Virginia Tech On SI Writers Predict Week 1's Outcome Between Hokies and No. 13 South Carolina

Who reigns victorious in Atlanta tomorrow?

Nov 9, 2024; Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry leads his team onto the field with wide receiver Takye Heath (2) before the game. | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

Under 24 hours remain until Virginia Tech football kicks off its 2025 campaign in Atlanta. The Hokies take on the Gamecocks tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET, with viewing available on ESPN. Ahead of tomorrow's contest, five of our writers offered their final score predictions and who they believe will walk out of Mercedes-Benz Stadium with the victory.

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James Duncan: South Carolina 31, Virginia Tech 17

It is hard to see Virginia Tech leaving Atlanta with a victory. Expect the Hokies to put up a gritty fight against the Gamecocks, but the star power of LaNorris Sellers and the rest of South Carolina will likely be too much for Virginia Tech. If Virginia Tech is going to win, they are going to need to start strong and not take its foot off the brake. They will also have to keep Norris in the pocket and make him beat Tech through the air. More likely than not, Coach Shane Beamer will be picking up a victory against the school where his father cemented his legacy.

Brett Holmes: South Carolina 31, Virginia Tech 24

Sellers vs. Drones is going to be more interesting than the sportsbooks would lead you to believe. I think the Gamecocks will go up early in Atlanta by attacking the Hokies' secondary.

I predict that Rashul Faison will be active in the red zone, notching two touchdowns on the day. The Hokies come out of halftime down two scores, albeit with a fire lit underneath them. They slow down South Carolina’s rushing attack and make it a tie game a couple of Drones strikes later. After trading field goals, Sellers will showcase why he’s a Heisman candidate and throw the game-winning touchdown before the Hokies fail to push the ball downfield to end the game. Even with Drones playing at his best, the Gamecocks' pass rush will be too much for the Hokies’ young offensive line. Expect Shane Beamer’s unit to be active in the backfield and make big plays when they matter most.

Luke Hubbard: South Carolina 27, Virginia Tech 21

The South Carolina Gamecocks enter this season with a ton of hype. They have a Heisman-level QB in LaNorris Sellers and return a lot of players who were a part of a team that was a few plays away from potentially being a CFP team last season. On the other side, the Hokies had to replace a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, but I like what they did in the portal. There's a world where the Gamecocks run away with this thing, but I think Brent Pry and Virginia Tech will be motivated to start the season 1-0. However, I still think the Gamecocks find a way to win.

Thomas Hughes: South Carolina 31, Virginia Tech 21

Though both teams possess a plethora of unknowns, LaNorris Sellers enters the season with preseason Heisman hype. Given that the Hokies enter the campaign with changes at booth coordinator positions and there being more experienced skill position players, I expect the Gamecocks to have the advantage.

Sellers is still a relative unknown, however, leading me to think that Tech will be somewhat competitive. However, in my opinion, I think that South Carolina ices it with a late-game field goal to keep the Hokies out of reach.

Kaden Reinhard: South Carolina 26, Virginia Tech 18

With two supremely talented dual threat quarterbacks headlining this contest, I anticipate instead the defense of both the Hokies and Gamecocks to shine and be the decisive factor in Atlanta. The Week 1 jitters have shown up for both of these programs in the past — South Carolina narrowly beat Old Dominion last year by only four points in its opening contest, and expect both of the offenses to go through a feeling out process with the top-tier defenses on the field. I have the Gamecocks edging out the Hokies 26-18, in a contest that leaves both defensive coordinators, Sam Siefkes (Virginia Tech) and Clayton White (South Carolina) satisfied with their side's play.