Tony Elliott was slowly building the Virginia Cavaliers until he put together a special season in 2025, bringing the program to the ACC Championship Game, where they fell just short in overtime. Coming off such a special year, the question was over whether or not the Cavaliers could keep pushing forward and prove to be a contender in the ACC once again.
Chandler Morris pushed for another season of eligibility, but was denied in court, forcing the Cavaliers to look for a new QB. The pick for Tony Elliott and his staff was Missouri transfer Beau Pribula, who flashed at times but struggled once he started to deal with injuries. Later in the season, the question will be if Pribula can stay healthy, but to start the year Virginia needed him to take care of the ball.
Beau Pribula delivers on the potential in impressive Virginia debut against NC State
Beau Pribula was able to kick his feet up and watch Eli Holstein late in the 4th quarter as his debut went as well as he ever could've hoped for. The dual-threat ability came together perfectly on Saturday as Pribula finished 9 for 11 passing for 155 yards and a pair of touchdowns while leading the team with 110 rushing yards.
BEAU PRIBULA DIME.
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) August 29, 2026
SCOTT STADIUM IS ELECTRIC. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/hIMNvoJmZT
Watching the game, it was clear that this is a deeply flawed NC State team, so it's too early for the fanbase to get carried away. While this wasn't the toughest test for the Cavaliers, it looks like Tony Elliott's group is going to be a big factor in the conference, especially if Beau Pribula continues to take care of the football.
The rushing ability of Pribula is going to be a weapon for the Cavaliers as long as he can stay healthy. In the first half, Virginia only passed the ball 3 times, completely wearing down the NC State defense, which is a great recipe for success. The wear and tear the rushing attack put on NC State was evident in the second half when UVA took 12:15 off the clock on a 23-play touchdown drive to put the game away.
Eventually, the offense is going to need to find more balance, but it's always encouraging to know you can lean on your rushing attack when needed. The Cavaliers have a bye week next week, which may explain why Tony Elliott was willing to put the ball in his quarterback's hands so often, but it won't be sustainable for Pribula to take as many hits as he did in this game.
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