NC State football is scheduled to hit the road one last time this season, facing Virginia Tech on Saturday, Nov. 18.
This game will mark the 52nd matchup between the programs, and Virginia Tech holds a 28-19-4 record all-time record in the series. The last time these two faced off was in the midst of quite a hectic contest last season in Carter-Finley Stadium when the Pack erased an 11-point fourth quarter deficit to steal a close game from the Hokies.
So far this season, Virginia Tech has enjoyed a breath of fresh air after a tumultuous start to the season. The Hokies started the year 1-3 against their non-conference lineup. This included a pair of close losses to Purdue and Marshall and a blowout loss at Rutgers. Despite a slow start, Virginia Tech flipped the script once ACC play began. Since playing its first conference game against Pitt, the team is 4-2.
A common theme this year is the Hokies’ efficiency at home against ACC opponents. Despite falling on the road twice to Florida State and Louisville, they have proved consistent in responding with convincing wins at Lane Stadium. Last week, the road did not phase them one bit as they dismantled Boston College. In a dominant performance, the Hokies outgained the Eagles 600-262 in total yardage.
For NC State, it continues its road trip after securing a huge road win against Wake Forest last week. A performance in which the team exemplified complimentary football, the Pack found ways to work together to wear out the Demon Deacons throughout the entire game. As the team found a way to succeed in a stadium in which it has tended to struggle, the team will look to do so this week at Lane Stadium, a place the Pack has not emerged victorious since 2004.
So far this season, a key component of the Hokies’ success has been the emergence of quarterback Kyron Drones. After starting the season as the backup, an early season injury to starter Grant Wells elevated the transfer to the starting role. Since stepping into the spotlight, he has thrived. Last week, Drones had perhaps his best performance of the season against Boston College. Throwing for 219 yards and two scores, he also showed off his dual-threat ability with 135 additional yards on the ground.
Drones currently engineers a passing offense that includes receivers Jaylin Lane and Da’Quan Felton, who lead the team in receiving — both have over 400 receiving yards and have combined for ten total touchdowns. While the unit only averages 205.5 passing yards per contest, preventing damage from Drones and his receiving core will be of great importance. The NC State pass defense which has continued to improve on a weekly basis; last week, the unit tallied two interceptions as the unit was able to effectively silence the Wake Forest aerial attack.
In the run game, NC State will look to once again consistently shut down the ground attack. Currently allowing the third fewest rushing yards per game in the ACC at 100.3, the unit only allowed a mere seven total rushing yards last week. It will face off against a Virginia Tech ground game that has contributions from the aforementioned Drones as well as running back Bhayshul Tuten, who leads the team with 613 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
On the offensive side of the ball, graduate quarterback Brennan Armstrong will face a familiar rival; this will mark his third faceoff with the Hokies. Last week, Armstrong did just enough through the air to help the Pack establish an offensive rhythm. He will face a tall task this week as he takes on a Virginia Tech pass defense that currently ranks sixth in the nation in fewest passing yards allowed. The unit has prevented all but three of their opponents from exceeding 200 passing yards.
Finally, the Pack’s running game has shown signs of improvement over the past few weeks. With Armstrong establishing himself in the offense, another component of the ground attack has been unlocked. Freshman receiver Kevin Concepcion has proven his abilities as an all-purpose offensive playmaker. The ground game also may try to incorporate freshman running back Kendrick Rafael at times as he has shown flashes over the past two weeks.
The Virginia Tech run defense currently allows an average of 156 yards per game, which leaves much to be desired. In games they have lost, they averaged 232.4 rushing yards allowed per game. However in games in which they emerged victorious, the Hokies have only allowed a mere 79.6 rushing yards per game. It should come as no surprise that the Pack will most certainly have to establish an effective ground attack if it wants to come on the right side of this trend.
Currently, NC State Football is riding a wave of momentum as both sides of the football have been effective over the past few weeks. However, it faces its toughest road challenge of the season as it enters Lane Stadium, one of the loudest stadiums in all of college football. The Pack must stick to its gameplan if it wants to notch a crucial road win.
Kickoff between the Wolfpack and the Hokies will take place at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18 in Blacksburg, Virginia. The game will be televised on ACC Network.
