BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech football team is back on the field this Saturday, September 26 as they welcome the NC State Wolfpack to Lane Stadium for the Hokies' season opener. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ACC Network.
The Wolfpack enter the contest 1-0 after their victory over Wake Forest 45-42 this past Saturday night in their initial contest of 2020.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Saturday, September 26 – 8 PM
Lane Stadium; Blacksburg, Virginia
vs. NC State (1-0, 1-0)
Head Coach: Dave Doeren (8th Season, 10th Season overall)
Record at school: 48-42; Career: 71-46
Series: Tech leads 27-18-4 Last: Oct. 9, 2015 (W, 28-13)
Live Stats: CLICK HERE
Broadcast: ACC Network
Play-by-Play: Dave O'Brien
Analyst: Tim Hasselback
Sideline: Katie George
Radio: Virginia Tech Sports Properties
Play-by-Play: Jon Laaser
Analyst: Mike Burnop
Sideline: Wes McElroy
Virginia Tech Game Notes: CLICK HERE
TECH OPENS FIFTH SEASON UNDER FUENTE
• Virginia Tech opens its fifth season under head coach Justin Fuente in 2020 as NC State visits Lane Stadium.
• The Hokies will open the season with an ACC opponent for the third consecutive year after two straight road openers at BC (8/31/19) and at FSU (9/3/18).
• Tech owns a four-game winning streak vs. NC State, but this contest will mark the first clash against the Wolfpack under Fuente. The two teams haven't met since 2015 and NC State hasn't won in Blacksburg since 2004.
• NC State finished the 2019 campaign with a 4-8 mark and is seeking to snap a five-game ACC losing streak.
• Fuente's 33 wins are the most accumulated by any Tech head coach in his initial four seasons with the Hokies.
• Clemson's Dabo Swinney is the only active ACC head coach who can top Fuente's 33 wins in his first four full seasons at an ACC school.
• The Hokies haven't played their opening game this late in 70 seasons since opening 1950 vs. Quantico (9/30/50).
• NC State opened its season with a 45-42 home win vs. Wake Forest (9/19).
HOME SWEET HOME - LANE STADIUM
• Virginia Tech is 4-0 in home openers under Fuente and has won its last three ACC contests at Lane Stadium.
• Tech went 6-1 at home in 2019, marking the third time in four seasons under Fuente that VT has suffered only one home loss.
KEY SCORING STATS ON HOKIES, WOLFPACK
• VT is 23-5 when scoring 30+ points under Fuente.
• NC State is 7-23 in ACC play when allowing 30+ points under Doeren, including an 0-6 mark in 2019.
• VT owns a 28-2 mark under Fuente when leading at half.
• VT is 31-2 when holding foes to 21 points or fewer dating back to the start of the 2015 season (6-1 in 2019).
• NC State is 2-25 under in ACC games under Doeren when scoring 21 points or fewer (0-6 mark in 2019).
• VT has won 25 straight games when limiting foes to 17 points or fewer (6-0 in 2019).
• NC State is 3-20 under Doeren when scoring 17 points or fewer.
HAMILTON TAKES OVER TECH'S DEFENSE
• Tech alum and former NFL player Justin Hamilton enters his initial season as defensive coordinator in 2020. New additions to the Hokies' defensive staff also include former Minnesota head coach Tracy Claeys (linebackers), longtime NFL coach Bill Teerlinck (defensive line), Tech All-American and 12-year NFL playing veteran Daryll Tapp (co-defensive line) and Virginia native Ryan Smith (cornerbacks).
• Tech's defense returns six players who started all 13 games in 2019: LB Rayshard Ashby, LB Dax Hollifield, DE Emmanuel Belmar, S Divine Deablo, DT Jarrod Hewitt and CB Chamarri Conner.
• Those six players accounted for 59.2% (22.5 of 38.0) of Tech's sacks and 57.8% (48.0 of 83.0) TFL in 2019.
• Tech racked up 38.0 sacks in 2019 after registering 24.0 during the entire 2018 campaign.
• Five players with 50 total tackles or more in 2019 are back: Ashby (120), Deablo (84), Conner (68), Hollifield (67) and LB Alan Tisdale (52).
• Tech led the ACC in Red Zone defense (78.8 scoring pct.) and ranked sixth among Power Five squads. Tech allowed 23 TDs on 42 opponent Red Zone possessions, good for a 54.8 Red Zone touchdown percentage allowed.Gallery: (9-21-2020) 2020 FOOTBALL FALL PRACTICES
