Virginia Tech football enters its Saturday night showdown at Clemson fresh off a 34-24 victory against Georgia Tech that snapped a two-game skid.
The Hokies (5-2, 2-2 ACC) enter the clash looking for their first victory against Clemson (4-2, 2-1 ACC) since the 2007 season.
SP+ projects Virginia Tech as 2.5-point favorites with a 56% win probability. The metric projects a final rounded score of 26-23, predicting a spread difference of 5.0 (Clemson -2.5 is the spread) and selecting the Hokies as the against-the-spread pick.
The Hokies enter Saturday's clash ranked No. 40 in the overall SP+ rankings, while Clemson ranks No. 56. The Tigers are the second-strongest squad up to this point that the Hokies have played thus far in 2026, trailing only Pitt (No. 36). Georgia Tech (No. 64) is the highest-ranked opponent by SP+ that Virginia Tech has defeated this season.
In that aforementioned 2007 game, quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw for only 65 yards (7-of-14), though he added 118 yards on the ground. The Hokies were outgained 380-219 — and a staggering 372-65 margin through the air — but they countered with a 154-8 margin on the ground and scored three special teams touchdowns: one off a punt return, another off a kick return and a pick-six.
Then-No. 15 Virginia Tech won that clash 41-23 over the then-No. 22 Tigers, but it hasn't won since, dropping its last seven showdowns to Clemson. Saturday's matchup will be the first in Memorial Stadium, though, since 2012 — a 38-17 Clemson win.
Virginia Tech and Clemson have matched up twice in the 2020s, with both games coming in Lane Stadium. Virginia Tech lost in 2020 to then-No. 4 Clemson 45-10, and in 2024, it dropped its penultimate home contest to the Tigers 24-14.
Tech held a 7-0 lead at halftime thanks to a blocked field goal that was returned 77 yards by safety Quentin Reddish for a touchdown, though it conceded two touchdowns in the third quarter and eventually fell by 10. Hokies starting quarterback Kyron Drones was 9-of-20 for 115 yards, no touchdowns and one interception, while Virginia Tech's running efforts produced a drab 40 net yards off 21 carries.
A hobbled Bhayshul Tuten was the only running back to log carries, taking four carries for zreo net yards, while Drones left the game midway through with an injury. He did not return for the rest of the season.
Virginia Tech's clash with Clemson is set for Saturday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m. ET, with coverage for the contest available on ESPN.
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