College Football Program Wins 11 Games for First Time in 136 Years

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

College Football Program Wins 11 Games for First Time in 136 Years

College football bowl season continued Saturday with several exciting postseason matchups across the country producing decisive results. The No. 12 BYU Cougars closed their season with a 25-21 win over the No. 22 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

The Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the Clemson Tigers 22–10 in the Pinstripe Bowl; the East Carolina Panthers outlasted Pittsburgh Panthers 23-17 in the Military Bowl; while the Fresno State Bulldogs defeated the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks 18-3 in the Arizona Bowl.

Other notable matchups included the No. 21 Houston Cougars’ 38-35 win over the LSU Tigers in the Texas Bowl and the No. 19 Virginia Cavaliers’ tough 13-7 victory over the Missouri Tigers in the Gator Bowl.

Virginia Cavaliers players hold up the Ash Verlander Champions Trophy after the Gator Bowl.© Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Virginia’s victory over Missouri in the Gator Bowl was a defensive battle in which the Cavaliers controlled the clock. Virginia limited Missouri to one touchdown, which came in the first quarter.

Offensively, Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris finished with 198 passing yards. Running back Harrison Waylee scored the game’s decisive rushing touchdown before Will Bettridge ended the scoring with a 39-yard field goal.

The Cavaliers’ most important sequence came in the third quarter, when they engineered a 19-play, 75-yard drive that consumed more than 10 minutes of game clock and produced the decisive score.

With the victory, Virginia captured 11 wins for the first time in its 136-year program history, setting a new benchmark for single-season success. The Cavaliers’ previous best win total was 10, achieved just once before this season. The Gator Bowl triumph also marked Virginia’s first bowl win over an SEC opponent and its first bowl win since 2018.

Across the 2025 season, Virginia impressed with a balanced offensive attack and a defense capable of shutting down potent rushers like Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy, who managed 89 yards on 15 carries. Despite missing key contributors in the bowl game, the Cavaliers displayed depth and discipline under head coach Tony Elliott.

In 2026, Virginia will aim to build on this historic season. The program enters the offseason with heightened expectations and renewed hope after a breakthrough campaign.

Related: Historic College Football Program Loses Two Players to Transfer Portal

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos