Date & Time: Sunday, August 31, 2025, at 3:00 p.m.
Location: Mercedes‑Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia (Aflac Kickoff Game)
Broadcast: ESPN (TV), Virginia Tech Sports Network (Radio)
The Hokies start with a huge opportunity against a ranked SEC opponent on national TV. You can’t ask for a bigger stage if you’re Brent Pry and the Hokies. A win on Sunday could go a long way toward bringing back belief in the program.
South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers is impressive. He’s a big QB who can run and throw. I’m not buying into the Heisman hype but he certainly should be a concern for the Hokies. Particularly on the ground. He’s a guy who is tough to tackle and the Hokies had big issues with tackling and physicality last year. I expect him to have a good day on the ground on Sunday.
I’m also concerned about the size of South Carolina’s receivers. Those are physical matchups that should give the Hokies trouble. Expect Sellers to throw up a couple of jump balls and have his receivers come down with them. They are simply bigger than our corners and safeties.
If there is a silver lining for the Hokies is that South Carolina has had OL issues in the past. This might be an area where the Hokies could exploit to get pressure on Sellers. New Hokies DC Sam Siefkes might have some opportunities to bring the blitz and get home against Sellers. But with those big wide receivers out there, he needs to pick his spots.
The South Carolina defense was a very strong unit in 2024 but they only return 49% of that production in 2025. So this might not be the look like the same group as last year. This is an aggressive defense that likes to create turnovers. The Hokies will have to take care of the ball against a group which will be looking to create havoc. I’d expect a strong defensive performance from the Gamecocks limiting what the Hokies are able to do offensively.
Ultimately, I don’t think the Hokies can match South Carolina’s physicality. I’m a big believer that the more physical team usually wins. Unless the Hokies did a 180 in the weight room in the offseason, they aren’t on the same level as South Carolina. I hope I’m wrong but this feels like a game that’s not close in the 4th quarter.
Prediction: South Carolina 31, Virginia Tech 14
Betting Lines & Statistical Projections
South Carolina is a 7.5-point favorite (FanDuel & BetMGM), with a moneyline of around –325 / +260 and over a 70% win probability.
Predictive models lean SC’s way—SP+ projects a 30‑21 Gamecock win (72% probability).
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