More on football’s bowl win, women’s basketball defeats Charlotte

The Virginia Cavaliers won the Belk Bowl on Saturday (if you haven’t heard), dominating South Carolina 28-0 for the program’s first postseason victory in 13 years. Senior wideout Olamide Zaccheaus earned the game’s MVP honors, finishing with 12 catches for 100 yards to go along with three touchdowns. Following the win, we also learned that cornerback Bryce Hall, who many had previously projected as a first-round pick in 2019’s NFL Draft, will return for his last year of eligibility after a breakout junior season.

Virginia secondary dominant again in Belk Bowl win (Southern Pigskin)

One game after South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley had amounted 510 passing yards and five touchdowns against now College Football Playoff contender Clemson, UVA held the Gamecocks’ star to a 43% completion rate, two interceptions, and zero points. With this performance now included, Virginia’s defensive backfield limited opponents to a combined 51-of-123 through the air for just 664 total yards in the last five games.

Virginia women’s basketball (6-7) completed non-conference play on Sunday afternoon with a 65-61 win over the Charlotte 49ers. Junior forward Lisa Jablonowski led the way for the Cavaliers with a career-high 17 points.

What Saturday’s win means for Virginia football (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

In Bronco Mendenhall’s third year as head coach, UVA reached eight wins - something the program hasn’t achieved since 2011. For sophomore safety Joey Blount, and for many others in and around the team, it is a sign of things to come, “This win propels our program, puts us on the scene [...] We’re coming up now. We’re a program to be dealt with.”

TOTD:

UVA President Jim Ryan and Athletic Director Carla Williams had to the chance to watch Virginia alum Joe Harris take the floor against the Charlotte Hornets ahead of Saturday’s bowl game. Below is a picture of the three following Friday night’s contest: