Tag: NC State

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NC State vs Virginia Tech Preview and Prediction

Date & Time: Saturday, September 27, 2025 — 7:00 PM ET
Location: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC
TV / Streaming: The CW (Thom Brennaman, Will Blackmon, Wes Bryant)
Odds / Line: NC State is favored by ~10.5 points
Series History: Virginia Tech holds the all-time series lead, 28–20–4, although NC State has won the last two matchups

The Hokies looked competent against Wofford. I’d maybe even go so far as to say well-coached. It’s easy to look good against an overmatched opponent. The real test is this week to see if the Hokies can look better than their first three games against a Power 4 team. It’s not easy to circle the wagons after a coaching change, especially with some players jumping ship but I want to see a strong level of effort from this team regardless of the outcome.

First, Virginia Tech will have to be able to slow down NC State’s run game. If they get dominated at the line of scrimmage like they did in the first three games, this one will be over quickly. RB Hollywood Smothers has been able to put up 500+ yards through the first four games of the season. He is a player that will be tough for the Hokies to stop unless they have done a lot of work on their run fits in the last two weeks.

On offense, the Hokies have to be able to protect Kyron Drones. As we saw on Saturday, when he has time to throw, he looks like a pretty darn good QB. He makes decisions quickly and accurately. BUT, when he’s pressured, he turns into the bad version of himself that becomes more indecisive and inaccurate. We’re at a place where our talent on the OL is what it is but hopefully Coach Monty and Matt Moore can figure out something that works to slow down NC State’s pass rush.

NC State has had trouble with turnovers and special teams lapses in the first four games. If the Hokies can capitalize on mistakes, that could help the Hokies stay in the game. The Hokies will need a couple of big plays to keep this game competitive.

Virginia Tech has looked really bad so far this year but this game is likely closer than the experts think. The Hokies have not looked good so far but they are capable of playing with most ACC teams aside from the top teams in the league. This is one where if the Wolfpark are overlooking the Hokies, it could come back to bite them. All things being equal, I like the Pack to win by around 10. This will be an entertaining game but I don’t expect the Pack to deliver a blowout like the Vandy and ODU games. Hopefully, we see a bit of a turnaround under Coach Monty.

Prediction: NC State 31, Virginia Tech 21

Betting Line & Movement

  • The current spread has NC State listed as ~-10.5 favorites.
  • The over/under (total) is sitting around 56.5 points.
  • The moneyline has NC State strongly favored (around –410) with Virginia Tech an underdog at about +320.
  • The line has moved upward from an earlier NC State spread of ~7.5 points.

So, the market is signaling confidence in a clear Wolfpack victory, and bettors have pushed the line further in NC State’s direction.

Against the Spread (ATS)

  • NC State is 2–2 ATS this season, and 2–1 as a favorite so far.
  • Virginia Tech is 0–4 ATS this year; they have not covered in any game to date.
  • NC State historically struggles ATS at home: they are 2–7 ATS in their last 9 home games.
  • Virginia Tech, conversely, has had some success against the spread historically vs NC State: they are 6–1 ATS in their last 7 meetings.

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2025 Preseason ACC Predictions

A preseason prediction for all 17 ACC teams heading into the 2025 college football season.

Projected ACC StandingsComments

12-0		Clemson looks like a complete team that could be 13-0 headed into the CFP

11-1		Expect Kevin Jennings to take a bit of a step back this year but the schedule almost assures a really strong season.

10-2		Color me a bit skeptical of Mario Cristobal and Miami but the schedule is there to be a CFP contender.

9-3		The Haynes and Haynes combo is not to be trifled with. Brent Key seems to have finally found a roster that can compete for an ACCCG berth.

9-3		Manny Diaz proved me wrong last year. With a good transfer QB and soft schedule, they will make noise this year.

8-4		Offense should be really good. Defense — who knows?

8-4		Dave Doeren is usually able to pull together a solid squad every year but will that defense hold up after all the transfers?

6-6		Too much talent to be as bad as last year. Will the new influx transfers this year work out for them? Hard to pick anything but middle of the road.

6-6		Solid additions through the portal but Brent Pry is still the head coach.

6-6		Pitt and Pat Narduzzi are trending toward becoming a perennial 6-6 team.

5-7		Bill Belichick is a football genius but he doesn’t block, tackle or run the ball.

5-7		They have a great RB and that’s pretty much it. However, that may be enough to win 5 games with that schedule.

4-8		Tough schedule and not enough talent. Not a great combination.

4-8		Fran Brown might get a reality check in year 2.

4-8		Soft schedule might help them out a lot but ultimately they have to show they have become a better team when they hit the field.

3-9		Cal football looks lost at the moment. At least they have the #Calgorithm.

3-9		Tough schedule. Transfer losses. Interim head coach and a new AD trying to make his mark. Looks like a bottom-out season for Stanford.
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NC State vs Virginia Tech Preview and Prediction

Virginia Tech needed a strong road performance. That performance against Boston College was about as good as you could ask for. The Hokies appear to be hitting their stride right now. They need one win in the next two games to be bowl eligible. Getting a win at home on Senior Day would be the best way to get there.

SP+ Rankings

Virginia Tech

Overall: 62nd
Offense: 71st
Defense: 43rd
Special Teams: 15th

NC State

Overall: 42nd 
Offense: 75th
Defense: 16th
Special Teams: 17th

The NC State offense has had some real struggles this season. This offense reminds me of Virginia Tech’s offense last season. Brennan Armstrong, former UVA QB, has given the NC State offense a bit of a boost since MJ Morris decided to redshirt for the rest of the season. Brennan Armstrong is the type of QB that usually gives the Hokies trouble. He’s an accurate QB, completing nearly 60% of his passes, and is also a run threat. The Hokies will have to be focused on bottling him up the same way they did Thomas Castellanos last week. The NC State running backs don’t really scare me but they need to be accounted for in a run-first offense. Tech should make Armstrong have to throw the ball since he’s been known to throw an interception or two. This offense looks a lot like Syracuse and Boston College’s offenses.

The NC State defense is just as good as Florida State and Louisville’s. If NC State is going to win, it’s going to be with the old BeamerBall formula. Play good defense and run the ball. This is a defense that is capable of putting Virginia Tech behind the chains and make it difficult to convert first downs. The Hokies need to run their offense, which is run first to set up the pass. I like what they did against Boston College using Tuten as a lead blocker for Drones. That has the potential to work against the NC State defense. The Hokies will win if they can hit on a couple of deep balls down the field. The passing game is where you have a shot to hit on some big plays against this defense.

Virginia Tech has not played well against defenses of this caliber. They scored 17 points against Florida State and 3 points against Louisville. However, both of those games were on the road. Virginia Tech can have more success at home. The Hokies are averaging over 30 points per game at home this season. I’m not expecting them to score over 30 this week but they should score more than 17 like they did against Florida State. To win, Tech will need to find some big plays in the pass game or via a turnover or a special teams play. NC State isn’t going to give them a lot on the ground so they are going to have to find another way.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 27, NC State 20

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NC State Q&A with Red White Podcast

This week we are joined by Red White Podcast, an NC State blog and podcast. You can follow Red White Podcast on Twitter at @RedWhitePodcast.

Tell us about yourself and your blog.

Our blog functions more as a home for the podcast but we’re expanding coverage this year to have more written content starting with hoops season. Folks can get on the email list and find all our content at RedWhiteNetwork.com.

What are your thoughts on NC State so far this season?

Man what a roller coaster. I’m not sure there is any other way to describe it and while there are still 3 winnable games to play, I think NC State fans feel like its is another missed opportunity. Everything set up for NC State to make it to Charlotte but the offense came out of the gate miserably slow and unable to support the really disruptive defense. That cost us the Duke and Louisville games which were both winnable and advanced metrics showed NC State should have won both of those games but didn’t. They’ve sort of found a flow lately mixing in packages and leaning on Kevin Concepcion to do pretty much everything but it isn’t exactly an offense that NC State fans feel comfortable relying on.

Given the roller coaster offensively, being 6-3 at the moment with wins over Clemson and Miami feels like a pretty big accomplishment all things being considered.

What’s your favorite memory from the NC State-Virginia Tech series?

