No. 23 Tigers in Search of Rebound Against Hampered Hokies

Nov 8, 20243 min read

The No. 23 Clemson Tigers (6-2, 5-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) travel to face the Virginia Tech Hokies (5-4, 3-2) at 3:30 p.m. EST on Nov. 9 in Blacksburg, Va. The Tigers have dominated the all-time, head-to-head series 23-12 and have won the last six matchups between the two teams.

What's at Stake?

After a shocking loss to the No. 22 Louisville Cardinals (6-3, 4-2), the Tigers lost control of their own destiny in the ACC title race. Their shot at the ACC Championship is not completely gone yet, but they will need to first take care of business against the toughest stretch of their conference slate.

During their midseason six-game winning streak, Clemson displayed loads of potential, averaging 48.5 points per game and 540.8 yards per game. Last week against Louisville, however, their explosive offense disappeared, struggling in short yardage situations and failing to put the ball in the end zone consistently. Clemson will need to rediscover their dynamic ability to reignite any hopes of a successful season.

After a promising three-week stretch of blowout wins, the Hokies entered their game against the Syracuse Orange (5-4, 3-2) on the fringe of the Associated Press Top 25. The Hokies were riddled with injuries at key positions, though, with quarterback Kyron Drones and running back Bhayshul Tuten both sitting out. Virginia Tech fought hard in their absence, but could not hold on to a late 31-24 lead and lost 38-31 in overtime. The frustrating result was their fourth one-score loss of the season.

The Hokies slim ACC title hopes were dashed with the loss, but the team is still full of talent and has the potential to earn a berth to a quality bowl game. When the Hokies are healthy, they have the ability to challenge the top teams in the nation.

Key Players: Clemson Tigers

Cade Klubnik, Quarterback

After a slow start to his career, Klubnik has displayed flashes of brilliance in 2024, accounting for an eye-popping 24 touchdowns during the Tigers' six-game win streak. In the loss to Louisville, he threw for just 228 yards and 1 touchdown on 56 pass attempts, averaging just 4.1 yards per dropback. While running back Phil Mafah is a key part of this Clemson team, the Louisville game showed that the success of the offense is very dependent on Klubnik's ability to create explosive plays. The Tigers will need him to return to form to have success against the talented defenses ahead.

TJ Parker, Defensive End

The talented sophomore lineman has been a bright spot in a relative down year for a usually unstoppable Clemson defensive line. Parker has garnered 5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles through his aggressive play on the line. With defensive lineman Peter Woods dealing with injury issues, Parker will be forced to step up to contain the Hokies' electric combination of Drones and Tuten.

Key Players: Virginia Tech Hokies

Kyron Drones, Quarterback

When healthy, Tuten is the key to the Hokies offense. Tuten's injury status is much less clear heading into this week, however, so Drones will have to step up if Tuten cannot play. The dual-threat quarterback has proven to be dynamic with his legs. He should have ample opportunity to take advantage of a Clemson rush defense that allowed 210 rushing yards to Louisville last week.

Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Defensive End

The senior lineman has carried the Hokies defense with 12 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in an electric 2024 campaign. If Powell-Ryland can create pressure and force Klubnik to make quick decisions in the pocket, the Clemson offense could be in for another long day.

Trends to Watch

Head coach Brent Pry is now 1-11 in one-score games at Virginia Tech. All four of the Hokies' losses in 2024 have been by one score. Pry's decision-making may end up being the difference if this game is closely-contested throughout.