Virginia's Chandler Morris masterful in 19-play Gator Bowl drive

Chandler Morris long ago lost count of all the drives from a college football career that has carried him to Oklahoma, TCU, North Texas and now Virginia.

But Virginia's graduate quarterback, now a day past his 25th birthday, said he's never experienced a marathon march quite like the one that earned a place in the annals of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

"That was my first," Morris said. "Out in the Florida heat, I guess, we haven't been too used to it, too."

The bowl doesn't maintain complete records for longest drive in its 81-year history, but the Morris-led march of 19 plays, 75 yards, 10 minutes and 7 seconds to open the second half of the Cavaliers' 13-7 win against Missouri on Dec. 27 will rank among the most important.

This was football for the tortoise, not the hare. Just the way Virginia head coach Tony Elliott wanted.

"That's an offense on the other sideline that can get going at any time, that can rip off big runs for touchdowns, that can find big plays in the passing game," Elliott said. "So we wanted to try and control the game a little bit where we could, and see if we could possess the ball."

Opening the half with a 7-3 deficit on its own 25, Virginia embarked on a gritty, grinding slow-motion drive through the Jacksonville night. Nine running plays gained 4 yards or fewer. The possession looked spoiled from the start: Missouri (8-5) drove Harrison Waylee backward for a loss of 2 on first down and Morris threw incomplete on second.

But after three third-down conversions, two fourth-down conversions, two direct snaps to a tailback and even a variant of the swinging-gate formation, Waylee plunged in from 2. The EverBank Stadium end zone. The lead.

"What I'm thinking is, 'Thank you for bailing me out [on the fourth-down gambles],'" Elliott said.

'POLECAT' CALL LIFTS CAVALIERS

At Virginia, Elliott said, they call it "Polecat."

From an unorthodox formation — three linemen split wide, spreading the defense in unpredictable ways — Morris caught the confused Tigers off guard and fired a strike to tight end Sage Ennis at the Mizzou 12, the biggest play in a procession of small ones.

Morris completed 7 of 9 passes for 52 yards on the drive, spreading the ball among five different Cavalier pass-catchers. Four different rushers kept the chains moving, and frustrated the Tigers.

"It was just execution on our parts, nothing we hadn't prepared for," Missouri linebacker Nick Rodriguez said.

No. 21 Virginia (11-3) changed up its offense, and really had no choice. Leading receiver Trell Harris (59 catches, 847 yards) missed the game with a knee injury, and top running back J'Mari Taylor (1,062 yards rushing, 14 TD) never took the field in an apparent bowl opt-out.

Slow. Steady. A drive that won't ignite a viral highlight wildfire online. But Virginia wouldn't be taking a bowl title back to Charlottesville, or celebrating a first-ever 11-win season, without it.

"To be able to go out there and really take over the line of scrimmage and punch it in the end zone, putting seven points on the board that drive was really big," Morris said.

Virginia's 19-play Gator Bowl drive

First and 10, Virginia 25: Harrison Waylee run for loss of 2.

Second and 12, Virginia 23: Chandler Morris pass incomplete.

Third and 12, Virginia 23: Morris pass to Eli Wood for 13.

First and 10, Virginia 36: Morris pass to Waylee for 4.

Second and 6, Virginia 40: Morris run for 2.

Third and 4, Virginia 42: Morris run for 2.

Fourth and 2, Virginia 44: Morris pass to Cam Ross for 6.

First and 10, 50: Morris pass to Kameron Courtney for 3.

Second and 7, Missouri 47: Davis Lane Jr. run for 2.

Third and 5, Missouri 45: Waylee run for 2.

Fourth and 3, Missouri 43: Morris pass to Waylee for 5.

First and 10, Missouri 38: Morris pass incomplete.

Second and 10, Missouri 38: Xay Davis run for 8.

Third and 2, Missouri 30: Davis run for 3.

First and 10, Missouri 27: Morris pass to Sage Ennis for 15.

First and 10, Missouri 12: Morris run for 2.

Second and 8, Missouri 10: Morris pass to Ross for 6.

Third and 2, Missouri 4: Waylee run for 2.

First and goal, Missouri 2: Waylee touchdown run for 2.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Virginia football's 19-play drive at Gator Bowl