Keys to Victory: No. 23 Clemson at Virginia Tech

Each week, we review the game’s history, three keys to success, and Swanny’s prediction.

The Match-Up:

No. 23 Clemson (6-2, 5-1 ACC) at Virginia Tech (5-4, 3-2 ACC)

Clemson will play the first of back-to-back road games to close its conference slate when the Tigers face the Virginia Tech Hokies on Saturday. Kickoff at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET.

Today’s contest will be only Clemson's third true road game of the season, as Clemson's first eight games included five home games, two road games, and one neutral-site contest. Clemson is 8-2 all-time at Lane Stadium, and its .800 winning percentage there is tied for the highest of any opponent that has played at least five games in the venue since it opened in 1965.

Series History:

• OVERALL: Clemson leads series, 23-12-1
• HOME: Clemson leads series, 9-6-1
• ROAD: Clemson leads series, 10-4
• NEUTRAL: Clemson leads series, 4-2
• LAST MEETING: Dec. 5, 2020 (45-10, W)
• STREAK: Clemson, Won 6

Roster:

Rosters will be released by Clemson two hours before kickoff.

Stat of the Week:

Clemson is attempting to win a seventh consecutive game against Virginia Tech, dating to the 2011 season when the Tigers defeated the Hokies twice. It would be Clemson’s longest streak in the series since winning nine consecutive games against the Hokies from 1955-85.

Chasing History:

Saturday’s game against Virginia Tech Head Coach Brent Pry will be the fifth of six scheduled games this season in which Clemson is slated to face an opposing head coach for the first time. That list also includes Appalachian State's Shawn Clark, Stanford's Troy Taylor, Virginia's Tony Elliott, Louisville's Jeff Brohm and The Citadel’s Maurice Drayton. Since 2011, Clemson is 49-8 when facing an opposing head coach for the first time, including a 3-1 mark this season.

Memorable Moments: 

Nov. 3, 1956 - Clemson and Virginia Tech waged the first battle of Top 20 teams in the history of Memorial Stadium. A Death Valley crowd of roughly 23,000 witnessed No. 13 Clemson’s 21-6 defeat of No. 15 Virginia Tech.

Oct. 1, 1960 - Clemson beat Virginia Tech, 13-7, but Clemson’s new-look venue was the story of the day. The game represented Clemson’s first time utilizing the 5,658 new seats added to the west end zone of Memorial Stadium that year.

Nov. 10, 1984 - Clemson defeated Virginia Tech, 17- 10, in arguably the greatest matchup of defensive linemen in Death Valley history. Clemson featured All-American William Perry, and Virginia Tech featured Outland Trophy winner and future All-Pro Bruce Smith. Clemson also had freshman Michael Dean Perry, who went on to earn six Pro Bowl selections.

Sept. 14, 1985 - David Treadwell foreshadowed things to come with a 36-yard field goal on the last play of the game to give Clemson a 20-17 victory at Virginia Tech in the season opener. Perry Williams had a Clemson record five pass deflections in this game and Clemson overcame five turnovers in the win. Clemson wouldn’t win another five-turnover game until 2016 against Louisville.

Sept. 13, 1986 - Virginia Tech upset Clemson in the season opener at Clemson in 1986 by a 20-14 score behind coach Bill Dooley. It was one of just two season-opening losses in Danny Ford’s Clemson career, and the Tigers lost just two games that season and went on to win the ACC. A blocked punt by Virginia Tech’s Mitch Dove was a key play in the game. Clemson’s punter that day was Bill Spiers, who went on to a 13-year major league baseball career and later served as a special teams assistant on Dabo Swinney's staff until spring 2024.

Sept. 23, 1999 - Virginia Tech won in Blacksburg, a 31-11 victory in a Thursday night game on ESPN. Clemson trailed just 17-11 late in the game, but Virginia Tech scored two touchdowns in the last four minutes. Michael Vick went 7-for-16 passing for 88 yards with three interceptions, the most effective pass defense against Vick that season as Virginia Tech went on to play Florida State for the National Championship.

