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Aug 31, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones (1) passes the ball against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech vs Vanderbilt: Preview and Final Score Prediction

Originally posted on Virginia Tech Hokies on SI
By Luke Hubbard | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 11:49 AM ET

The Virginia Tech Hokies face off against the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday night for their 2025 home opener. Last season, the Hokies went to Nashville and lost an overtime thriller to the Commodores to open the season. Now, they get a shot at revenge.

Let's jump into this week two matchup and breakdown the game.

Virginia Tech's Offense vs Vanderbilt's Defense

When Kyron Drones had a clean pocket, he played pretty well and made some big throws against South Carolina's defense. Luckily, Vanderbilt's defensive line isn't as good as South Carolina's was. If the offensive line can protect Drones better than they did in the opener, it should allow him to be more efficient and get the ball to his wide receivers, who all proved they're capable of making big plays.

Another area the offense really needs to improve is in the run game. Tech averaged just 3.1 yards per carry against South Carolina, and their longest run of the night was an 11-yard gain. Again, Vanderbilt's defensive line isn't as good as South Carolina's, but it's still an SEC defensive line. The Hokies' offensive line will need to have a much better game this weekend if the offense wants to be successful against Vanderbilt's defense.

The biggest area of concern for Tech's offense coming into this game is converting red zone opportunities into touchdowns. Last week, they were in the red zone three times and threw a pick and kicked two field goals. Obviously, a better run game and more time in the pocket for Drones would've helped them out immensely, so it really all boils down to the offensive line playing better this week.

Virginia Tech's Defense vs Vanderbilt's Offense

Vanderbilt's offense can be very dangerous if they get hot. They're led by Diego Pavia, who is a threat with his arm, but he can really kill you with his legs. Luckily for the Hokies, they played the best dual-threat QB in America in the opener, and they completely neutralized his legs after the opening series. If they can replicate that performance against Pavia and take away his ability to scramble and pick up key first downs, they'll make the Commodore's life extremely tough on Saturday.

Without Pavia, Vanderbilt doesn't have a super great rushing game. Sedrick Alexander, who averaged 3.6 yards per carry last year, is their RB1, and while he played well in the opener, it was against Charleston Southern. I thought Tech did a very good job defending South Carolina's running backs, too. Outside of a couple big runs, they held the Gamecocks' backs to 47 yards and 19 carries. They'll need to play that well against the run once again, because they don't want to rely on Pavia throwing the ball 40+ times.

In the pass game, Vanderbilt has some solid receivers such as Tre Richardson and Jordan Sherrill, but their real threat is their tight end, Eli Stowers. If anyone's going to beat them through the air, it's going to be Stowers. I'm not sure who the Hokies will use to try and cover him, but they need to limit his opportunities and force the Commodore's receivers to win their matchups.

The most intriguing matchup when Virginia Tech's defense is on the field is their pass rush. They bullied South Carolina's offensive line last weekend, recording four sacks against the most mobile QB in the country. If they can get in the backfield, disrupt Pavia and contain him so he doesn't escape, Tech's defense will have a very, very successful outing.

There are two real keys to this game: the offensive line blocking better and containing Diego Pavia. If Virginia Tech can do those two things, they have a real shot at avenging their loss from a year ago.

Score Prediction: Virginia Tech 30, Vanderbilt 24