It isn’t hyperbole to say that Saturday’s matchup against the Vanderbilt Commodores in Blacksburg is the most important of Brent Pry’s tenure at Virginia Tech. After dropping their season opener for the second consecutive season, the Hokies face a familiar boogeyman in Diego Pavia as they aim to right the already partially listed ship that is the 2025 season. A loss on Saturday, in all likelihood, turns Pry’s already warm seat white hot.
Here’s a breakdown of what the Commodores bring to this pivotal ACC-SEC matchup.
Offense
A common theme in this preview will be Vanderbilt’s veteran makeup on both sides of the ball, and the offense especially fits the bill.
Of course, the Commodores’ offensive attack is propelled by sixth-year quarterback Diego Pavia, who was the engine for Vanderbilt’s success last season. Against the Hokies in the 2024 season opener, Pavia was 12/16 for 190 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 26 carries for 104 yards and another touchdown, flummoxing the Hokies’ defense time and time again. He’s also tough as nails. Despite his size (6’0, 207 lbs), he ran the ball an eye-popping 192 times last season and lived to tell the tale.
If he has one weakness, it’s his passing ability. He has completed 20 passes in a game just once in his career: last week vs Charleston Southern, a squad that finished 1-11 in FCS play in 2024. But for the most part, in Jerry Kill’s scheme over the last year or so, Pavia just hasn’t needed to throw the ball that many times. If the Hokies can corral him on the ground and force Pavia to throw, it could be a recipe for success.
In many ways, Pavia is as critical to Vanderbilt’s offensive success as LaNorris Sellers is to South Carolina’s. Both can hurt defenses through the air and on the ground, and tend to be their unit’s lightning rod, sparking big plays and long drives when they need them most. Defensive coordinator Sam Siefkes did a great job of largely containing Sellers last week. He’ll need a repeat performance against Vanderbilt to prevent Pavia from putting on another show.
Around Pavia, the Commodores have several weapons on the outside. Junior Sherrill and Richie Hoskins return from 2024’s squad that beat the Hokies in Nashville. Expect Sherrill to be Pavia’s target of choice on the outside, given his experience. Tight end Eli Stowers is arguably the Commodores’ most reliable offensive piece and can play a variety of roles on the field. As a result, he’s a highly rated prospect for next year’s NFL draft.
Sedrick Alexander returns as the Commodores' leading rusher behind Pavia in 2024, notching 586 yards. (For what it’s worth, he had his best performance of the season against the Hokies last year, with 69 yards and a score.)
On the offensive line, Vanderbilt replenished its depth with three senior tackles from the transfer portal to complement an equally experienced interior. On paper, this is a veteran group, but it hasn’t gone up against as tough of a defensive front as the Hokies will present on Saturday night.
To wrap up this side of the ball, the Commodores’ offense will almost certainly lean on its experience to outplay the Hokies, if it can. Pavia is the driver of this unit’s success, and if Siefkes can replicate the scheme that he deployed against LaNorris Sellers, his unit stands a good chance of limiting his production; odds are it’s impossible to take him out of the game entirely. It all starts up front for the Hokies, a group that registered four sacks against a good South Carolina offensive line. Similar disruption will go a long way to put Vanderbilt behind the sticks and, critically, keep Pavia in check.
Defense
Clark Lea’s defense features upperclassmen all over the field, particularly up front.
On the defensive line, the Commodores are anchored by veterans at nearly every position, but are led by sophomore Glen Seabrooks III, a 6’3 349 349-pound defensive tackle. His size presents significant difficulties for Virginia Tech’s interior offensive linemen, who already struggled to pass block in last week’s opener against South Carolina. Khordae Snydor is another capable defensive tackle who can share the load with Seabrooks as the game wears on.
Linebackers Nick Rinaldi and Bryce Cowan look to boost the Commodores’ lackluster pass rush from a year ago and will supplement Vanderbilt’s less experienced secondary in pass coverage over the middle of the field.
Cornerbacks Martel Hight and Kolbey Taylor present a mixed bag in terms of pass coverage abilities, and likely will need help from Vanderbilt’s stable of safeties on deep throws. But, as Kyron Drones’ inconsistent performance last week showed, the Commodores may not need to be locked down in this one, especially if the Hokies’ offensive line can’t give him ample time to throw.
Overall, this unit is solid but isn’t without its weaknesses. If offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery can get Drones off to a good start and the offensive line to improve in pass blocking, there will be opportunities downfield that the Hokies can and should exploit. As far as the running game goes, it’s business as usual for Virginia Tech; for Kyron Drones to succeed, there must be a credible running threat to soften up Vanderbilt’s defense and facilitate the aerial attack. Otherwise, we could see the offense stall, reminiscent of its abysmal first-half performance in Nashville last year. This unit showed flashes of big-play potential against the Gamecocks, and will need more of that on Saturday night.
Special Teams
Kicker Brock Taylor returns after going 18/21 last season, numbers good enough to earn him a spot in the Lou Groza award semifinals.
Returner Martel Hight looks to take advantage of a Virginia Tech punt unit that gave up a game-breaking 80 yard return for a touchdown last week in Atlanta. The Junior had several great returns last season, including one that he brought back to the house.
Conclusion
It’s not an understatement to say that is a must-win game for Virginia Tech, both for the sake of its season and for broader historic implications. Starting the season 0-2 would be back-breaking, especially coming off of an underwhelming 2024 season in which a roster full of current NFL players failed to live up to the hype, and a disappointing loss last week in a very winnable game.
In the bigger picture, this game presents another opportunity for the Hokies to finally win a game against a non-conference Power 4 opponent, something they haven’t done since 2017 against West Virginia. Perhaps even more meaningful, a win on Saturday night awould be the first time Virginia Tech has beaten a non-conference Power 4 opponent at home since Nebraska in 2009. Nearly 20 years of disappointment can be mended with a win against a Vanderbilt team that frankly embarrassed Virginia Tech last season. If the Hokies can’t get up for this game, then who knows which one they can do it for.