Considering we’ve only beaten VT twice in the ACC, there’s not a ton of fond memories from the NC State side in this series. Take 2020 for example. VT was decimated with transfers and no hope on the roster and comes out like they were playing in the Orange Bowl beat the brakes off of the Wolfpack 45-24.

Or the 2010 game where VT and Tyrod Taylor couldn’t do anything in the first half, scored late in the 2nd to make it 17-7 and then David Wilson takes the opening kick 92y for a TD and the game turns into a track meet which VT ended up winning.

Or what about the 24pt basketball game, that was vs VT. Fun times.

I guess I could go back to the 17-16 rock fight from last year but I’m gonna go with the 1908 game that NC State won 6-5. Fond memories of that thriller.

What do you think of the ACC’s new scheduling format?

Meh. It’s fine, we dont have to play peak-Clemson every year anymore (but does anyone? heyooo). Hard to really criticize the schedule without questioning the decision to add Cal, Standford and SMU at the same time and that treadmill horse has been beat to death.

I do like that we get to play the NC Schools on rotation. Silly that NC State and Duke have only played once in 10 years prior to this matchup but really that’s ACC leadership in a nutshell.

How do you view the current state of the Virginia Tech football program?

VT is very analogous to NC State. There are so many parallels between the schools, fans, and program that I hold VT in high-regard. Just like NC State, the fans show up and support their team no matter how big of a dumpster fire the program is. Albeit VT doesn’t have as many dumpster fire years as NC State does but the last 10 haven’t been great but they still pack Lane Stadium.

I did think Fuente would be a decent hire and just like Tom O’Brien did at NC State he left the roster devoid of talent. The Hokies will be able to dig out of it but it is a process to rebuild that brand now. Brent Pry has shown promise and I thought VT was trending the right direction before they laid an egg against Louisville. I really don’t think they are as bad as their record and just going through some growing pains as they retool the roster.

What is your outlook for the future of the ACC?

Dead. ACC is spinning its wheels in the mud and there is no sign of recovering. I have no faith in the ACC leadership as it stands now to pull the league through the changing landscape of college football. That is not just a shot at the commissioner, its a shot at all the ACC Presidents too. They are the ones who could be demanding change but instead they go out and add two more academic schools who stink at football and yet another small private school.

It is so disheartening to see the league erode as it is now and the leadership to seemingly do nothing about it b/c they are happy they think the grant of rights will keep the league together. The reality is, a crafty lawyer or two will find a way for Clemson or FSU to get out and the whole thing will be come crashing down.

What conference do you see NC State belonging to in the next 5-10 years?

Eh, I suspect NC State leadership will take whatever path is easiest and that means staying put in the ACC, as sad as that is.

What are your expectations for the Virginia Tech game?

No one knows what you’re gonna get from NC State other than a stout and disruptive defense and schizophrenia on offense.

The offense will lean on and revolve around Kevin Concepcion and he’s elite but with the QB news of the week (MJ redshirting and Armstrong starting), I don’t know what to expect from the offense. If Brennan doesn’t try to do too much, and they keep leaning on the playmakers, we’ll be ok but his propensity to turn the ball over is what worries me.

Defensively, just watch #11. You won’t see many like him. He plays the game 110mph at all times and is one of the best defensively players to come through NC State and the ACC. He is must see TV. The defensive front is stout and has shown the ability to take away the run game for almost every team not name Notre Dame (although i still think we win that game if it doesnt get rain delayed). The corners are strong and can be relied upon but the injury-riddle safety position can be a liability. Teams like Miami were able to find success with the screen game and exploiting NC State’s aggressiveness is how you beat them.

If we don’t turn the ball over on offense we have a chance. NC State will make VT do whatever it is they don’t do well in order to beat them. That’s almost a certainty with Tony Gibson’s defense.

What’s your prediction for the game?

Neither team knows how to advance the ball passed the 50-yard line and both teams end up starring at each other for 60 minutes. The game goes to 11 overtimes before it is mercifully ended by an NC State safety. Pack wins 2-0.

