1990 Virginia Cavaliers football
Sugar Bowl, L 23–22 vs. Tennessee
ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 15
APNo. 23
Record8–4 (5–2 ACC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorGary Tranquill (4th season)
Offensive schemeI formation
Defensive coordinatorFrank Spaziani (4th season)
Base defense5–2
CaptainRon Carey, Joe Hall, Shawn Moore
Home stadiumScott Stadium
Seasons
← 1989
1991 →
1990 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 2 Georgia Tech $ 6 – 0 – 1 11 – 0 – 1
No. 9 Clemson 5 – 2 – 0 10 – 2 – 0
No. 23 Virginia 5 – 2 – 0 8 – 4 – 0
Maryland 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 5 – 1
North Carolina 3 – 3 – 1 6 – 4 – 1
NC State 3 – 4 – 0 7 – 5 – 0
Duke 1 – 6 – 0 4 – 7 – 0
Wake Forest 0 – 7 – 0 3 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1990 Virginia Cavaliers football team represented the University of Virginia in the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Cavaliers offense scored 464 points while the defense allowed 227 points. Led by head coach George Welsh, the Cavaliers competed in the Sugar Bowl, losing 23-22.

This Virginia team is noteworthy for having achieved a No. 1 national ranking in the Associated Press college football poll for two weeks during the season, starting on October 16 of that year and ending with a loss to Georgia Tech.[1] The Cavaliers held the nation's top spot through the poll of October 30, but losses in three of four games left them unranked in the AP poll by the end of the regular season.[2] It was the first time in the program's history that Virginia had ever earned the No. 1 ranking.[3]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 12:00 pmat Kansas*No. 15
W 59–1035,000[4]
September 84:00 pmNo. 9 ClemsonNo. 14
ESPNW 20–746,800[5]
September 151:00 pmNavy*No. 11
  • Scott Stadium
  • Charlottesville, VA
W 56–1439,400[6]
September 2212:00 pmat DukeNo. 10
JPSW 59–024,862[7]
September 291:00 pmWilliam & Mary*No. 7
  • Scott Stadium
  • Charlottesville, VA
W 63–3540,400[8]
October 131:00 pmNC StateNo. 2
  • Scott Stadium
  • Charlottesville, VA
W 31–044,300[9]
October 201:00 pmat Wake ForestNo. 1
W 49–1423,124[10]
November 32:00 pmNo. 16 Georgia TechdaggerNo. 1
  • Scott Stadium
  • Charlottesville, VA
CBSL 38–4149,700[11]
November 1012:30 pmat North CarolinaNo. 11
JPSW 24–1041,000[12]
November 1712:00 pmMarylandNo. 8
  • Scott Stadium
  • Charlottesville, VA (rivalry)
JPSL 30–3543,500[13]
November 247:30 pmat Virginia Tech*No. 17
ESPNL 13–3854,157[14]
January 18:30 pmvs. No. 10 Tennessee*
ABCL 22–2375,132[15]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

[16]

Rankings

See also: 1990 NCAA Division I-A football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
RV = Received votes т = Tied with team above or below ( ) = First-place votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP1514111074 (1)2 (14)1 (38)1 (45)1 (44)11817RVRV23
Coaches2113119853 (10)1 (29)1 (39)1 (35)971423т2315

Personnel

1990 Virginia Cavaliers football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
WR 87 Herman Moore Sr
WR Derek Dooley Sr
WR Brian Satola
WR Terrence Tomlin
WR Johnnie Wilson
QB Shawn Moore Sr
QB Matt Blundin
QB Bobby Goodman
RB Terry Kirby
RB Dave Sweeney
RB Nikki Fisher
RB Gary Steele
RB David Brown
RB Jerrod Washington
RB Alvin Snead
TE Bruce McGonnigal
TE Aaron Mundy
TE Mark Cooke
OL Paul Collins
OL Ray Roberts
OL Trevor Ryals
OL Chris Stearns
OL Jeff Tomlin
OL Chris Borsari
OL Mark Dixon
OL Jim Reid
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DB Tony Covington
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster
Last update: March 22, 2020

Team players in the NFL

The following were selected in the 1991 NFL Draft.

Player Position Round Overall NFL team
Herman Moore Wide receiver 1 10 Detroit Lions
Tony Covington Defensive back 4 93 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bruce McGonnigal Tight end 9 238 Pittsburgh Steelers
Shawn Moore Quarterback 11 284 Denver Broncos

[17]

References

  1. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2009.((cite web)): CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2009.((cite web)): CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "Move over, Miami, Notre Dame and Michigan, because - 10.22.90 - SI Vault". Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2009.
  4. ^ "Virginia scorches Jayhawks in opener, 59–10". The Salina Journal. September 2, 1990. Retrieved February 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Cavs bury streak, Tigers". Daily Press. September 9, 1990. Retrieved February 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Virginia wallops Navy". The Charlotte Observer. September 16, 1990. Retrieved February 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Cavs again in 50s". The News and Advance. September 23, 1990. Retrieved February 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Cavs survive a scare from W&M". Daily Press. September 30, 1990. Retrieved February 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Cavs likely No. 1 after rout". Kingsport Times-News. October 14, 1990. Retrieved February 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Cavs answer wakeup call several times, bury Deacs". The News and Observer. October 21, 1990. Retrieved February 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Ga. Tech ends Cavs' reign at the top". The Daily News Leader. November 4, 1990. Retrieved February 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Cavs fiesta in Chapel Hill". Durham Morning Herald. November 11, 1990. Retrieved February 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Maryland stuns Virginia, 35–30". The Daily Times. November 18, 1990. Retrieved February 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Furrer, Hokies conquer Cavaliers". Richmond Times-Dispatch. November 25, 1990. Retrieved February 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Cavaliers fade down stretch". The Roanoke Times & World-News. January 2, 1991. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "1990 Virginia Cavaliers Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  17. ^ "1991 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2007.
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