Oct. 1, 2011 - Clemson defeated Virginia Tech for the first time in 22 years with a 23-3 victory in Blacksburg. Clemson held Virginia Tech to 258 yards of total offense. Virginia Tech was ranked No. 10 entering the game and the victory gave Clemson wins over AP Top 20 teams in three consecutive games, a first for an ACC team.

Dec. 3, 2011 - Clemson won its first ACC title in 20 years with a 38-10 win over Virginia Tech in Charlotte. Virginia Tech was ranked No. 3 in the nation in the coaches poll, and, at the time, the win tied for the highest-ranked team Clemson had beaten in its history. Tajh Boyd was named MVP, as he completed 20-of-29 passes for 240 yards and three scores. The win clinched Clemson’s first Orange Bowl berth in 30 years.

Key 1: Attack, Attack, Attack

What a head-scratching performance we saw last weekend vs. Louisville from the Tigers on the offensive side of the ball. Spare me the final stats. Spare me the blocked field goals—which I openly admit were significant—but for crying out loud—Garrett Riley’s offense? Garret Riley’s tempo? And Garrett Riley’s inability to spark the sluggish Clemson offense was incomprehensible. 

I don’t care how they do it. I don’t care what it looks like, but the Tigers need to take the offensive fight to the Hokies. 

The Clemson defense hasn’t been up to the traditional standard of the past decade, but when the offense feels out of sync and lifeless, I tend to view that as a larger concern. 

Attack early. Attack often. 

Key 2: Ride the Running Game

So either Jay Haynes doesn’t perform well at practice, or the Tigers have completely mismanaged the running back room this season. Look, I love Phil Mafah; I’ve openly admitted that. I also believe the running back situation has been better with a lead dog like Mafah toting the largest load. But can we acknowledge the value of a change of pace? 

That’s what Haynes can give this team, and I will continue to shout it from the mountaintops. Haynes doesn’t deserve 15 carries a game, but the guy should be involved in the offense with 10-12 opportunities a game. 

Virginia Tech has been susceptible to the run, and what we saw last weekend with Louisville’s Isaac Brown is that speed and shiftiness are a huge asset in this much speedier version of college football in the modern era. A bruising back is important, and Mafah, at times, has shown the ability to break big plays in his career, but having a different look is also significant.

The final thing on the running game. I don’t need to see the “Jumbo” set on short-yardage situations, but can I get a quarterback under center 100% of the time? 

Key 3: Defensive Discipline

Clearly, this defense has issues, and without DeMonte Capehart and perhaps Peter Woods as well on the defensive line, the task will be tough this afternoon, regardless of who plays quarterback for the Hokies. If it’s Kyron Drones, given his athleticism, that concerns me a lot.

The Tigers have to be more disciplined on defense, and what we saw last weekend was the exact opposite. Louisville put on tape a huge weakness for the Tigers: their ability to flow side to side with the ball. The stretch run with cutbacks to the inside gaps beat Wes Goodwin’s group over and over and over. Hopefully, they’ve tightened that up before today. If the Hokies’ star running back, Bhayshul Tuten is healthy, it could spell another afternoon of trouble for the defense.

Prediction:

So, this is the toughest prediction I’ve had to make in a while. The Tigers carried confidence with them all season, but I don’t know how much of that will arrive in Blacksburg today. Last weekend felt different. Perhaps the fact that the Tigers haven’t been beaten like that at home in over a decade has made me overreact to the result, but it really feels like this game is a referendum on who this team really is. 

The schedule doesn’t get any easier as No. 18 Pitt and an upstart South Carolina team loom. As we noted, historically speaking, the Tigers still have a chance to make a run to the playoff, but the margin for error is nil. After much debate and unknowns about the Hokie’s star offensive players, I’ll lean slightly towards Clemson—but just slightly.

Clemson 27, Virginia Tech 20

Swanny’s Record: 7-1

Swanny’s Predictions: 

✅ = Correct Prediction

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