The Virginia Cavaliers lost a heartbreaker at NC State on Saturday, falling 35-31 after quarterback Chandler Morris’s back-breaking interception in the end zone soured an otherwise excellent offensive afternoon for the ’Hoos.
Though it certainly feels like Virginia let one get away in Raleigh, there were plenty of bright spots in Saturday’s performance. And no one shone more than transfer running back J’Mari Taylor.
A 5-foot-9, 204-pound grad transfer from North Carolina Central, Taylor finished his
afternoon with 17 carries for 150 yards (8.8 yards per carry) and three touchdowns while adding a pair of receptions for 13 yards through the air.
Taylor — who grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina — began his collegiate career at NCCU as a walk-on, fighting to make the team through a tryout in 2020. Four years later, Taylor would finish his time with the Eagles inside the program’s top ten in career rushing yards (1,882) before transferring to UVA this past offseason.
“He’s just a good football player, and I think what you’re seeing in college football nowadays is there are really good football players at all levels,” Head Coach Tony Elliott said of Taylor on Saturday. “He’s played four years of college football prior to coming here, he was a starter for several years, [and] he’s very talented to begin with.”
Last season for the Eagles, Taylor became NCCU’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2005, catching the eye of many coaches at the FBS level. And on Saturday, in front of a host of friends and family, the Charlotte native proved that his skillset — an explosive blend of power and elusiveness — absolutely translates to the higher level of competition.
Taylor got his afternoon started Saturday with a 39-yard touchdown on a 4th-and-1 carry in the first quarter, bouncing off a pair of Wolfpack defenders at the line of scrimmage before accelerating past the NC State secondary.
Taylor found pay dirt again later in the opening quarter, weaving through the line and lowering his shoulder to muscle through the NC State defense on a 9-yard touchdown.
And to cap off his exceptional afternoon, Taylor put his wheels on display in the third quarter, breaking loose for a 66-yard house call that tied his career-long run.
“[Taylor’s] got a great demeanor,” Elliott said. “He’s a team-first guy, a hard worker, and doesn’t say much at practice. He’s a pleaser, wants to do it right. So, all those qualities and characteristics are what allowed him to make the transition [to the FBS].”
Taylor’s trio of touchdowns, after a pair of scores in the opener against Coastal Carolina, made him the first Cavalier to score at least four touchdowns in the first two games of a season since 2011. Perhaps even more impressively, Taylor forced 11 missed tackles on Saturday, a skill that might soon have the Virginia running back earning his way onto NFL Draft boards.
Though Taylor and the Virginia rushing attack combined for a dominant 266 total yards on the ground, the ’Hoos fell just short of a win in Raleigh. An underwhelming defensive effort, some special teams mishaps, and a critical late turnover cost the ’Hoos what could’ve been a 2-0 start to the season.
“I know there’s no moral victories, but we’re going to get on this bus [and] we’re not going to have our heads down,” Elliott said on the team’s mentality moving forward. “We’re going to stay encouraged. We’re going to stay positive. My challenge to the team is we either get bitter or we get better. We either get defined by this game or we get developed. And I’m choosing to get better. I’m choosing to get developed. And I believe those guys in the locker room will do the same thing.”
Virginia will return home to Scott Stadium on Saturday for a noon kickoff against William & Mary. Coverage will be on ACC Network as the ’Hoos look to get right against a Tribe squad that they last faced off against in 2023.
