Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech football is scheduled to go back on the road for a conference game with Florida State on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
The matchup at Doak Campbell Stadium will feature two teams undefeated in ACC conference play. Tech's road trip to Tallahassee, Florida will mark just the third time since 1999 that the game site is in Tallahassee.How to FollowTV: The game will be televised on ABC with Mark Jones (play-by-play), Louis Riddick (analyst) and Quint Kessenich (sideline) on the call.
Radio: The Virginia Tech Sports Network, including its flagship station 105.3 FM "The Bear" in Blacksburg, will carry the contest over the airwaves. Bill Roth will handle play-by-play duties while Mike Burnop provides color commentary and Zach Mackey reports from the sideline.
Streaming: Catch the game online at ESPN.com and in the ESPN mobile app.
Live Audio: Listen to live audio coverage of the matchup at HokieSports.com/Watch or in the HokieSports mobile app.
Live Stats: Monitor the game through live stats on HokieSports.com, including play-by-play updates and full team and individual statistics.
Social Media: Stay connected with the Hokies on Twitter (@HokiesFB), Instagram (@hokiesfb) and Facebook (@VirginiaTechFB).
Three Things to KnowInvesting in the Ground Game
Since the beginning of fall camp, head coach Brent Pry has emphasized the need to establish an identity running the football. The offense did exactly that against Pitt, amassing 59 rushing attempts for 199 yards. The investment in the ground game earned ACC coordinator of the week for offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen. In the highest-scoring output of the season, Bowen leveraged the athleticism of both Bhayshul Tuten and Kyron Drones, as they finished with 24 and 21 rushing attempts, respectively. Commitment to running the football helped Tuten record his 11th career game, surpassing the century mark, finishing with 109 rushing yards.
Upsetting Top-10 Ranked Opponents
Beating an opponent ranked in the top five is not an easy task. The Hokies are in the category of teams that have upset teams ranked within the top five. Looking back at the 2003 season, Tech pulled the ultimate upset, defeating No. 2 ranked Miami in dominant fashion, 31-7. Looking at the recent series history with Florida State, the Hokies have won two of the last three contests in which the Seminoles were ranked. Overall, the program has not been able to squeeze out a win when the Seminoles are ranked in the top 10. The last time Tech defeated an opponent in the Top 10 while unranked was on Sept. 3, 2021, when they defeated No. 10 North Carolina.
First Possession Magic
Tech's offense has scored on their first possession in back-to-back games for the first time since the North Carolina and Georgia Tech games in 2018. Explosive plays have been the theme when the Hokies get on the board first. On the road against Marshall, Drones ran for a 31-yard score, breaking a few tackles on his way to the end zone. This past weekend, the offense scored on a deep pass connection to wide receiver Da'Quan Felton to start the Hokies' tremendous scoring output. Starting off strong will be necessary against a tough opponent in Florida State, and playing with a lead can help lean in the defense's favor, which just saw defensive coordinator Chris Marve earn ACC coordinator of the week honors.
Players to WatchDefensive Lineman Antwaun Powell-Ryland: A junior transfer for Florida, Powell-Ryland had another impactful outing against Pitt with a sack, a forced fumble and two quarterback hurries. Saturday evening was the second time this season that the Portsmouth, Virginia native registered a strip sack. Powell-Ryland finished the contest with an 89.9 defensive grade, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), and claimed his second pass-rush grade of at least 91.1 in 2023.
Wide Receiver Da'Quan Felton: Another native of Portsmouth, Virginia, Felton has established himself as quarterback Kyron Drones' preferred deep-ball target. In the team's first offensive possession, Drones connected with Felton on a beautiful pass down the sideline for a 54-yard touchdown. The redshirt senior wideout caught four passes for 81 yards and the touchdown mentioned above against Pitt. Averaging nearly 15 yards per catch this season, Felton also caught a 39-yard touchdown versus Rutgers in Drones' first start.
Defensive Lineman Pheldarius Payne: After missing the entire 2022 campaign due to injury, Payne has come on tremendously in the past two weeks. Repeating his sack production from week four, the redshirt senior has collected 1.5 sacks in back-to-back games. He concluded the contest with a 90.6 pass-rush grade from PFF, the second-highest pass-rush grade only behind teammate Powell-Ryland. The Suffolk, Virginia native has provided much-needed consistency for the defensive group up front.