No. 25 Virginia routs Norfolk State 59-3
Team pages: Norfolk State · Virginia
No. 25 Virginia routed Norfolk State 59-3. Share this game
We had Virginia favored. It won.
Next: Norfolk State beat Hampton 42-21, Sat Sep 19
How it swung
Before kickoff, our ratings gave Virginia a 96% chance, and the closing betting line (Virginia was a 47.5-point favorite) put it above 99%.
Virginia led by 21 after the first quarter and by 25 at the half.
Virginia · Q4 4:17Virginia 59-3 Norfolk State
Virginia wonMove across the chart, or tap a numbered swing, to see any play.Norfolk State 3-59 VirginiaNorfolk State lostMove across the chart, or tap a numbered swing, to see any play.No single play moved the chance by 20 points.
No single play moved the chance by 20 points.
How to read this chart
Starts from the pregame line (Virginia -47.5), at 100% for Virginia (the play-by-play feed's kickoff number, moved to match the line; our model's and the betting line's own numbers are in “The betting line, and the fans”). Dots are the biggest swings; ticks under the chart are scores. Outlined diamonds mark rare plays. The gray band is r/CFB game-thread activity.Watch the plays
The bar and the arrow show Virginia’s chance to win after each play; the logo is the team the play helped.
- Q1, 10:36Bailey intercepted by Hillman at the UVA13returned 50 yardsQ1, 10:36 · Virginia 0, Norfolk State 00-0score after the play0-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
- Q1, 7:39Pribula 6-yd TD pass to GibsonVirginia goes ahead 7-0Q1, 7:39 · Virginia 7, Norfolk State 07-0score after the play7-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
- Q1, 5:57Bailey intercepted by Hillman at the NSU22Q1, 5:57 · Virginia 7, Norfolk State 07-0score after the play7-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
- Q1, 5:30Pribula 27-yd TD pass to MartinVirginia leads 14-0Q1, 5:30 · Virginia 14, Norfolk State 014-0score after the play14-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
- Q1, 3:12Pribula 30-yd TD pass to GibsonVirginia leads 21-0Q1, 3:12 · Virginia 21, Norfolk State 021-0score after the play21-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
- Q2, 6:21Pribula intercepted by Davis at the UVA36Q2, 6:21 · Virginia 21, Norfolk State 021-0score after the play21-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
- Q3, 10:57Holstein 1-yd TD pass to ColemanVirginia leads 35-3Q3, 10:57 · Virginia 35, Norfolk State 335-3score after the play35-3score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
- Q3, 7:21Holstein 5-yd TD pass to RobinsonVirginia leads 42-3Q3, 7:21 · Virginia 42, Norfolk State 342-3score after the play42-3score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
- Q4, 14:54Geer 12-yd TD pass to RollisonVirginia leads 49-3Q4, 14:54 · Virginia 49, Norfolk State 349-3score after the play49-3score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
- Q4, 4:17Jackson intercepted by Rowe at the NSU50 and returned for a TDVirginia leads 59-3Q4, 4:17 · Virginia 59, Norfolk State 359-3score after the play59-3score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
Every drive
Virginia scored on 8 of its 12 drives; Norfolk State on 1 of its 13.
Virginia’s drives are teal, Norfolk State’s amber. A line runs from where a drive started to where it ended; a filled dot means it scored.
“The commentators just do not seem like they want to be here at all lol”
When fans got loud
Busy
Fans had the most to say in the opening quarter.
The jump was busy; the crowd was quiet.
Never in doubt.
Box score
Virginia 59, Norfolk State 3
Virginia covered −47.5 by 8.5. The total, 62, went over 56.5.
