Former Mizzou QB Pribula, Virginia Host NC State in Week 0 ACC Opener

Virginia and NC State met Saturday afternoon in Charlottesville in a Week 0 ACC conference game, with the matchup drawing early-season attention largely because of Cavaliers quarterback Beau Pribula, the former Missouri signal-caller making his debut in a new uniform.

The game kicked off at 2:30 p.m. CST on ESPN, one of several Week 0 contests spread across the country as the college football season officially got underway. North Carolina and TCU opened the FBS slate earlier Saturday in Dublin, Ireland, while North Dakota State played their first game as an FBS member against Jacksonville State later in the day.

Pribula in Focus

Pribula's transfer from Missouri made the NC State-Virginia matchup a storyline well before kickoff. The former Tiger quarterback, who faced Missouri in the Gator Bowl while at his previous program, entered Saturday's game as Virginia's starter with the opportunity to establish himself in a new conference. NC State countered with quarterback CJ Bailey under head coach Dave Doeren, a more experienced head coach by tenure than Virginia's Tony Elliott.

The game at Scott Stadium also featured a pregame ceremony honoring former Virginia running back Perris Jones through the UVA Football Alumni Club's 'Hoos Making a Difference' program. Jones, whose playing career ended following a spinal cord injury suffered at Louisville in November 2023, authored a book titled 'Ashes to End Zone' documenting his journey through college football and recovery. He signed copies of the book at a Charlottesville store Saturday before the game.

It means everything to me. It's kind of what I set out to do: make a small change in the world in any way I could. So to be honored for that is truly amazing.

— Perris Jones, former Virginia running back

Virginia entered the game as a 5.5-point home favorite according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The ACC conference matchup in Week 0 was the result of a scheduling change, with expansion and a relocated game factoring into why the two programs found themselves playing a league contest before most of the country's teams had taken the field for the first time.