Beau Pribula’s ability to beat a defense with both his arm and his legs was impossible to miss against NC State, and Virginia fans got a full taste of why he changes the conversation around the offense. He threw for 155 yards and added 100 more on the ground, a dual-threat performance that gave UVA an extra dimension.
His path to Virginia also adds another layer to what comes next. The double transfer might still be at Penn State had James Franklin appreciated his talents as much as UVA fans do this week. That backstory is likely to keep drawing attention in the buildup to UVA’s game against Franklin’s Hokies come November, though a lot can still happen before then.
Pribula is running behind an offensive line that brings a lot of mileage with it. Virginia’s protection group is made up of players in their fifth, sixth, seventh, sixth and seventh college seasons. Something may be off about college team-building when linemen are old enough to chaperon freshman mixers.
Around the rest of the sport, Virginia Tech is a more than 50-point favorite over VMI on Saturday night in the first football meeting between the schools since 1984. That sort of matchup, the kind that should come with reduced-price tickets in Blacksburg, perhaps even an apology, sits in sharp contrast to the rest of the schedule talk.
North Carolina’s win over TCU drew big words from an ESPN studio analyst, who called it “a monumental win” for the Tar Heels and Bill Belichick. That kind of language fits the modern TV habit of reaching for the superlative, and it also ignores how odd it is to act surprised that Belichick would be fielding a better team after a year of learning the college game. One unexpected victory is a small sample size, and the early doom surrounding Carolina has been overblown.
There’s also the ongoing legal backdrop around college sports, with the obvious question hanging in the air: Who will be suing the NCAA next week?
At Duke, the first on-court corporate logo will belong to Edward Jones, the wealth management firm. It’s a match that fits Duke’s image to a T-note, not exactly the same as, say, putting Cracker Barrel on the floor.
At the U.S. Open, Carlos Alcaraz is drawing notice for his hirsute look, with the reigning vibe described as the werewolves of London look.
Curt Cignetti is another coach worth watching, with the question now whether he can contend for a second national title at Indiana using new players who aren’t from James Madison.
Colton Joseph, who followed the money to Wisconsin, gets a major test Sunday night against Notre Dame’s acclaimed defense in a nationally televised game from Green Bay’s Lambeau Field. Last season, Joseph quarterbacked ODU to a respectable 27-14 season-opening loss at Indiana on a more modest stipend, and maybe that experience will help him hold it together against the three-touchdown-favorite Irish.
Dabo Swinney called Lane Kiffin’s push to add two pros to the LSU roster “kind of embarrassing,” but it’s hard to argue that embarrassment still exists in the way big-time college sports operate.
Elsewhere in the NFL, Jayden Daniels has been working with new offensive coordinator David Blough on huddling, one of the areas that needs attention after the Commanders went no-huddle far more than any other team under Kliff Kingsbury. Daniels says he’s taking the new responsibility standing up.
Or kneeling. He hasn’t decided on his best huddle posture.
And Tony Romo’s emotional statement about personal struggles and a desire to improve didn’t draw any official reaction from CBS. The silence was loud enough to make it sound like a bad sign for Romo’s future at the network.
In Other News...
Virginias ACC Quarterback Outlook Comes With One Big Early Question
The ACCs quarterback picture already looks unsettled heading into the season, with 11 programs going shopping in the transfer portal and only a handful of teams bringing back a proven starter. Early Week 0 action gave a first glimpse at how some of those moves might play out, and it also helped sharpen the discussion around the leagues top options at the position entering Week 1.
For Virginia, the intrigue is less about what happened on opening weekend and more about how the Cavaliers fit into that larger quarterback conversation after their own first game. The league picture will keep shifting over the next few days as teams sort through early performances and upcoming tests, and Virginia will spend its off week watching those developments before it returns to the field in Week 2 against Norfolk State. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Just Uncovered A Scary Defensive Possibility
Virginias win over NC State came with a reminder that the Cavaliers may still be scratching the surface on defense. Even while missing several key players, the group held the Wolfpack to 8 points and got quality snaps from other linebackers, showing a level of depth that can travel with them into tougher stretches ahead.
Kam Robinsons absence was part of that performance, and his eventual return only adds another layer to what Virginia is building. With the defense already proving it can function at a high level when pieces are missing, the next question is how much more disruptive it can become once one of its top linebackers is back in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Virginias Offense Showed Just Enough To Excite Cavaliers Fans
Virginia kept things simple in its season opener against NC State, leaning on a run-first approach that was steady enough to control the game and strong enough to produce a 34-8 win. The Cavaliers piled up 4.7 yards per carry on 52 rushes, a formula that gave the offense a clear identity early and offered a useful reminder that this group does not need to be flashy to be effective.
Beau Pribula was a central part of that approach, handling 15 carries as Virginia spread the workload and kept the pressure on NC States front. The passing game was kept relatively quiet, but that restraint also left room for the offense to grow, with players like Rico Flores Jr. and DaShawn Martin positioned to matter more as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]