| Team totals | Norfolk State | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Total yards | 223 | 466 |
| Passing | 18 of 34, 168 yds | 18 of 24, 229 yds |
| Rushing | 31 for 55 yds | 38 for 237 yds |
| First downs | 11 | 25 |
| Third down | 4 of 17 | 4 of 8 |
| Fourth down | 0 of 2 | 1 of 1 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 1 |
| Penalties | 3 for 37 yds | 3 for 25 yds |
| Time of possession | 31:46 | 28:14 |
Norfolk State leaders
- Passing Deljay Bailey 15 of 25, 142 yds, 2 INT
- Rushing Jalyn Daniels 6 for 22 yds; Ravon Moore 8 for 19 yds
- Receiving Elyjah Mitchell 5 for 43 yds; Paul Billups II 2 for 37 yds
Virginia leaders
- Passing Beau Pribula 12 of 14, 162 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
- Rushing Xay Davis 11 for 107 yds; Noah Vaughn 8 for 81 yds
- Receiving Jacquon Gibson 2 for 36 yds, 2 TD; Kameron Courtney 3 for 35 yds
No rain and calm
76° at kickoff · no rain recorded · wind 2 mph from the north-northwest, gusts to 8
September game-day temperatures at Scott Stadium
Drag along the chart, or step through the game.
Where this weather comes from
Measured at Charlottesville airport, 8.1 miles away. Rain is NOAA's radar-and-gauge estimate at the stadium and wind is an airport reading; neither is measured on the field. Game times come from the play-by-play, good to a minute or two. Source: National Weather Service, through the Iowa Environmental Mesonet; rain radar from NOAA MRMS, through Iowa State University. Field direction from OpenStreetMap contributors.Before kickoff
Recent games, the series and the betting line below are as they stood going in; the season profile is the season so far.
Recent games
Last two games
Norfolk State · 1-1
Rated 246th in our preseason ratings, 247th now.
1-1 in its last two — but nothing on this résumé beats a top-40 team yet.
W 56-0 vs Winston-Salem State #345 of 668
Last three games · 2025 season
Virginia · 11-3
Rated 56th in our preseason ratings, 54th now.
2-1 in its last three, capped by a 6-point win over Missouri as a 4-point underdog.
W 13-7 @ MissouriTop 25 #20 of 667
won by 6 as a 4-point underdog
L 20-27 vs Duke #58 of 667
lost by 7 as a 3.5-point favorite
W 27-7 vs Virginia Tech #80 of 667
won by 20 as a 9.5-point favorite
W 34-17 @ Duke #65 of 667
won by 17 as a 5.5-point underdog
L 9-16 vs Wake Forest #55 of 667
lost by 7 as a 7.5-point favorite
W 31-21 @ California #85 of 667
won by 10 as a 5.5-point favorite
W 17-16 @ North Carolina #89 of 667
won by 1 as a 12.5-point favorite
W 22-20 vs Washington State #83 of 667
won by 2 as a 16.5-point favorite
W 30-27 @ LouisvilleTop 25 #31 of 667
won by 3 as a 6.5-point underdog
W 46-38 vs Florida StateTop 25 #31 of 667
won by 8 as a 6.5-point underdog
W 48-20 vs Stanford #89 of 667
won by 28 as a 16.5-point favorite
W 55-16 vs William & Mary #176 of 667
won by 39 as a 29.5-point favorite
L 31-35 @ NC State #47 of 667
lost by 4 as a 2.5-point underdog
W 48-7 vs Coastal Carolina #111 of 667
won by 41 as a 13.5-point favorite
Week by week
Virginia
- Wk 1Wvs NC State34-8
Norfolk State
- Wk 1Wvs Winston-Salem State56-0
- Wk 1Lat Old Dominion10-31
Line, fans and home field
The betting line, and the fans
Our model and the betting line agree on Virginia’s chances here.
Virginia favored by 47.5 · Total 56.5
How games like this usually go
Virginia by 47.5, and it went to form
Half of games8 in 10 gamesThis game
The band is where a favorite’s chance ran in the 411 games since 2025 with a favorite of 21.5 points or more.
The market
The spread moved 3 points toward Virginia.
The total rose 2 points.
Spread: −44.5 → −47.5 · Total: 54.5 → 56.5
Home field
Virginia is worth +5.1 points (±3.4) more at home than on the road since 2018 — middle of FBS, 66th percentile.
62% at home, 34% on the road against FBS opponents (29-18 home, 14-27 away).
Our model gives every stadium the same flat 2.3-point home edge (why); the books use about 3. Against the closing line this stadium reads +0.1 at home vs. away over 96 games — inside the ±5.7 noise, so the flat number is the honest one here.
Night kickoff — historically worth about half a point more to the home side against the number, and not much more than that. The visitors travel about 148 miles to get here.