The Virginia Cavaliers absolutely laid the smack down on Norfolk State Friday night, taking a massive 59-3 win and moving to a sweet 2-0 on the young season. This wasn’t some nail-biter; the ‘Hoos totally overmatched the Spartans for all 60 minutes, which meant plenty of reserves got some crucial live reps in the second half. Talk about a statement game!
Pribula’s Surgical Precision Leads the Offense
Beau Pribula was nothing short of brilliant in the first two quarters, showing off incredible efficiency by throwing for 162 yards on a stunning 12-of-14 passing, complete with three touchdown tosses. What’s even wilder is that offensive coordinator Des Kitchings chose to keep him upright, having him sling the rock purely from the pocket, with zero designed rushing attempts. That’s a quarterback who can dissect a defense! Wide receiver Jacquon Gibson, who didn’t find the end zone once with UMass back in 2025, made up for lost time by hauling in two of Pribula’s touchdown catches. And let’s not forget sophomore Xay Davis, who burst out of the backfield for 107 yards on just 13 attempts. It wasn’t just Pribula either; backups Eli Holstein and Cole Geer each had an impressive throw to build on. Holstein opened the second half with a beautiful goal line fade to Ty’Lyric Coleman, and Geer connected with high school teammate Williem Thurber for 28 yards up the seam in the fourth. The offense is clicking on all cylinders, man.
Defense Puts on a Clinic and Special Teams Makes History
On the defensive side, it was a welcome sight to see Kam Robinson back on the field, even if it was in a limited capacity. The first-team secondary was looking particularly strong, with Brandyn Hillman snagging his second and third interceptions of the season! Jacobie Henderson also flashed some serious playmaking ability. Then, just for good measure, sophomore linebacker Justin Rowe added a pick-six in the final minutes. The defense was flying around and making plays. And a massive shout-out has to go to Will Bettridge, whose 30-yard field goal and seven PATs didn’t just add to the scoreboard, they propelled him to the very top of the all-time UVA scoring leaderboard. Talk about a special night!
The Cavaliers did exactly what they needed to do against an FCS opponent: play dominant, sound football across all three stages of the game. Now, the page turns to West Virginia. The ‘Hoos are heading to the Queen City next weekend, and they’ll be looking to make some better memories and keep this 2-0 start rolling. This team is electric, and everyone’s fired up for the next challenge!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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