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NC State vs Virginia Tech Preview and Prediction

The Hokies offense caught fire in the fourth quarter against Miami. Does that mean they’ve turned the corner? We don’t know yet. Sometimes a good quarter means something and sometimes it doesn’t mean anything at all. The Hokies will need to build on that fourth quarter if they have any hope of beating a good NC State team.

SP+ Rankings

Virginia Tech

Overall: 88th
Offense: 115th
Defense: 41st
Special Teams: 30th

NC State

Overall: 41st
Offense: 82nd
Defense: 12th
Special Teams: 25th

The key mismatch in this game is the NC State defense vs the Virginia Tech offense. It’s big-time strength vs big-time weakness. The Hokies struggle to move the ball against bad defenses and I’d call NC State’s defense a very good one. The Hokies looked like they were turning the corner against Miami but the Wolfpack defense could set them back to square one. The Hokies will have to get creative to try to move the ball against this defense. Running into the interior of the line over and over again is not going to work. They need to incorporate some misdirection and get their running backs out in space if they want to have success this week.

NC State is missing QB Devin Leary but it won’t matter. Virginia Tech’s defense is good enough to keep VT in the game. However, the NC State offense will not have to do much to get a win. The Hokies offense will not be able to move the ball very much against the ‘Pack defense. So if the ‘Pack are able to score more than 10, it might be game over for the Hokies.

These teams are mirror images of each other but NC State does everything that VT does but better. This NC State team reminds me a lot of how VT would play back in the day. The offense didn’t have to score much for the Hokies to win. They could rely on a turnover and short field to put some points on the board. Expect a low-scoring affair that may drop below the O/U of 40 — which is already pretty low. I expect for NC State to turn a couple of short fields into points. It won’t be a pretty game and NC State should find a way to put it away by a couple of scores.

Prediction: NC State 24, Virginia Tech 10

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NC State Q&A with Tuffy Talk

This week we are joined by NC State podcast Tuffy Talk (@TuffyTalkNow).

Tell us about yourself and your podcast.

Tuffy Talk is an NC State Youtube Channel that covers and discusses ALL NC State Sports, and is run by five die-hard NC State fans.  We post 2 episodes a week, along with doing a Live Show every Monday Night at 8:00 PM, along with doing different content, such as vlogs and watch parties. We also export the audio for our content, so if you can watch us on our Youtube Channel, you can listen to us on ALL major podcast platforms.

Tell us about your team this year. What are your thoughts on NC State so far this season?

Definitely has been a roller coaster to say the least.  Very grateful to escape ECU and FSU with a win, as those were games that history has shown, would not normally be in our favor.  We were dealt a HUGE blow last week, with the announcement of our starting QB, Devin Leary, being ruled out for the season.  We still have a lot of key weapons and both of our losses are against Top 20 teams on the road. 

How do you feel about Virginia Tech finally coming back to play a game in Raleigh?

Should be an EXCITING environment!  Excited to play under the lights and see what will come of this ACC matchup!

Are you happy with the ACC’s new scheduling model?

I think every team in the Atlantic Division LOVES it, and every team in the Coastal Division HATES it lol.  Was definitely bummed that we will not be playing WF every year anymore, as that is one of the nation’s longest running rivalries.  But looking forward to having a more balanced schedule across the ACC and playing different opponents each year.

What’s your outlook on the future of the ACC? 

A TON of new coaches and a TON of programs on the rise.  I think the new scheduling model will really stir up the future ACC seasons.

What are your expectations for the Virginia Tech game? 

For this game, I am really focusing on what NC State does.  Offensively, we GOTTA figure out a way to put Jack Chambers in a position to be successful and get our WR’s move involved.  We really have relied on Thayer Thomas this year, but have guys like Devin Carter and up and coming WR Julian Gray, get more involved.  Defensively, we need to be more technically sound.  Missed a TON of tackles and had many missed assignments and missed opportunities, but this is a defense that CAN be dominant, if they play like we expect them to.

What’s your prediction for the game?

I think the bye week could not have come at a better time.  Having that extra week to regroup and get some players healthy and play back at home next is HUGE.  Should be a tough environment for VT to come into, and I think that will definitely have an effect.  A lot of questions for NC State coming into this game, which could make this game go in 100 different directions.  But I am going to say that we have a huge bounce back game, defense gets back where it needs to be, and we take care of business, 24-14.  

