Bailey finished 12 of 23 passing with an interception, and NC State's offense managed just 168 total yards — not the tone-setter the third-year starter said he wanted going in. Pribula was nearly flawless in comparison: 9 of 11 passing for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns, plus 110 rushing yards on the ground. The board treated this like a competitive ACC opener; the tape said otherwise almost immediately.
Virginia spread the damage around. Xavier Brown scored twice — a 1-yard plunge and a 45-yard touchdown catch — and Pribula found D. Martin for a 47-yard score of his own. NC State's only answer was a 1-yard Wilson run in the third quarter, by which point Virginia already led 24-0.
Virginia opened this early on purpose — the program's earliest kickoff since 2002 — and the result buys Tony Elliott's staff a full week to enjoy it before ACC play ramps up. For Dave Doeren's Wolfpack, this was supposed to be the proof-of-concept game for a roster many pegged as a leap candidate. Instead it's back to the drawing board on the offensive line and in the receiving corps.
Whatever this was for Virginia — a signature statement, a QB1 arriving fully formed — it wasn't stacked entirely on garbage time; Pribula did his damage with the game still competitive on the scoreboard. NC State gets a week to fix its protection and find explosive plays before ACC play picks up steam in earnest.