Virginia RB Mike Hollins scores first TDs since he was wounded in November shooting
Hollins' score came as Virginia honored Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D'Sean Perry before the game
Virginia running back Mike Hollins scored two touchdowns during the Cavaliers’ loss to James Madison on Saturday.
It’s Hollins’ first TDs since he was wounded in an on-campus shooting in November that killed three of his teammates. It also came on the same day that Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry were honored by Virginia ahead of its first home game since the shooting.
Hollins’ first TD came on his second carry of the game. He scored from four yards out to cut James Madison’s lead to a field goal with 1:02 before halftime.
An inspiration to all!
300 days later, Mike Hollins not only takes the field but scores a touchdown to pull UVA within 3!
🎥 @UVAFootball | @ESPNU
pic.twitter.com/tQFajCtSBi— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) September 9, 2023
His second came in the second half after Virginia had taken the lead. His nine-yard run with 16 seconds left in the third quarter gave the Cavaliers a 35-24 lead. That lead didn't last long, however, as James Madison scored 12 unanswered points for a 36-35 win.
Hollins opened the season as Virginia’s No. 2 running back after he was shot in the abdomen following a field trip. He was one of two people wounded in the shooting allegedly committed by former walk-on football player Christopher Darnell Jones.
Hollins also led Virginia out of the tunnel ahead of its Week 1 game against Tennessee and had three carries for minus-7 yards.
Virginia’s tributes to Chandler, Davis and Perry
Virginia played a pregame tribute video narrated by Samuel L. Jackson in honor of Chandler, Davis and Perry and their families were recognized on the field. The school also unveiled two memorials at the stadium for the three players. Their jersey numbers — Nos. 1, 15 and 41 — are displayed on the south end of the stadium and they are also recognized on plaques in the Legends Walk at Scott Stadium.
The school canceled its final two games of the 2022 season after the shooting. Jones is facing charges of aggravated murder and would face life in prison if he is convicted.
