CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Virginia didn’t just beat Norfolk State on Friday night. The 25th-ranked Cavaliers controlled the game from the opening series and turned Scott Stadium into a showcase, rolling to a 59-3 win in the first of their two Friday night home games this season.
The margin told the story, but the details were even louder. Virginia was up 28-3 at halftime, then kept the pressure on with a second half that belonged to the backups as much as the starters. Four touchdowns came after the break, capped by a 50-yard interception return from second-year linebacker Justin Rowe.
The Cavaliers also got a 30-yard field goal from fifth-year kicker Will Bettridge, who had already made program history earlier in the night. Bettridge became Virginia’s all-time leading scorer, moving past Connor Hughes, who finished with 332 career points from 2002-05. Bettridge now sits at 337.
“It was special, for sure,” said Bettridge.
The win was Virginia’s largest since Sept. 22, 1990, when it beat Duke 59-0 in Durham, N.C.
For Norfolk State coach Michael Vick, the game was a blunt lesson in how cleanly Virginia executes. The Spartans, now in Vick’s second year, came out throwing and moved the chains three times on the opening drive before Brandyn Hillman picked off the first of his two passes.
“When you watch them on film, they don’t try and trick you,” said Norfolk State head coach Michael Vick, a former All-America quarterback at Virginia Tech. “They line up, they believe in what they do, they’re well-coached, they’re where they’re supposed to be and you have to earn every blade of grass against them. ”
Hillman, a Michigan transfer, turned that first interception into a 50-yard return that set up Virginia’s first touchdown. He came up with another pick on Norfolk State’s next possession, and that takeaway led to the Cavaliers’ second score. Hillman also had an interception and forced a fumble in the win over NC State.
“I'm just glad he's on my team,” Elliott said, “and he's just gonna continue to get better. That's the crazy thing, that he's just gonna get better, but what he does is, he makes everybody else around him better.
He plays with such intensity, such passion and love for the game. He’s a natural playmaker.”
Virginia’s offense piled up 466 yards, and the quarterback rotation kept producing. Beau Pribula started and threw three touchdown passes, connecting twice with Jacquon Gibson and once with Da’Shawn Martin.
Eli Holstein took over for the second half and added two more scoring throws, hitting Ty’Lyric Coleman and Isaiah Robinson, who made his 2026 debut. Cole Geer later entered and found Hayden Rollison for a 12-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
In all, 12 different Virginia players caught at least one pass.
“It was really, really good to play as many guys as we did,” Elliott said.
On the ground, the Cavaliers added 237 rushing yards and one touchdown. Second-year tailback Xay Davis led the way with a career-high 107 yards on 11 carries, while Noah Vaughn finished with 81 yards on just eight attempts. The lone rushing score came on a 3-yard run by Peyton Lewis late in the second quarter.
Virginia’s defense stayed in control even after losing starting defensive tackle Jason Hammond to an elbow injury late in the first quarter. The Cavaliers still shut down the Spartans’ run game, holding them to 55 yards on the ground.
Cornerback Jacobie Henderson led Virginia with eight tackles. Kam Robinson and Darrion Henry-Young added five apiece, and Robinson made his first appearance since suffering a season-ending knee injury against Duke last November.
“I just couldn't wait to get back out there, being the first game in a long time,” Robinson said. “So getting back in Scott, I think I was definitely anxious at first, but once the game got on, I got more comfortable.”
The Cavaliers have now held three straight opponents to fewer than 10 points, a stretch that started in last year’s Gator Bowl.
“Just proud overall of the defense and just the mindset that they're showing up every single day with,” Elliott said.
The night also carried a heavier meaning. It came on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and Elliott opened his postgame remarks by addressing that date directly.
“Every game is important, every game is meaningful,” Elliott said, “but certain games have significance tied around them. And so I thought it was only fitting that it was us that was chosen to play on this night, on this anniversary.
And so for all those out there that were impacted by 9/11, just know that this football team stands with you, and we support you. We're playing for you, and hopefully tonight, by the way that we played, it brought some inspiration to [what is] maybe a very difficult day for some people.”
Virginia, which opened the season Aug. 29 with a 34-8 win over ACC rival NC State at Scott Stadium, now turns to a matchup with West Virginia next Saturday, Sept. 19, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. The Duke’s Mayo Classic will air at 7:30 p.m. on ACC Network.
The Cavaliers and Mountaineers haven’t played since Virginia beat West Virginia 48-22 in the inaugural Continental Tire Bowl on Dec. 28, 2002, at the same stadium. The series dates to 1898, with Virginia holding a 12-10-1 edge.
West Virginia, which opened with a win over Coastal Carolina, hosts UT-Martin on Saturday afternoon.
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