Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – For the first time in just under two years, the Virginia Tech Hokies and the NC State Wolfpack are slated to face off in a weekend contest on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. ET. The two squads, who are both led by dual-threat quarterbacks in Kyron Drones and CJ Bailey, enter the fray as conference play begins to ramp up in their 2025 campaigns. As the Hokies continue to prepare for their first ACC opponent of the season, here’s What to Watch for when the Hokies kickoff in Carter-Finley Stadium.
Conference Play Begins
Kickoff this weekend marks the official start of conference play for the Hokies. This season serves as the 22nd year in which Virginia Tech has been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), the university officially being invited as a conference member in the summer of 2003.
Virginia Tech football has been able to establish itself as a force since becoming a member of the ACC. The Hokies are 15-6 in conference openers and have been .500 or better in ACC play in nine of the last ten seasons.
This weekend marks just the second time, however, that the Hokies open conference play against the Wolfpack in Raleigh. For the first time, Hokie fans will have to dig two decades back to 2005, where a balanced passing and rushing attack from quarterback Marcus Vick (108 passing yards, 1 touchdown; 13 rushes, 31 yards) led the then-No. 8 Hokies to a 20-16 victory. The Hokies would go an impressive 7-1 in conference play during the 2005 season, including a perfect 4-0 on the road against conference opponents.
Stopping When It Matters
While the NC State offense relies heavily on quarterback CJ Bailey’s passing attack, the running game is equally as formidable. Guided largely by redshirt sophomore Hollywood Smothers, the team is averaging a conference fifth-highest 174.3 rush yards per game so far this season, the total coming from Smothers’ performances of 76, 140, 164, and 123 rushing yards.
Meeting Smothers on the line this week, however, are key members of the Lunch Pail Defense who can silence the Wolfpack running game. Anchored by linemen Kemari Copeland and Kelvin Gilliam Jr., the defensive front has been able to pressure opposing offensive lines this fall with a mix of speed and quickness.
It’s also important to note that the Wolfpack have just a 42.3% conversion rate on third down in 2025. Moreover, against the Hokies this fall, opposing teams have had just a 41.9% success rate on third down opportunities.
Capitalize Effectively
The differences between the 2023 and 2024 editions of the Wolfpack defense are hard to miss. While the 2023 front allowed more than 28 points just twice across the season, the defense did so a staggering six times a year later. Then-defensive coordinator Tony Gibson’s 2024 group ranked 15th in defense within the ACC, and NC State was one of only three teams to allow more than 30 points per game (Wake Forest, Stanford).
Facing a defense with plenty of fresh facets in 2025 – including a new coordinator in D.J. Eliot and six new defensive transfers – gives the Hokies an opportunity to take advantage. Further, NC State’s defensive statistics largely read the same as they did a year prior, specifically in that the unit is giving up 29.3 points per game to opposing offenses through four games this fall.
Keen-eyed fans should also consider that the Wolfpack defense faltered in their Week 4 matchup against state rival Duke. While entering halftime trailing by a single point, NC State squandered what would be a close game by giving up 24 points in the second half to the Blue Devils.