Tony Elliott walked out of Virginia’s season opener with a couple of choices that looked smart in real time and even better by the final whistle.
The Cavaliers’ 34-8 win over NC State turned on two moves in particular: holding linebacker Kam Robinson out and building the offense around Beau Pribula’s legs. One was a health call, the other a game-plan call. Both worked.
Robinson’s absence was the more delicate decision. The star linebacker is still working back from a torn ACL suffered nine months ago, and while he had taken part in individual drills and limited scrimmaging in camp, Elliott wasn’t ready to push him into live action. That was especially true against an athletic quarterback like NC State’s CJ Bailey, even after Elliott said last week he was optimistic Robinson would play.
When Elliott watched Robinson practice last week, the hesitation grew.
"It was close," Elliott said. "I think he could have played, and he would have played, but at the end of the day, I didn't feel great about it.
He had a full week of practice; he he did had some contact, but I didn't want to force the issue. We've got two more weeks before we play [Norfolk State], so now add another two weeks, which would be three weeks of contact before he would really go."
Elliott also made clear the decision wasn’t just about this Saturday. ACL recoveries can drag on for a full year, and Robinson’s injury is only nine months old. Even after the physical part comes back, trust is its own hurdle.
"He said he felt great; he looks great," Elliott said. "But ...
I wouldn't have been able to live with himself if I had thrown him out there and something happened, because he's going to do Kam Robinson-type things. ... I want to see a little bit more of him really explode and feeling good about it rather than letting that be the first time that really happens."
Virginia didn’t miss him against the Wolfpack. The defense still kept Bailey in check, and backup Myles Brown led the team with eight tackles.
That makes Robinson’s next steps simpler, at least for now. The Cavaliers won’t need him against Norfolk State, which went 1-11 in Michael Vick’s first season as coach.
But with West Virginia and the rest of the ACC schedule looming after that, getting him back into game action soon would matter.
There’s also the bigger picture: Robinson may not be at full strength for much of the season, but Virginia already showed it can function without him. It’s obvious the defense will be better once he’s back.
The other key call came on offense, where Elliott and Des Kitchings clearly wanted Pribula to stress NC State’s rebuilt defense with his mobility. With top receiver Rco Flores Jr. out and slot target Jacquon Gibson not catching a pass, Virginia leaned hard into its quarterback’s running ability right from the jump.
Pribula carried on the first snap of each of Virginia’s first four possessions, ripping off gains of 11, 18, 22 and four yards. By halftime, he had 81 rushing yards on nine carries. He finished with 110 yards on 15 attempts, tying Jekail Middlebrook for the team lead in carries.
That approach did exactly what Virginia wanted. Pribula kept the chains moving, forced the safeties to cheat closer to the line and created room for the passing game. Once the defense started crowding, he hit on play-action strikes of 45 yards to Xavier Brown and 47 to Da'Shawn Martin.
It was the kind of performance that gives future opponents something to chew on. Pribula’s legs are now firmly part of the plan, even if Elliott doesn’t want that burden to become the norm.
"I love how Beau runs, but 15 carries every game is probably not the way we want to make a living," Elliott said.
In Other News...
Virginia Win Over NC State Just Brought Early Validation For Tony Elliott
The opener against NC State gave Virginia a needed early jolt, and it also handed Tony Elliott a little national recognition to go with it. After the Cavaliers rolled to a 34-8 win in their season and conference opener, Elliott was named the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week, a nod that lands with extra weight after Virginia finally broke through against an opponent that had been a thorn for the program.
There was more than one coach in the spotlight, too. Offensive line coach Joey Orck earned the Shriners Childrens East-West Bowl Coach of the Week award for the way his unit helped set the tone up front, underscoring how much of Virginias encouraging start came from control at the line of scrimmage. For a team looking to turn one big win into something sturdier, those acknowledgments only add to the sense that the Cavaliers may have found an early formula worth building on. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State May Have Found Its Next Difference Maker At Running Back
Week 0 offered an early look at several new faces around college football, including a Virginia debut that gave Cavaliers fans a reason to pay attention beyond the final score. The cross-country slate featured breakout runs from a handful of backs and a few quarterbacks who immediately changed the feel of their new teams, with Virginia getting a first glimpse of what its latest transfer addition could bring to the offense.
Chandler Pribula, who arrived from Missouri, showed the kind of dual-threat balance that can alter a game even in late August. He threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns while adding 110 rushing yards without an interception, the sort of all-around opening act that gives Virginia an early offensive foundation and plenty to sort through as the season starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Already Has A Few Early Role Changes Fans Should Notice
Virginias season opener offered an early glimpse at how the Cavaliers may sort out their depth chart, and Pro Football Focus snap counts and grades made a few of those changes hard to miss. Linebacker Myles Brown, cornerback Jacobie Henderson and quarterback Beau Pribula all drew strong reviews, while several other players, including offensive lineman Ben York and receiver Ty'Lyric Coleman, logged more time and came away with solid marks as the staff starts to learn who can be trusted in different situations.
The encouraging part for Virginia is that the better grades were spread across key areas rather than coming from one isolated spot. The defensive backs and offensive line both stood out compared with other units, which should give the Cavaliers something to build on as they settle into the season, even if the exact pecking order at a few spots still appears to be in flux. [Read more 🡒]