Heading into their third meeting in the last four years, the Hokies and Wolfpack each look for a crucial conference victory when they meet inside Lane Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET, with the game set to air on ACC Network.
Senior Day Success
There's no doubt emotions can run high on Senior Day throughout all of college football. For some places, that doesn't necessarily always translate to success. But for others, it can certainly be a plus.
As of late, Tech's dominated in its home finales. The Hokies are 6-1 in their last seven contests and have outscored their opponents 249-104 over that span.
To add on, Tech is 17-3 in its home finales since joining the ACC. That dates back to 2004, and it shows the history of success within the Hokies' program ever since.
The Mighty, Mighty D-Block
There has been no shortage of firepower when it comes to the history of Tech football in the defensive backfield. And in 2023, there's certainly no exception.
The Hokies currently find themselves ranked sixth in the country in passing yards allowed, giving up just 161.2 yards per game so far this season. That's the best in the ACC, and it's been consistently solid over the first 10 games.
On the flip side of things, NC State has only thrown for 180.1 yards a game over the course of the campaign, ranking second-worst in the ACC and 111th nationally.
The matchup sets up nicely for Tech defensively, and after allowing just 138 yards through the air last week, confidence should be sky-high going into this Saturday.
Defensive Display
With a talented unit across the board, it's hard to ignore how impactful the Wolfpack has been on the defensive side of the ball.
So far this year, NC State ranks 20th nationally in total defense, surrendering a mere 315 yards per contest and allowing just over five yards per play.
To add on, the Wolfpack boasts the 14th-best rushing defense in all of college football, conceding only 100.3 yards a game in a dominant season up front for NC State.
That tees up an intriguing bout. The combination of Bhayshul Tuten and Malachi Thomas combined for four touchdowns last weekend in the rout of Boston College and have seemingly hit their strides just in time for the stretch run.
Let's Go Bowling
Speaking of cornerstones surrounding the history of Tech football, the potential for postseason bids has certainly got to be one of them.
In a remarkable stretch, the Hokies have reached bowl eligibility in 28 of the past 30 seasons dating back to 1993, including the nation's longest active bowl streak that spanned 27 years all the way to 2019.
It's one of the many core pieces of the program's long-winded history, and should the Hokies take care of the Wolfpack on Saturday afternoon, Tech will return to where it belongs for the very first time in the Brent Pry era.