Virginia's defense made a statement in opener against NC State

Even without Robinson, the Cavaliers held Bailey and Wolfpack in check

Aug 29, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers safety Brandyn Hillman (6) gestures to the crowd during the game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg Atkins-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

CJ Bailey called it "bad luck." Virginia's defenders might beg to differ.

Following the worst statistical start of his college career, Bailey was asked to evaluate NC State's offensive ineptitude in Saturday's 34-8 loss to Virginia — a game that saw him produce a career-low passing yards, commit two turnovers and suffer two sacks.

"It was just bad luck," Bailey said. "We had tips at the line of scrimmage. We rarely have tips at the line of scrimmage."

Since Bailey stands 6-foot-6, that's factually true. The difference, though, was more Virginia's size, depth and game plan than any bad voodoo.

"Collective effort by all three levels of the defense," Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott said, "and also depth, preparation, guys communicating, being in the right spot and taking advantage of turnovers."

The first takeaway came when Fisher Camac, who stands an inch taller than Bailey at 6-foot-7, got a hand on a first-quarter pass by Bailey. Safety Brandyn Hillman made a diving interception at the Wolfpack 32, and four plays later, Xavier Brown bulldozed into the end zone from a yard out for a 10-0 lead.

"Any time you can get your hands in the throwing lanes, that's as effective as getting to the quarterback," Elliott said.

Shortly before halftime, Hillman punched the ball out of Bailey's right arm after he had scrambled inside the Virginia 10, halting the Wolfpack's only meaningful drive of the first half.

"The defense came out and played with our hair on fire the first couple of drives," Hillman said.

A year after allowing 214 rushing yards in a 35-31 loss to the Wolfpack in Raleigh, N.C., Virginia held NC State to 76 net rushing yards Saturday, That forced Bailey into obvious passing situations and allowed Virginia to rely on its experienced secondary. Bailey finished with a career-low 84 passing yards.

The best defense is often a good offense, and Elliott praised that side of the ball as well after Virginia rolled up 38 minutes of possession, including a school record 23-play touchdown drive that kept a frustrated on the sideline for over 12 minutes.

"The defense wasn't on the field as long, so we could start rolling guys and keep fresh legs on the field," Elliott said.

Perhaps most impressive was the fact that the Cavaliers stifled the Wolfpack while their best player, preseason all-ACC linebacker Kam Robinson, watched from the sideline. Robinson has made remarkable progress in his rehabilitation from a torn ACL, but Elliott wasn't convinced he was completely ready.

Left unsaid was the confidence Elliott has in the rest of his defense. Junior linebacker Myles Brown maximized his additional playing time due to Robinson's absence and made a team-high eight solo tackles Saturday.

Virginia has played four games since Robinson injured his knee against Duke last November. In three of them — wins over Virginia Tech, Missouri (in the Gator Bowl) and NC State — the Cavaliers have held their opponents to a single touchdown each.

"K-Rob is a beast," Camac said. "He's one of the best players in the country. But one of the things Coach E talks about a lot is competitive depth. There shouldn't be any dropoff [when] you got to 1, 2, 3s. That's one thing we harp on is we go deep. We have a lot of guys, and anyone we put in can go and make a play."

So maybe, despite Bailey's insistence, it has little to do with luck.

"We're here," Hillman said. "The tape don't lie."