Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech football program is preparing for its next challenge as No. 16 Louisville heads to Blacksburg on Saturday, Nov. 1 for 3 p.m. ET, kick televised on The CW. The Hokies (3-5, 2-2 ACC), who will be playing their sixth home game of the season, welcome a Cardinals (6-1, 3-1 ACC) team that has played two of their last four contests on the road. While Virginia Tech continues to prepare for the contest against Louisville, here’s What to Watch for on Saturday afternoon.
Ground Game Supremacy
The Hokies and the Cardinals enter Saturday’s contest with premier running talent on both offenses. Tech football has seen the likes of transfers Marcellous Hawkins and Terion Stewart succeed on the ground this fall, while Louisville has featured tailback Isaac Brown in a starting role through seven games.
Hawkins enters the contest as the Hokies’ leading rusher, boasting 531 yards on the ground across 85 attempts (6.2 yards per carry). His 167-yard performance against Cal this past Friday was a testament to the redshirt junior’s ability to shake defenders with elite quickness and high levels of physicality. Joining the Oklahoma City native in his efforts is Stewart, who has retained 373 rushing yards on 55 carries (6.8 yards per carry). Standing at 5-foot-9, 222 pounds, Stewart’s ability to gain yards after contact has made national headlines, as his 5.71 yards after contact average ranks first among FBS running backs (per PFF; min. 50 attempts).
Opposite the Hokies will be Brown, who has accumulated 652 rushing yards on 75 carries (8.7 yards per carry). The sophomore from Miami has posted rushing totals over 100 yards in four different contests this fall, including a 205-yard effort on 14 carries against Boston College last week.
Exploiting The Offense
While the Cardinals enter Saturday’s contest with just one loss to their name, their six wins have not come without difficulty. Three of the team’s last four games have been decided by seven points or fewer, including an overtime loss to Virginia on Oct. 4.
Further, key members of the Louisville offense have committed untimely turnovers in multiple games. In just the last three games alone, running back Brown has fumbled three times, and redshirt senior quarterback Miller Moss has thrown a pair of interceptions.
Defensive tackle Kemari Copeland earned ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week Honors after his seven-tackle, three-sack performance against Cal on Friday night, while linebacker Kaleb Spencer led the team with nine tackles against the Golden Bears. Hokie Nation should keep their eyes peeled to see how the Lunch Pail Defense will respond to a Cardinals offense that is averaging 413 yards per game.
Capitalize at Home
The Hokies are coming off their most productive offensive showing of the 2025 season. Friday’s contest saw season highs in yards (476) and points (42) for Tech, and quarterback Kyron Drones reached a career high in rushing yards (137) alongside five total touchdowns.
Through eight matchups, the Hokies are averaging 373.8 yards per game with an average of 5.6 yards per play. Against a Louisville defensive front that has allowed 286.3 yards per game, fans should be sure to watch how Drones and the offense can take advantage on Saturday night.
Further, the Hokies have won the last three matchups against Louisville at Lane Stadium. Tech outscored the Cardinals 113-30 in those games which took place in 1983, 1985 and 1991.