BLACKSBURG, Va. — After five-point and two-point losses, Virginia Tech looks to get back into the win column Saturday when it contests Georgia Tech in Lane Stadium.
The Hokies (4-2, 1-2 ACC) enter the clash looking to avoid a three-game skid, but there's also momentum on the line for Georgia Tech (2-3, 1-1 ACC), which looks to follow up on a 28-25 upset win of Duke. Here are what I think are the three biggest storylines of Virginia Tech's Week 7 showdown with the Yellow Jackets:
Can Virginia Tech shake off its stupor?
After beating Maryland by nine and Boston College by seven, Virginia Tech fell to Pitt after allowing a 35-10 run, and fifth-year kicker John Love missed a 36-yard game-deciding field goal. Love shanked both his field goal kicks on Saturday, marking the first time that he's ever missed three field goal attempts at the collegiate level.
After beating its first four opponents by over 100 points, Virginia Tech's defensive lapses encumbered it both against Pitt and Cal eight days later. The Hokies outgained the Panthers 499-295, but four turnovers and timely throws from Pitt quarterback Holden Geriner set the Hokies back for loss No. 1.
Against the Golden Bears, it was another backup quarterback thwarting Virginia Tech: Colorado State transfer Jackson Brousseau. The signal-caller threw for 321 yards, his most since the 2024 season finale against Air Force (at CSU). Brousseau was 1-7 as the starter for Colorado State in 2025.
Georgia Tech has been far from flawless — it lost to Colorado 14-13; the Buffaloes were later thrashed by Northwestern 41-7. The Yellow Jackets also fell to then-No. 18 Tennessee 45-24 and fell to Stanford 34-27.
Georgia Tech's upset of Duke, however, served as a reminder that Virginia Tech cannot afford to let its guard down.
Can Georgia Tech cobble together momentum?
The Yellow Jackets dropped three of their first four to open the season, with their lone victory being a 44-11 win over FCS opponent Mercer. Georgia Tech, however, has an opportunity to turn its season around in an ACC landscape that appears increasingly wide open.
The Yellow Jackets face Virginia Tech, Boston College, Pitt, and Louisville over their next four weeks, with each of those opponents having shown vulnerabilities through the first half of the season.
The Hokies are losers of two straight, Boston College is winless in the ACC, Pitt lost its unbeaten mark with a 21-17 loss to North Carolina at home and Louisville is 3-3 after losses to then-No. 9 Ole Miss, Wake Forest and NC State — albeit by a combined nine points.
For a Georgia Tech team looking to find its footing, the next four weeks present an opportunity to build momentum against conference opponents that each have had their stumbles.
Can Virginia Tech establish consistency on defense?
For a Virginia Tech defense that's struggled with consistency through the opening half of the season, Saturday's matchup presents an opportunity to address increasingly apparent deficiencies in pass coverage.
Across their last two contests, the Hokies have surrendered 512 passing yards. The latter proved particularly troublesome; Brousseau tallied the second-most passing yards (321) of his career in Saturday's 25-20 victory over Virginia Tech.
Those struggles are not exclusive to the Hokies' two losses, either. Maryland quarterback Malik Washington tabulated 359 passing yards and three touchdowns against Virginia Tech on Sept. 19, completing 30 of his 44 attempts in a 35-26 Hokies win.
Perhaps most concerning is the Hokies' struggle to generate turnovers through the air. Virginia Tech has recorded just one interception through six games; its lone pick came against FCS school VMI in the season opener.
Georgia Tech quarterback Alberto Mendoza, meanwhile, completed 23 of 30 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown in the Yellow Jackets' 28-25 upset of Duke, presenting another test for a Virginia Tech secondary that has already surrendered two 300-yard passing performances this season.
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