Biggest winners and losers from Virginia’s victory over NC State

Tony Elliott's crew took center stage

Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Beau Pribula throws for a first down against NC State. | Courtesy Virginia Athletics

Saturday, a whole lot went right for Virginia and a whole lot went wrong for NC State. The Cavaliers got off to a resounding 1-0 start to the ACC season — with several players standing out as national stars. Here are the biggest winners and losers from Virginia's big win.

Winner: Tony Elliott

Elliott’s team was doubted by many this offseason. His response? Blasting the doors off NC State, selling out Scott Stadium and impressing nearly 100 high school recruits in attendance for the game. 

Loser: A majority of the ACC

NC State was supposed to be an ACC contender, or at the minimum, a team that resides in the top half of the conference. Saturday, the Wolfpack more closely resembled Boston College. Meanwhile, Virginia looks closer to Miami than a team like Pitt or Georgia Tech. The Cavaliers are going to be incredibly difficult to beat this year. 

Winner: John Rudzinski

Even without Kam Robinson, this defense looked like a nationally elite unit. Brandyn Hillman played like an All-ACC safety, the pass rush affected CJ Bailey and the run defense was stout. Rudzinski called a near-perfect game, shutting down what is supposed to be a potent offense.

Rudzinski's unit was one of the best in the Power Four at the tail end of the 2025 campaign. The start of 2026 was more of the same. Virginia's defensive coordinator could garner some consideration for national awards this year.

Loser: A few promising transfers

Once predicted to be the starting running back, Peyton Lewis barely touched the ball Saturday. He was not alone. Other talented transfers saw limited playing time, including Tyson Davis (four snaps), Justin Townsend (one snap), Jonathan Allen (seven snaps) and Jalen McNair (six snaps). 

Those players will hope to increase their playing time, but once injured contributors like Kam Robinson and Corey Costner return, snaps will become even more sparse than they were Saturday.

Winner: Beau Pribula

Pribula was heavily scrutinized this offseason, especially after a story broke that he wanted to go to Virginia Tech but was passed on (the same occurred at other schools). Pribula proved several general managers wrong — having the most efficient game of any quarterback in the country.

Pribula also showcased elite running ability, and a pretty deep ball. He looked the part of a quarterback for a ranked football team. The next few games will be against far inferior defenses — Pribula might completely destroy them.