College football fans are in for a treat with a loaded Week 1 slate to kick off the 2025 season. Several Top 25 matchups highlight the schedule, along with plenty of showdowns between Power Four programs. It won’t take long for the college football landscape to start shifting.
One of the more intriguing openers comes Sunday in Atlanta, where Virginia Tech faces No. 13 South Carolina in the Aflac Kickoff. The Gamecocks enter with momentum and hype, similar to the buzz surrounding the Hokies a year ago—before a rough 6–6 campaign derailed expectations. For Virginia Tech to shock the college football world this time around, here are three keys to pulling the upset.
Win the turnover battle
This one feels obvious, but it can’t be overstated. Protecting the football has to be a priority. Turnovers plagued the Hokies last season, and South Carolina’s retooled defense will be eager to create takeaways. Kyron Drones and the offense must emphasize ball security.
Defensively, Tech needs to generate stops by either forcing turnovers or getting off the field on third down, especially against dynamic quarterback LaNorris Sellers. More often than not, the team that wins the turnover battle wins the game—and it’s an area the Hokies can’t afford to lose.
Keep it close
This is a pivotal year for Brent Pry and the Virginia Tech program. A win of this magnitude would be the signature moment of his tenure so far. The pressure, though, lies more with South Carolina, who enters with higher expectations and likely the larger fan presence in Atlanta.
If Tech can hang around into the second half, that pressure shifts squarely onto Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks. We saw it last year when Vanderbilt kept things close with the Hokies in Week 1—and ended up springing an upset. Different matchup, sure, but the principle holds: South Carolina has everything to lose, while Tech has everything to gain.
Finish drives with touchdowns
Field goals won’t be enough. If the Hokies are going to knock off a Top 15 opponent, they’ll need to convert red-zone opportunities into touchdowns. Settling for three points doomed them in last year’s upset loss to Vanderbilt.
New offensive coordinator Tyler Montgomery could change that approach. Quarterback Kyron Drones suggested this week that the offense feels sharper and more aggressive. Against a Gamecock defense still breaking in fresh faces, expect Montgomery to push the envelope in plus territory. Simply put, Virginia Tech must find the end zone to pull this off.
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