Three Hokies to Watch Tomorrow vs. No. 16 Louisville
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Virginia Tech football embarks on its ninth contest of the 2025 campaign tomorrow when it takes on Louisville in Lane Stadium. The last time that the Hokies (3-5, 2-2 ACC) faced off against the Cardinals, they were trounced, 34-3. Here are three players to watch for Virginia Tech as it aims to knock off a 6-1 Louisville team that appears primed to contend for a spot in the ACC championship game.
GAME 9: VIRGINIA TECH VS. LOUISVILLE
— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) October 28, 2025
📍: Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
📺: 3 PM ET ON @TheCW #ThisIsHome pic.twitter.com/GWQnyYpae1
No. 1: QB Kyron Drones
Oftentimes, it goes without saying that the quarterback is the offense's engine. This week, that applies twofold. The engine was running, figuratively and literally in last week's contest. Though Drones is unlikely to replicate his 137-yard rushing effort like he did against California, a performance on the ground that opens up production through the air could make Saturday's contest a showdown that could lean either way rather than a blowout for the Cardinals.
A win for the Hokies comes first and foremost through the ground. When Virginia Tech football has been clicking on the ground, it's been stellar, like it was against NC State and the Golden Bears. When it's not, it's produced lackluster results, like it did against Vanderbilt and Wake Forest. For the Hokies to qualify for a bowl game this season, they'll need to win at least three games over the remaining four-game slate. Losing to Louisville would give them no margin for error in their final three games, which are against Florida State, No. 10 Miami and No. 15 Virginia.
The margin for said error will be defined by Drones. If the redshirt senior signal-caller can diagnose Louisville's coverage and react accordingly, Saturday's contest may end up being more than a multi-score loss. Though Drones enters off a pedestrian passing performance — 9-for-18, with 119 passing yards — he did find the endzojne three times. Should he do so again Saturday, an opportunity for a Hokies win could emerge.
No. 2: RBs Terion Stewart/Marcellous Hawkins
This is technically cheating because I'm listing two players here, but I'll explain my reasoning in a bit. Stewart's health has vascilitated throughout the season; the tailback saw no snaps against South Carolina and FCS Wofford and tallied limited snaps against both Vanderbilt and Old Dominion. Then, the tailback broke out against NC State for a career-best 174 rushing yards, including an 85-yard dash that was the seventh-longest run in school history, according to Virginia Tech Assistant Athletics Director of Digital & Internet Strategies Damian Salas.
It was Hawkins who was the star of the show Friday; the Division II transfer racked up a career-high 167 rushing yards against the Golden Bears, scampering away from a California front that couldn't stifle the run. The tailbacks won't achieve that level of success again; 357 rushing yards is difficult in its own right, exacerbated by Louisville's rush defense. The Cardinals yield an average of only 105.3 rushing yards per game, 21st-lowest in the country and the fourth-lowest in the ACC (not counting Notre Dame).
Whether Hawkins or Stewart — or both — shines against Louisville doesn't matter. What does is that at least one of the tailbacks is firing on all cylinders and that the rushing attack is alive and thriving. Virginia Tech's passing game has been erratic this season and thus far, all of the Hokies' wins have come by way of a strong rushing effort. For Virginia Tech to win Saturday, it either needs to buck the trend and produce a strong passing game or lean into the trend.
No. 3: DL Kemari Copeland
Copeland delivered a statement performance against the Golden Bears, anchoring the defense with a relentless motor. He finished the afternoon with a career-high three sacks and seven total tackles, consistently breaking through the Bears’ offensive line and disrupting plays before they could develop. On California's first play of the game, Copeland brought down Golden Bears signal-caller Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele for a 14-yard loss.
Going up against another pocket passer in Louisville's Miller Moss, who has only tallied 28 carries for -77 net rushing yards, offers a solid outlook for the Hokies. Though Moss is one of the stronger quarterbacks that Tech plays this year, his ineffectiveness in the run game takes away a dimension for the Cardinals to utilize. If Copeland can generate immediate pressure and force Moss off his first read, the Hokies could be primed to limit Louisville's potent offense.
Virginia Tech football will take on Louisville tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. ET; viewing for the contest will be available on the CW.
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Thomas is a sophomore at Virginia Tech majoring in multimedia journalism with a minor in creative writing. He currently works with Collegiate Times, Virginia Tech's student-run newspaper, as a staff writer for its sports section. In addition, he also writes for 3304 Sports as a staff writer and on-air talent, as well as Aspiring Journalists at Virginia Tech as a curator. You can find him on X: @thomashughes_05.
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