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Virginia Tech Football: Three Keys to Victory for Virginia Tech vs. Vanderbilt

What are the most important factors for success for the Hokies?
Brett Holmes|
Aug 31, 2025; Atlanta, Ga,; Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones (1) passes the ball against South Carolina.
Aug 31, 2025; Atlanta, Ga,; Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones (1) passes the ball against South Carolina. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

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Virginia Tech Hokies

Week one is far behind the Hokies, and they're ready to bring the heat for their home opener against Vanderbilt.

That doesn't mean there aren't some major lessons this team has to get down before kickoff. It wasn't a clean game for both units, but the brunt of last week's defeat was more on the offense. The main takeaways from their debut in Atlanta were consistency and being complementary. Virginia Tech is currently open as favorite according to ESPN Bet Sportsbook, but not by much.

Diego Pavia is no stranger to playing spoiler. The Commodores are just a year removed from their upset victory over the Hokies and later in the 2024 campaign, they upset then-No. 1 Alabama. They flattened Charleston Southern 45-3 to start the year and look to ride that momentum into Lane Stadium. Brent Pry is out for revenge, and Kyron Drones is looking to silence narratives.

Here are the biggest keys to success for the Hokies second SEC matchup.

Key No. 1: Containing Pavia

The Hokies were the first of Vanderbilts many upsets in 2024. Pavia ran amok with a game-high 104 rushing yards; the Commodores ran the ball a total of 48 times for 181 yards. It's not just about containing his legs, but also about containing the game plan. The Hokies have more firepower than the Commodores. Drones tore their secondary apart with 322 passing yards. Whatever Virginia Tech can do to prevent Pavia from playing keep-away is priority No. 1.

That's easier said than done, though. Pavia looks more comfortable with his receiving corps than he did to start the 2024 season. Sedrick Alexander can be a headache coming out of the backfield.

However, Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Sam Siefkes stepped up, suppressing LaNorris Sellers all the way until the end. Pavia's first read as a passer is tight end Eli Stowers nine times out of 10. If the Hokies can control the box and force Pavia to make uncomfortable decisions, they can slowly take over the pace of this game.

Key No. 2: Return of Terion Stewart

Marcellous Hawkins put up some good runs against South Carolina. The accompanying cast didn't pace the backfield quite as well. The debut of Terion Stewart could solve that problem.

Stewart was an exciting transfer from Bowling Green. He's never averaged under five yards per carry in his collegiate career. In his last season with the Falcons, he saw a career-high 166 carries for 898 yards and six touchdowns. He has a workhorse build in a system that doesn't need one. He has big-play ability once he gets into the open field and grinds every yard out at the point of contact.

His pairing with a bowling ball like Hawkins could cause some serious issues in the red zone for the Commodores.

Key No. 3: Don't Force Big Plays

Good things come to those who wait. Drones looked impatient on a few of his deep shots. Both Donovan and Ayden Greene looked poised for bigger days than they ended up with. That could've been made possible if the offense as a whole had taken a deep breath.

It's not just Drones who needs to handle pressure better. The offensive line only allowed one sack last week, but the Gamecocks were getting into the backfield more often than fans would be comfortable with. Their 44.7% pressure rate from week one must be lower against Vanderbilt. Clark Lea is going to send a multitude of blitz packages on Saturday. He's a gifted defensive mind and is hard to neutralize. The Hokies don't need to do that to win this game, however.

Sometimes pressure can be countered and made into big plays. Most of the time, quarterbacks just need to withstand the pressure and work through it. Drones need to show the physical and mental strength to control a pocket that's going to be attacked in various ways. He's shown that a clean pocket can lead to great plays. That can be said for every quarterback, though. If he can handle pressure from an elite defensive play-caller, Drones can take this game over singlehandedly and steer the Hokies to their first victory of the 2025 season.

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Brett Holmes
BRETT HOLMES

Brett Holmes has been covering the Hokies as a Sports Media & Analytics student at the school for the past two years. Alongside writing, he works behind the scenes as a production assistant for Virginia Tech's athletic production organization Hokie Vision. In his free time, he produces his own podcast, Holmes Field Advantage, on his YouTube. You can find him on X @_BrettHolmes

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