Virginia had almost nothing to apologize for Friday night.
The Cavaliers rolled past Norfolk State 59-3, stayed tied atop the ACC with an undefeated record and kept stacking evidence that this team is more than just a fast start. Will Bettridge moved into first place on Virginia’s all-time scoring list, and a handful of Cavaliers found the end zone for the first time in a Virginia uniform.
The defense kept setting the tone. For the second straight game, Virginia allowed only one score, and while Norfolk State hit a few chunk plays, the overall picture was clear: this group looked sharp.
Brandyn Hillman came away with two more forced turnovers, and Kam Robinson and Corey Costner both made their season debuts. It’s starting to look like a unit that can keep getting better as the season goes along.
Still, the box score wasn’t spotless. Virginia lost the time of possession battle in three of the four quarters, and that mattered a little in a game like this.
Getting Norfolk State off the field faster could have opened up more chances to score and given backup players more snaps. It also could have helped Virginia pad its resume and climb a bit higher in the national statistical picture with a couple more touchdowns.
That’s a small gripe in a game this lopsided, but it was there.
The quarterback play was as clean as it gets. Aside from one interception, Pribula was nearly flawless, going 12 of 14 for three touchdowns and taking just one sack.
He didn’t need to use his legs on Friday, but Virginia has already shown he can do that too. More than anything, he looks like exactly the kind of efficient quarterback this offense wants.
There is, of course, the obvious caveat: Norfolk State is an FCS team. That matters when you start talking about the College Football Playoff and what Virginia needs to do to strengthen its case. The question is what happens if the Cavaliers line up against a Big Ten opponent and still win by multiple scores.
Even with that qualifier, Virginia did what good teams are supposed to do. It executed over and over, stayed disciplined and looked comfortable in all the areas that tend to decide bigger games. The Cavaliers are rarely penalized, they control the line of scrimmage and they have the kind of experience that can hold up when the pressure rises.
That’s why the path back to Charlotte for the ACC Championship game doesn’t feel far-fetched.
In Other News...
Virginia Still Has Something To Prove Before West Virginia
Virginia kept its place in the national picture after overwhelming Norfolk State, staying at No. 25 in both the Associated Press and American Football Coaches Association polls. The Cavaliers were rewarded with more points than they had a week earlier, a sign that voters noticed the lopsided win, even if it did not push them up the ladder.
Now the focus shifts to West Virginia, and there is a little more at stake than just another early-season game. Both teams enter at 2-0, which should make this one a sharper test of where Virginia really stands, especially after a ranking bump that stopped short of a climb. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia's Hot Start Now Comes With A Bigger Tony Elliott Test
Virginias start has been as convincing as it gets, and the AP voters kept the Cavaliers in the No. 25 spot after the rout of Norfolk State. The bigger picture is even better for Tony Elliotts team: Virginia is 2-0 and has overwhelmed its first two opponents, putting up early numbers that have turned a tidy September opening into something that starts to feel more like momentum.
Elliott, though, has been careful not to let the ranking or the margin of victory change the message inside the building. His point has been simple enough for a team riding this kind of start: the standard and the focus have to stay the same. Virginia now moves into a tougher-looking test against West Virginia, and that is where a hot start starts asking a different kind of question. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Is Back In The Top 25 Conversation Again
Virginia kept its unbeaten start rolling with a 59-3 win over Norfolk State, and now the conversation around the Cavaliers is shifting from early-season momentum to where they may land in the AP Top 25. After another convincing result, Virginia is sitting at 2-0 and has at least put itself back into the mix as voters sort through a busy first few weeks of the season.
The ranking picture remains fluid, with the AP poll likely to move depending on what happens around the country, including the situations involving Oregon, Washington, Iowa and Michigan. Michigans win over Oklahoma has already changed the landscape and put the Wolverines on track to return to the rankings, leaving Virginia to watch and wait as the next set of ballots takes shape. [Read more 🡒]