Virginia’s trip from overlooked to overhyped has been fast, and Friday night against Norfolk State will tell the Cavaliers a lot about how they handle the change.
The opener brought the first jolt. After being snubbed in the preseason polls, Virginia is now sitting at No. 25 in both major national rankings, and DraftKings lists the Cavaliers as 44.5-point favorites against an FCS team that finished 1-11 last season. Add in the fact that Virginia expects to get several players back who missed the 34-8 win over NC State 12 days earlier, and the setup is pretty simple: the Cavaliers are healthy, favored and expected to cruise.
That’s exactly why the bigger question is about mindset.
Can Virginia stay hungry now that the outside noise has flipped so dramatically?
One thing the Cavaliers did against NC State was move the ball efficiently through the air. Beau Pribula completed 9 of 11 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns, and it was one of the most efficient passing performances in school history. Virginia barely needed to throw, though, because the early ground success - much of it fueled by Pribula’s legs - kept the offense on schedule and in control.
Friday may not demand much from the passing game either. Virginia could probably beat Norfolk State without leaning heavily on it. But that doesn’t mean the game won’t matter for Pribula and his receivers.
Rico Flores Jr., the expected top target, will miss his second straight game because of hamstring issues, so Ty’Lyric Coleman is set for another start. Pribula will also be looking to sharpen his timing with Kam Courtney, Da’Shawn Martin and Jacquon Gibson. Virginia wants that connection to keep growing, because if the receivers can’t create separation against Norfolk State’s secondary, the challenge could get a lot tougher once ACC play ramps up.
There’s also the return of linebacker James Jackson Robinson, who should finally make his debut after a long recovery from a surgically repaired ACL. Tony Elliott had considered letting him play against NC State, but changed course right before kickoff and gave him two more weeks to keep rehabbing and work through full-scale practice.
Now, 10 months after the injury, Robinson is expected to get on the field against the Spartans. How explosive he looks will be worth watching.
ACL recoveries can take a year or more, and sometimes longer before a player fully trusts the knee again. Even with Virginia projected to win comfortably, Robinson would likely be on a snap count.
Elliott and John Rudzinski would like to see him involved early, build some confidence and then get him ready for next weekend’s matchup with West Virginia.
Virginia’s rise after the NC State win has been dramatic enough to change the conversation around the program. National media members who saw last season’s 11-3 finish as a fluke are now floating the Cavaliers as real contenders for the ACC title game and the College Football Playoff. Some are even comparing this veteran group to the Indiana team that won last year’s national title.
That kind of turnaround in a matter of days can test a locker room. Elliott probably didn’t need to start warning his team about complacency this early, but a veteran roster should know how to handle it.
If Virginia plays clean and takes care of business, it should have no trouble with Norfolk State. If it doesn’t, the coaches will be sure to make that point clear.
In Other News...
Virginia Defense Has A New Chance To Prove Week 0 Was Real
Virginias defense made its loudest early-season statement in Week 0, holding NC State to eight points and helping push the Cavaliers into the No. 25 spot in the rankings. Now the unit gets another chance to back that up against Norfolk State, with defensive coordinator John Rudzinski looking for the kind of clean performance that would make the opener feel less like a strong start and more like a standard.
Kam Robinsons return adds another layer to the front seven after his long recovery from the ACL tear he suffered on Nov. 15, and his presence gives Virginia another proven piece to lean on as the season settles in. Along with defensive lineman Britton, the Cavaliers could also get a closer look at freshmen linebackers Uran and Brannon, who may be asked to handle more work as the staff sorts out how much depth it can trust beyond the first wave of defenders. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Has More Than One Reason This Home Opener Matters
Virginias home opener against Norfolk State at Scott Stadium carries a little extra meaning beyond the usual September reset. After a bye week, the Cavaliers are looking to keep their early momentum going, and there are a handful of individual milestones in the mix as the program settles back into game mode. Kicker Will Bettridge is on the doorstep of a major place in school history, while several other players are approaching career marks of their own.
The broader team picture has been just as encouraging, especially on defense, where Virginia has been making a habit of creating problems for opposing offenses. That kind of disruption has helped the Cavaliers stay on track, and it gives this matchup a chance to serve as both a tune-up and a showcase. With the record intact and the milestone watch continuing, Scott Stadium has more than the usual opener storylines to follow. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Has One Big Chance To Answer A Real Concern Before WVU
Before West Virginia comes to town, Virginia gets a useful early-season measuring stick against Norfolk State, a game that should tell the Cavaliers plenty about where they stand. On paper, Virginia has the cleaner roster, with more depth, more experience and better health, and the matchup also gives the Cavaliers a chance to sort through some of the key personnel and line play details that shaped the opener.
There is still a reason to watch closely, though, because Virginias passing game needs to show more life after looking like a secondary concern in the first game. That makes this weekend more than just a tuneup: it is a chance for the Cavaliers to get sharper in the air before the schedule stiffens, while also dealing with a Norfolk State team that has a lot of transfer movement and a coaching presence that will draw attention all by itself. [Read more 🡒]