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NC State Preview and Prediction

The Hokies finally get on the field after two weeks of postponements. As of the publishing of this post, the game is still on. Let’s hope it stays that way. The team has been struggling over the last three weeks with significant issues related to COVID-19. The team as a whole had to take a four-day pause from football activities since they had so many players out due to positive tests or contact tracing. Even now, as players start returning from quarantine, it appears like the Hokies may be without some key starters for NC State.

SP+ Rankings

Virginia Tech

Overall: 27th
Offense: 38th
Defense: 24th

NC State

Overall: 60th
Offense: 57th
Defense: 61st

The rankings above are based on preseason rankings and one game that NC State has played against Wake Forest. NC State is a solid team that put up a lot of points against Wake Forest. The Wolfpack ran the ball well last week. That concerns me due to the fact that the Hokies have had many guys unavailable to practice for the last couple of weeks. We saw what happened to Navy after their team went no-contact in practice. BYU ran all over them. Since the team has been limited in practice for the last two weeks, let’s hope we don’t see that with our guys.

I’m a bit less concerned about the offense. If Braxton Burmeister has to play, he is ready. I’ve heard he is an excellent runner and a good passer. He has playing experience from his days at Oregon and he’s entering his second year at Virginia Tech. If called upon, he can do the job. What to look for on Saturday is a healthy offensive line that will be able to line up and run the ball. The Hokies have a stable of capable running backs. This week’s game plan should focus on running the ball, running the clock and keeping the defense off the field.

The first thing I want to see this week is for the Hokies to actually make it to kickoff. They still need to get through test results on Saturday morning before they are cleared to play. If they do make it to kickoff, they will still may be down a couple of starters. And they will be playing a team that has already played a game. Both of those things concern me. This is a good week for the Hokies to go with a safe game plan to pull out a victory. Next week, they should be able to get more of their guys back.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 27, NC State 24


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NC State Preview and Prediction

The Hokies have been a disappointment so far. There is far too much talent on this team to be a sub .500 team. That’s even without the services of Michael Brewer and Kendall Fuller. The Pitt game was just embarrassing. We got Stanford’d… BY PITT! They just dominated line play on both sides of the ball. It was not a banner day for Virginia Tech football.

Now let’s get down to some realities about Virginia Tech football. This simply is not a good team right now. This team resembles Mike London’s Hoos more than they resemble the Hokies that we all know and love. The Hokies are 1-7 in their last 8 home games against Power 5 competition and that one win was against UVA. They aren’t exactly a powerhouse program right now and it required a 4th quarter comeback to pull off that victory.

I’m really struggling with whether this is just a bad team or if this is a team that is struggling through some injuries and youth and will come around as the season progresses. I’m honestly not sure but the signs don’t look good. I’m hoping that Michael Brewer can inject some life into a team that is struggling right now.

Well, time to move on to NC State. Jacoby Brissett is solid QB with good mobility. As we found out the last few weeks, the Hokies seem completely unable to stop a mobile QB. I don’t know what it’s going to take to change that.  Brissett only has 39 rushing yards for the season. I wouldn’t be surprised if he matched that on their first drive. Let’s hope the Hokies have found the lunch pail since last Saturday.

Let’s hope that Michael Brewer starts Friday night. The film is out on Brenden Motley and if the Pitt game is any indication, it appears like the offense is pretty limited with him at the helm. NC State has the type of secondary that Michael Brewer will be able to move the ball against if he can get better protection from the offensive line. This is the type of game where the Hokies need to put the ball in the hands of their playmakers and let them make plays. Isaiah Ford, Bucky Hodges and Ryan Malleck should be able to win a lot of matchups in this game, if the QB can get them the ball.

I have the same record as the Hokies in picking games this year. I’m going to start picking against the Hokies until they show me that they’re not a bottom feeder ACC team. I would used to say that a night game at Lane Stadium is a cure for what ails you. Now I’m not so sure. Here’s to hoping that Michael Brewer injects some life in the offense and that the defense has found the lunch pail. If not, it’s probably another week of one possession loss misery.

Prediction: NC State 24, Virginia Tech 17