The Shadow
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Virginia closed the most improved season in program history by leaning on its defense and special teams, edging Missouri 13-7 in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Saturday at EverBank Stadium.
The victory was the Cavaliers’ 11th of the season, setting a new school record and capping a six-win jump from a year ago. Only the 1989 team had previously reached double-digit wins, and with Saturday’s result Virginia became one of just 14 FBS programs to post at least 11 victories in 2025.
Missouri struck first, marching for a touchdown on its opening drive, but that would be the Tigers’ lone scoring play. After surrendering a 43-yard rush early, Virginia’s defense regrouped and shut Missouri out over the final 56:56, allowing just 37 total yards in the third quarter and forcing a key third-quarter interception to keep control of the game.
Virginia answered the early deficit with two Will Bettridge field goals and never trailed again. Bettridge connected from 39 and 42 yards, with the 39-yarder breaking both the program’s single-season and career field goal records. He finished the year 24-for-30 and now sits second on UVA’s all-time scoring list.
Quarterback Chandler Morris was named Gator Bowl Most Valuable Player after a steady performance that fit the tone of the game. Morris completed 25 of 38 passes for 208 yards and was a perfect 10-for-10 on third down, helping Virginia finish 13-for-23 in those situations. He also delivered a pivotal 41-yard pooch punt late in the game that was downed at the two-yard line, setting up field position that further tilted the contest.
The Cavaliers’ longest march of the night — a 19-play, 75-yard drive that consumed 10:07 — showcased an offense content to control tempo. Virginia rushed for 110 yards on the night, pushing its season total to 2,502, the program’s highest since 2004. Harrison Waylee carried a season-high 20 times, while true freshman Xay Davis added 41 yards on 12 attempts.
Defensively, Virginia continued a late-season trend of closing strong, surrendering just three fourth-quarter touchdowns over its final eight games. Safety Antonio Clary, making his first start of the season, finished with seven tackles and a pass breakup, while linebacker Landon Danley co-led the team with a career-high 10 stops. Emmanuel Karnley recorded his first career interception in the third quarter, a turnover that led directly to points.
Virginia finished 5-3 in one-score games and 10-1 when forcing at least one turnover. The Cavaliers also wrapped up the season having lost just three fumbles, the fewest in school history.
Saturday’s win marked Virginia’s first-ever victory in the Gator Bowl and its first bowl win since the 2018 Belk Bowl. It was also the Cavaliers’ first win over an SEC opponent since that 2018 season and their first against an SEC team other than South Carolina since a 1998 shutout of Auburn.
The low-scoring affair — Virginia’s fewest points in a win since 2006 — fittingly underscored a season defined by discipline and balance. In earning the program’s 699th all-time victory, the Cavaliers closed a year that will stand among the most significant in the 136-year history of Virginia football.
