The last two games have been trying for fans of the Virginia football team, but the losses may have weighed heavier on the players. After a last second loss on a missed field goal against Maryland and a second-half collapse against Duke, it may be tough to see optimism on the road ahead.
Couple that with a four-game losing streak, and it becomes clear why junior running back Kevin Parks expressed his displeasure and frustration by calling the team’s most recent showing “ridiculous.”
Parks is not alone in his disappointment with the team’s failure to execute in the last few weeks. Much of the frustration lies not in the fact the Cavaliers have lost, but in the way the Cavaliers have lost — excessive penalties, turnovers and the inability to execute down the stretch.
“We just started beating ourselves,” junior linebacker Henry Coley said after the Duke game. “They opened up the playbook a little, but we weren’t taking care of the Xs and Os.”
With games against No. 9 Clemson, No. 7 Miami and No. 14 Virginia Tech still to come, the Cavaliers have to gather their bearings if they want a fighting chance to stave off an embarrassing season.
“Sometimes you will see people start to get down on themselves,” Coley said. “But you have to remind yourself in order to be a leader, you have to keep yourself up. We need guys to believe all the way to the end.”
Coley’s comments were blunt, but his teammates appreciate that he cares enough about the team to voice his concerns.
“You want to have the guys — Henry’s one of the them — that show the passion of really wanting things to improve and get a lot better,” junior tight end Jake McGee said. “You want to bring as many guys with you as you can that really love the game a lot.”
Coley and Parks’ leadership, even in the face of such frustration, is something the team will look to build off of throughout the rest of the season.
“You want people to speak up when things aren’t going to plan or when things aren’t going right,” coach Mike London said. “That’s part of being a good team leader or a teammate is you can’t idly sit by and watch things go on and on and on without speaking up. I think Henry, along with Kevin and others, are disappointed maybe that some of the things keep happening or saying, ‘Listen, if we’re going to turn this thing we’ve got to turn this thing in a direction that you guys know how to respond.’”
Despite the struggles, London continues to believe in the team’s ability to turn its losing streak around.
“One of the other things is we are committed to winning,” London said. “No one wants to win more than I do. No one wants to win more than the players. I think if you ask our guys, the attitude about that and the aspect of preparing and practicing to win is still as high as it’s ever been because of the opportunities and because of the teams we’re about to play.”
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