Why Saturday’s Loss to Wake Forest Hurt So Bad

This one hurt. Not just because of the score or the playoff chatter that vanished overnight — but because deep down, we all kind of knew it was coming.

If we’re being honest, we haven’t played our best football since beating Louisville. That night felt like a statement — the kind of win that makes you believe your program has arrived. Since then, we’ve been chasing that level again, hoping the pieces would click. But the ball only bounces your way so many times before it doesn’t.

For two months, we got a taste of what upper-echelon football feels like — that rare air the elite programs breathe every fall. It was intoxicating. Seeing “Virginia” in playoff projections wasn’t a joke anymore. Even if we’d made it and lost, it would’ve meant something. It would’ve been proof we could get there.

But chances like this don’t come around often. The schedule gods won’t always be this kind. We didn’t have to see Clemson, Miami, Georgia Tech, or SMU. This was the year to make a run. You have to take advantage when the window opens, because next year isn’t guaranteed — not in this era of transfers and roster turnover.

And that’s why this one stings so badly — because we didn’t lose to a juggernaut. We lost to Wake Forest. Sure, they’re competitive and a bad call away from beating Georgia Tech, but they’re still Wake Forest. That’s what makes it burn.

Football losses hit harder than any other sport because there are only twelve Saturdays. Each one carries a month’s worth of hope. I’m 46, and for a couple of months, I got to live the dream of cheering for a team that looked like a legitimate playoff contender. For once, it wasn’t about “next year.” It was about this year.

But the injuries have piled up, and they’ve finally caught up. The offensive line is a shell of what it was when healthy. Every week it’s someone new, and you can’t help but wonder why UVA seems to deal with more injuries than anyone in the country. It feels cruel — like the football gods just couldn’t let us have nice things for too long.

Our friend Jake Malasek said it best after the loss: “Life is meaningless.” It was part joke, part truth, and it summed up the mood perfectly.

Still, there’s no time to sulk. Duke and Virginia Tech are next — at Duke, then home for the rivalry that defines our falls. Win both, and we’re likely playing for an ACC Championship — sixty minutes from a potential College Football Playoff berth.

But that dream probably hinges on one thing: Chandler Morris’ health. Without him, we couldn’t even muster a touchdown for more than half the game. Don’t rush him back for Duke — the Virginia Tech game means more to me than anything. If he’s healthy, play him. But if not, protect him. Because as much as we love Danny Kaelin’s effort, we can’t head into the Saturday after Thanksgiving with him under center.

This loss hurt because we saw what greatness looked like — and then watched it slip away. But the season isn’t over. Two games left. Win them both, and all the pain of Wake Forest suddenly fades away.

Because this story still has a chance for one incredible ending. Go Hoos!