Should Hoos Fans Worry About Will Bettridge?
Senior kicker Will Bettridge has been a model of consistency for Virginia football the past two seasons, but early struggles in 2025 have fans asking tough questions. With three missed field goals already—including a costly chip shot against Stanford—his reliability is under the spotlight heading into a primetime matchup with top-10 Florida State. Is this just a September slump, or a bigger concern that could define UVA’s season?
Jay Ballard
9/22/20251 min read
Fans don’t like to think about kicking until they absolutely have to. Unfortunately, it’s becoming hard to ignore. Senior kicker Will Bettridge has already missed three field goals this season—including a chip-shot 25-yarder against Stanford. I’ve seen kids make similar kicks routinely on ESPN College Gameday while being heckled by Pat McAfee, and they aren’t on scholarship with only one job to do, make field goals.
Over the past two years, he was nearly automatic, going 18-for-21 in both 2023 and 2024. That’s just three misses each season, and in that span he didn’t miss a single extra point. Consistency has been his calling card.
That’s why this year feels different. He’s already matched his season total of misses by mid-September. And for a program like UVA, those points matter. Games in the ACC often come down to one kick.
And here’s the thing—Florida State comes to Charlottesville Friday night ranked in the top 10. In a matchup that figures to be tight and emotional, every scoring chance will count. Leaving points on the field against a team like the Seminoles is playing with fire.
So how worried should we be? Honestly, somewhere in the middle. Bettridge has proven over three full seasons that he’s dependable, and seniors with his experience usually find their footing again. Slumps happen, even to good kickers. But the timing couldn’t be worse, and the margin for error is about to shrink dramatically.
Bottom line: if this was just a September hiccup, fans can exhale. But if the trend continues Friday night under the lights, those missed kicks could be the difference between a program-defining upset and a painful what-if. Go Hoos!