Virginia returns to Scott Stadium on Friday night for a 7 p.m. meeting with Norfolk State, and while the stakes are nowhere near what they were against NC State, there is still plenty on the line for the Cavaliers. A few records are within reach, some milestone numbers are about to fall, and this is the kind of game that should let Virginia stack another clean result.
One of the biggest markers belongs to Will Bettridge. The fifth-year kicker enters with 327 career points and needs just six more to pass Connor Hughes and become Virginia’s all-time leading scorer.
That could happen a few different ways: one field goal and three extra points would do the trick, or, if Virginia gets into the end zone often enough, six extra points would get Bettridge there as well. Bettridge was also the nation’s No. 13 scorer in 2025.
A handful of other individual milestones are close too. Friday will be Noah Josey’s 50th career start, and his 45th in a row.
Beau Pribula and Xavier Brown are each about 20 yards shy of 1,000 career rushing yards. Kam Robinson needs one tackle to hit 200 for his career, while Fisher Camac is one stop away from 100.
Virginia’s defense has been making life miserable for opposing offenses, and the turnover numbers back that up. The Cavaliers have forced at least one takeaway in 11 of their last 12 games.
Elliott has made no secret of how much that matters, and for Virginia it can turn into a devastating sequence: the other team loses the ball, the Cavaliers chew up nearly a quarter of clock, and the drive ends in points. That’s a brutal swing for anyone on the other side.
The bye-week pattern under Elliott has been spotless so far. Virginia is 6-0 in the first game after a bye, and that streak should climb to 7-0 after Friday night.
There’s also a broader in-state angle to this matchup. Once Virginia finishes with Norfolk State, the Cavaliers will have played every Virginia-based Division I team except Hampton, which is scheduled for 2029.
Virginia has already beaten every in-state opponent in the previous meeting except James Madison in 2023. This week’s game also features 87 Commonwealth natives across the two rosters.
The last time out, Virginia’s defense was on another level, holding NC State to eight points. That was the first time the Wolfpack were held to single digits by an unranked team since Oct. 14, 2023, at Duke. It also fit a larger trend, since Virginia finished with the ACC’s second-best scoring defense last season.
Friday is only the second of Virginia’s seven home games this year, and it also marks the second Friday night home game on the schedule, with Duke coming later in a rematch. The Cavaliers are also looking to keep building on a promising trend in attendance.
And if this game goes the way Virginia expects, the back end of the roster should get some real run. Deep reserves, including third-string quarterback Cole Geer, are in line for meaningful snaps once the Cavaliers open up a big lead.
Virginia’s College Football Playoff path is tied to strength of record, not strength of schedule, and with only one ranked team on the regular-season slate, the margin for error is thin. That means the formula is simple: win big, keep winning, and leave no doubt.
In Other News...
Virginia Faces One Early Test Fans Can't Ignore After NC State
Virginia heads into its home date with Norfolk State coming off a statement win over NC State, and the mood around the program has shifted quickly from proving itself to protecting against its own momentum. The Cavaliers are ranked 25th and favored, but this is the sort of early-season spot that can reveal whether a team is simply feeling good or actually building something sustainable.
There should also be a notable personnel change on the field, with linebacker Robinson expected to be back after working his way through a surgically repaired ACL. Virginia will, however, be without receiver Rico Flores Jr. because of a hamstring issue, and it is exactly the kind of availability wrinkle that can make a supposedly manageable game feel a little less simple if focus slips even for a moment. [Read more 🡒]
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 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 🡒]