It's one of life's brutal truths. There's simply no denying that sometimes success needs something more than countless hours of work, requires something beyond personal dedication and often demands an element that is much bigger than one person.
Many times success is just a matter of connections. It's about being in the right place at the right time with the right people; it's a matter of things just clicking.
This connection can be especially elusive when you're talking about a game day roster of over 50, a coaching staff of 15 and a rowdy audience. This is a stumbling block that the Cavaliers have become all too familiar with.
Moments before their first kickoff of the season, Virginia was poised at the brink. The Cavaliers had everything it would take to solidify a reputation as a top-flight football program: The talent, the coaching, the desire and the fan base that was ready to move their focus out of University Hall and over to Scott Stadium.
But such a moment is fragile and fleeting. Within the first quarter Matt Schaub suffered an injury and things began to unravel. Over the following weeks the Cavaliers made many a valiant attempt to regain that chemistry, but there always seemed to be one part of the mix that just didn't fit.
Even when the Cavaliers picked up wins, there was always still something. A sidelining injury to a key member of the roster, a weather system that blew 40 mph winds up the Atlantic coast, fans that seemed more focused on dress codes then football or a lack of cohesion on the field.
Yet there's something about a 70-degree day in late-November that gives new hope. Saturday it meant more than another chance to wear a sundress to a football game. For the Cavaliers it meant another chance to connect.
And connect they did. Whether it was something about the flag the Cavaliers took turns waving on the sidelines throughout the game, the irrepressible spirit flowing out of the student section or the enticing thought of the Tangerine Bowl in December, the air in Scott Stadium was alive.
Virginia took things back to basics and it all began to click.
Schaub set the tone and had no problem connecting with Ottawa Anderson and Heath Miller time and time again. Schaub proved again why he's worthy of all the hype and Anderson stepped up as a threat for the Cavaliers.
Miller, a semifinalist for the Mackey Award honoring the nation's best college tight end, took six catches for 110 yards. Miller was steadier than he had been a week earlier and that was enough to set the ACC season record of 53 receptions by a tight end.
Connor Hughes' foot once again connected with the pigskin. Hughes kicked five field goals for the Cavaliers and made it look easy, confirming that there is good reason for Virginia to place a great deal of confidence in his leg.
The Virginia roster showed no blemish, no sign of a weak link. Wali Lundy was as explosive as he's been in recent weeks and Jermaine Hardy, a key defensive asset for the Cavaliers, stepped up in spite of an injury to insure Virginia solidarity.
All the while, there was no way to silence the rowdy students -- or an equally emphatic slew of season ticket holders -- who seem to feel as strong of a connection with their football team as they have in some time. The fans gave the Cavaliers incentive to come up big on the field, while Virginia returned the favor with the type of performance that keeps fans coming back for more.
So an Indian Summer day offered more than a chance to break out a pair of flip-flops for tailgating. For Virginia, it offered a day when the weather, the crowd, the talent, the speed, the accuracy and the drive all arrived on time and together. It was the Cavaliers' chance to lock down a sixth win, to pick up a .500 record in the conference and opened the road to sunny days in Orlando.
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