Virginia's Tony Elliott is On3 Power Five head coach of the week

Each week, On3 selects national head coaches of the week.

Our Power Five head coach of the week for Week 8 is Virginia’s Tony Elliott.

Elliott led the Cavaliers to a stunning 31-27 win over No. 10 and previously undefeated North Carolina. It was Virginia’s first win over a top-10 opponent since 2005 and its first ever road victory over a top-10 opponent. It also gave the Cavaliers their second straight win after starting the season with five straight losses, including three by three points or less.

“This is a program win,” Elliott said. “And not only is it a program win, it’s a catalyst to where we’re going.”

North Carolina held a 24-14 lead during the third quarter, but Virginia scored 10 points during the final four minutes of the quarter to tie the game. The Cavaliers then took the lead with 8:51 remaining in the fourth quarter on a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tony Muskett to leading receiver Malik Washington.

Virginia eventually sealed the win with an interception off of Tar Heels star quarterback Drake Maye with 26 seconds remaining.

Honorable mentions

Utah’s Kyle Whittingham: Despite having to play this season without star quarterback Cam Rising, Whittingham now has Utah 6-1 overall and 3-1 in Pac-12 play after a wild 34-32 win over No. 18 USC. The Utes blew a 14-point second half lead and fell behind on a USC touchdown with 1:46 remaining but responded with an 11-play, 54-yard drive that ended with a game-winning field goal as time expired.

Ohio State’s Ryan Day: In one of the biggest games of the season, Day guided Ohio State to a 20-12 win over No. 7 Penn State. It was the Buckeyes’ second victory over a top-10 opponent in their last four games.

Alabama’s Nick Saban: Behind Saban, Alabama bounced back from a 13-point halftime deficit against Tennessee and won 34-20. The Crimson Tide outscored the Vols 27-0 in the second half.