numbers are also displayed at Scott Stadium, around the concourse and in the Football Operations Center.
Elliott said the program still treats the remembrance as something living, not ceremonial.
“And here we are, almost four years forward, and still, it's a very, very big component of our program,” Elliott said.
Seven players remain from the 2022 team: kicker Will Bettridge, linemen Noah Josey, McKale Boley and Noah Hartsoe, running back Xavier Brown, tight end Dakota Twitty and punter Daniel Sparks. Bettridge, who changed his number from 17 to 41 after his freshman season, did so to honor D’Sean, who had been his high school teammate and close friend.
The current players and staff have taken on the job of teaching newcomers what 1-15-41 means.
“They're the ones that are educating, the rest of the new players on the staff, just to who Lavel, Devin and D’Sean are as human beings, first and foremost, and then also as football players,” Elliott said.
That education matters to Elliott, who said his team will understand the significance of Saturday’s game and be ready to play.
“There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about those young men,” Elliott said. “Not a day goes by [when] I don’t think about their families and pray for their families.”
Elliott said he continues to stay connected with the Davis, Chandler and Perry families, and for the first time all three mothers will be in attendance for UVA Strong Day. The families remain welcome to take an active role in the program and help teach the newest Cavaliers what UVA Strong means.
Virginia marks the occasion every year with a UVA Strong game and several events around Nov. 13. Most of the current students were not on Grounds in 2022, but they are still included in the university-wide effort to honor Lavel, Devin and D’Sean.
“My hope is that UVA will show up Saturday and be UVA Strong for the Davis, Chandler and Perry families - It puts everything in perspective,” Elliott said. “We were quickly reminded because this past Sunday was D’Sean’s birthday.
It puts everything back in perspective. And to be honest with you, I sit here a better man, a better father, a better husband, a better coach because of what happened four years ago.
I'm proud to be able to be a part of that.”
“And I'm proud to be able to carry forward my weight of the burden. This is not a checklist item for us.
This is not about painting the field. This is who we are.
And it's a part of our journey moving forward.”
In Other News...
Virginia Cannot Afford To Treat Delaware Like An Easy Rebound
Virginia heads into its matchup with Delaware trying to turn the page after a loss to West Virginia, and on paper this is the kind of spot where a veteran roster is supposed to steady itself. The Cavaliers have the experience and the expectations to be favored, but this is also the sort of game where edge can disappear fast if a team starts treating it like a routine rebound instead of a real test.
Delaware brings enough offense to make Virginia pay if the focus slips, with a senior quarterback who has been productive again and a group of reliable receivers around him. The Cavaliers are also managing injuries, which adds another layer of urgency as they try to avoid a letdown and keep the game on their terms rather than let an underdog settle in and make it uncomfortable. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Has A Bigger Problem Than Saturdays First Loss
Virginias first loss of the 2026 season came in Charlotte against West Virginia, and the result was only part of the issue for Tony Elliotts team. The Cavaliers arrived with momentum after a strong start, but the setting turned into a reminder that on-field progress does not automatically travel well, especially when a neutral-site game tilts heavily toward the opponents base.
The atmosphere inside the stadium was strikingly one-sided, with the crowd overwhelmingly behind West Virginia instead of the Cavaliers. For Virginia, that creates a problem bigger than a single Saturday setback: if the program wants to keep building on its early success, it has to find a way to bring more of its own support into these road and neutral-site environments where the margin can disappear before the opening kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Gets An Early ACC Reality Check Against Kentucky
The SEC/ACC Challenge will put Virginia on a national stage again when Kentucky comes to town in a meeting that already looks like one of the early measuring-stick games on the calendar. For a Cavaliers team expected to carry high aspirations, it is the kind of matchup that can reveal a lot before conference play starts, especially with a ranked opponent bringing its own size, pace and pressure into the building.
Kentuckys visit also gives Virginia a chance to see how it handles a top-level opponent in a game that matters beyond the box score. Both programs are projected to spend the season near the top of their leagues, so this one should offer an early read on how ready each team is to deal with road-game intensity, adjust on the fly and stand up against strong competition when the spotlight turns brighter. [Read more 🡒]