Norfolk State at Virginia

Virginia opened its season by mauling NC State to the tune of 34-8, a game where the Cavaliers ran a 23-play touchdown drive and held that ACC defense to the fewest yards a Cavalier opponent has managed since 2013. That kind of offensive control against a real Power Four front is the starting point here, not the whole case. Norfolk State followed its own opener, a 56-0 rout of a Division II club, with a trip to Old Dominion that ended 31-10, and a Group of Five offense moved the ball on that Spartans defense with ease. Put Norfolk State's defense in front of an offensive line and skill group that just dominated an ACC opponent for four quarters, and there's little reason to expect a stop-heavy script tonight. Virginia's offensive coordinator has shown he can lean on the ground game to keep drives alive and the scoreboard moving, and a home Power Four team facing an FCS opponent that's already shown defensive cracks against lesser competition is the kind of spot where the number on the board tends to get run past. My read on this matchup makes the total the play. Back the OVER.