Barber: After tragedy, Virginia football finds joy in returning to Scott Stadium for its spring game

CHARLOTTESVILLE – There, in a Scott Stadium end zone painted with the jersey numbers and names of three slain football teammates, J.R. Wilson helped Virginia football do something that seemed almost unimaginable five months ago.

Wilson followed his 63-yard touchdown reception on the second drive of the Cavaliers’ spring game by doing ‘snow angels’ in that end zone, flipping it from somber to celebratory.

The pain hasn’t gone anywhere, but all over Scott Stadium on a rainy Saturday, UVa asserted that there can be joy again.

“To move forward is love. It’s joy. It’s passion. It’s appreciation,” offensive coordinator Des Kitchings said. “That’s what the guys have brought, daily.”

In the second quarter, in that same end zone, running back Mike Hollins – seriously injured in the Nov. 13 on-campus shooting that claimed the lives of Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis. Jr. and D’Sean Perry – scored a one-yard touchdown, a play Kitchings said gave him “chills.”

Hollins placed the ball on the turf over Perry’s name and tapped the ground, honoring the three teammates who were killed.

On the sideline, Hollins’s younger brother, decked out in – what else – a Mike Hollins jersey – celebrated with him on the bench.

“Just being able to play football again is a blessing,” Wilson said. “The tragedy we had made you really reflect that any day could be your last day.”

Defensive coordinator John Rudzinski always has his defense walk the length of the field before games, to remind them the field is no different than the one they practice on. Saturday, as he walked toward that end zone tribute, it did feel different.

“There was some tingles up my spine and a lot of emotion for us as a program,” Rudzinski said.

Only a small crowd turned out Saturday – typical for UVa spring games – and a steady second-quarter rain chased away many of those who did show up. Thankfully for Virginia, the crowd looked better on TV thanks to construction on the west side forcing fans to the east stands, in view of the ACC Network cameras, a broadcast that leaned heavily into remembering the victims of the shooting tragedy.

For his part, second-year coach Tony Elliott has been intentional in the way he’s talked about what’s next for his program, emphasizing that Virginia is “moving forward, not moving on.”

“The challenge is trying to go back to that place of having childlike fun,” Elliott said. “Finding joy.”

Saturday, Cavaliers gave a preview of what they might be moving toward.

That 63-yard scoring strike from Monmouth transfer Tony Muskett to Wilson would have been the third-longest play from scrimmage last season, behind only a 64-yard run by former quarterback Brennan Armstrong and a 64-yard reception by Hollins.

And it was far from the only deep shot for an offense built on running the football and hitting big, play-action passes.

Hollins’ performance showed that his recovery from the shooting isn’t any type of gimmick – he’s back to contribute and play a major role.

There are still plenty of holes to patch. Elliott has said the team will pursue help on the offensive line and at cornerback in the transfer portal before the fall. Special teams units, again, had issues.

Virginia hasn’t played a game that counts at Scott Stadium since a 37-7 drubbing by Pittsburgh on Nov. 12. The next day, the team and the school were rocked by the shooting. The final two games of the season, home against Coastal Carolina and at rival Virginia Tech, were called off.

UVa’s home opener in 2023, on Sept. 9 against James Madison, figures to be an emotionally charged event, and attendance should be far better than it was for the spring game.

Still, Saturday afternoon, fans were back at Scott Stadium, football players were on the turf, there were angels in the end zone.

And there was joy.