The last 10 years of Virginia football have been unsatisfactory. The Cavaliers stumbled to a 51-69 record, needed three head coaches, and managed just one winning season in the ACC. A team that frequently competed for bowl games and national rankings in the late 20th century considers a .500 season a success today.

Although Virginia football fans have suffered more defeats and humiliations than anything else over the past few years, there have still been some things worth celebrating. Between thrilling last-minute victories, historic upsets, broken program records and a touching display of resilience, the Cavaliers have amassed a collection of fond memories over the past few years.

Here are Virginia’s 10 best football moments of the last decade, according to The Cavalier Daily.

10. Virginia overcomes a double-digit deficit and defeats Syracuse in the third overtime

The 2015 season was a year to forget for Virginia. They finished a lackluster 4-8 season that ended Coach Mike London’s career in Charlottesville. But on a sunny October afternoon at Scott Stadium, the second of those four wins came in grand fashion against Syracuse.

The Cavaliers trailed by ten points early in the fourth quarter, but fought back and sent the game into overtime with an Ian Frye field goal as time expired. Both teams scored touchdowns on their first two possessions of the overtime period, but after Syracuse missed a field goal in the third overtime period, running back Jordan Ellis sprinted into the end zone to give the Cavaliers a marathon 44-38 victory.

9. The Cavaliers win a shootout against Georgia Tech when Kurt Benkert throws the game-winning touchdown

As Virginia’s second-year football program was on the mend under coach Bronco Mendenhall, the Cavaliers held a record of 5-3 when Georgia Tech came to town in November 2017. With the hosts trailing 36-33 with 3:10 left to play, quarterback Kurt Benkert orchestrated a five-play attack that culminated in a 27-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Andre Levrone with just over a minute left to play. The Cavaliers’ defense stopped the Yellow Jackets’ ensuing onslaught and Virginia’s record improved to 6-3.

8. Virginia beats Miami 30-28 after the Hurricanes’ game-winning field goal attempt bounces off the post.

The Cavaliers were at the bottom of the ACC standings after two 20-point losses to begin 2021 conference play. When they traveled to Miami Gardens to face Miami in late September, it looked like the losing streak would continue.

The Hurricanes trailed by two points when the ball was at Virginia’s 16-yard line with three seconds left on the scoreboard — an easy 33-yard field goal would have sent the Cavaliers home with another loss. But as the kick left the foot of Miami kicker Andres Borregales, the ball unexpectedly sailed left and bounced off the upright, falling to the ground as Virginia players streamed onto the field to celebrate their first ACC win of the season. This was the first of four consecutive victories for the Cavaliers.

7. Malik Washington breaks the season record for receptions and yards

His team won just three games in the 2023 season, but that didn’t stop wide receiver Malik Washington from having the best season as a pass receiver in Virginia history. Washington had 110 catches and 1,426 yards – both program records. In his historic senior year, he scored nine touchdowns, had ten games with 100-yard pass catches, and was named ACC Receiver of the Week three times.

Washington was selected in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins in June and will begin his rookie season in September.

6. Bronco Mendenhall leads Virginia to first bowl victory in 13 years

2018 brought a brief return to postseason success for the Cavaliers, who had not won a bowl game since 2005. Virginia started the season 6-2, and despite losing three of their final four regular-season games, the Cavaliers were selected to play South Carolina in the Belk Bowl.

Virginia took the field at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC and dominated the Gamecocks, limiting them to just 251 yards and 12 first downs. Quarterback Bryce Perkins and wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus scored three touchdowns as the Cavaliers cruised to a 28-0 victory.

5. The Cavaliers score 28 unanswered points and defeat No. 15 North Carolina

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginia hosted No. 15 North Carolina at limited-capacity Scott Stadium on Halloween 2020. The Cavaliers didn’t let their lack of home-court advantage get them down, scoring six total touchdowns and fending off a late comeback by the Tar Heels to win 44-41. North Carolina had more than 100 yards of gains over Virginia, but the Cavaliers forced two crucial turnovers en route to their fourth straight victory in the South’s oldest rivalry.

4. Brennan Armstrong breaks the program’s passing records

Entering the 2021 season, no quarterback in Virginia history had thrown for more than 3,538 yards in a single season. Brennan Armstrong needed just nine games to do so.

Armstrong posted the best statistical season of any Cavalier quarterback, posting a program-record 4,449 passing yards, surpassing the mark set by Perkins in 2019. He also had the school’s top three passing yards in a game. He also surpassed Matt Schaub’s record for most passing touchdowns in a season set in 2002, as Armstrong scored 31 touchdowns through the air.

3. Virginia surprises North Carolina and scores the first top-10 away win in program history

The Cavaliers were 23.5-point underdogs when they played No. 10 North Carolina on the road last year. The 6-0 Tar Heels had their sights set on an undefeated season, and while Virginia was supposed to be a tiny hurdle in that path, the Cavaliers proved to be an overwhelming obstacle.

Running back Mike Hollins scored three touchdowns, Washington added one through the air and Virginia’s defense held North Carolina to just three points in the game’s final 24 minutes, giving the Cavaliers a 31-27 win. The team’s first road victory against a top-10 team was sealed by linebacker James Jackson, who intercepted a pass from North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye on the hosts’ final possession.

2. Bryce Perkins’ magic and defensive heroics help the Cavaliers defeat the Hokies and win the ACC Coastal title

The program’s best win of the decade came at the 2019 Commonwealth Clash. Virginia faced Virginia Tech in the final game of the regular season, and with both teams sharing an ACC record of 5-2, the winner could take home the ACC Coastal title.

The Cavaliers hadn’t beaten the Hokies in 15 tries before the game, but a 475-yard, three-touchdown performance from Perkins gave them a 33-30 lead with 1:23 left. Virginia Tech tried to mount a charge to extend the game, but Virginia forced the Hokies into a fumble and scored a touchdown, securing a 39-30 victory and a spot in their first-ever ACC championship game.

1. Mike Hollins leads the Cavaliers out of the tunnel after the 2022 shootout as they return to action

In November 2022, the university was struck by tragedy when five students were injured in a mass shooting on campus. Four of the victims were members of the football team, and three players – D’Sean Perry, Lavel Davis Jr. and Devin Chandler – lost their lives. Running back Mike Hollins was injured but recovered from his injuries and was healthy enough to play the 2023 season.

The following September, when the Cavaliers took the field for the first time since the shooting, Hollins led the team out of the tunnel into Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium, a Virginia flag in hand. It was a special display of resilience and the defining moment of the college football season.