Previewing the Hokies and Wolfpack.
The second game of the Philip Montgomery era is upon us, as the Virginia Tech Hokies (1-3) head south to Raleigh on Saturday to face the North Carolina State Wolfpack (3-1, 1-1).
It’s the first game of the ACC schedule for the Hokies, who are coming off their first win of the season, a 38-6 victory over Wofford. Things are a bit different this weekend.
The Wolfpack began the season with three consecutive wins before falling to Duke last week. The Pack are led by 6-foot-6 sophomore quarterback C.J. Bailey. Bailey took over as State’s starting quarterback as a freshman last season and never looked back. In four games this season, Bailey has completed 72% of his passes for 1,083 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions. Bailey has passed for over 300 yards in two games this season. He struggled against Duke last week, throwing three interceptions.
While Bailey will not remind you of Lamar Jackson or Jayden Daniels as a runner, he is a weapon in the running game. He has 93 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
N.C. State’s top runner is redshirt sophomore Hollywood Smothers. The Oklahoma transfer has rushed for 503 yards and four touchdowns this season, averaging 6.3 yards per attempt.
The Wolfpack have some playmakers at receiver. Terrell Anderson (18.2 YPC) and Wesley Grimes (19.2) have combined for 24 receptions and could give Tech’s reeling secondary plenty of trouble. Tight end Justin Joly leads N.C. State with 18 receptions.
State’s defense is led by senior linebackers Sean Brown and Caden Fordham, who’ve combined for 76 tackles.
Can the Hokies move the ball consistently against N.C. State? It’s difficult to judge the Hokies based on last week. Quarterback Kyron Drones was excellent, but you also must consider the competition. It looked like Montgomery was focused on getting Drones comfortable with short, quick throws and hoping to build some confidence before the conference slate. There’s also the Hokies’ offensive line, which has struggled and is dealing with a litany of injuries.
Virginia Tech must do a better job of involving tight end Benji Gosnell. Gosnell and junior wide receiver Ayden Greene should be the go-to guys for Drones. The Hokies must also commit to the run, regardless of who’s in the backfield.
Here’s all the info you need to watch, stream, or listen to VT’s game against North Carolina State.
How to watch
- When: Saturday, September 27, 2025
- Where: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
- TV: CW
- Announcers: Thom Brennaman [play-by-play], Will Blackmon [analyst] and Wes Bryant [sideline]
- Radio: Virginia Tech Sports Network Radio. You can find a list of affiliates here.
- Streaming options: fuboTV [try it free], the CW Sports website, or the CW app.
- Series history: Virginia Tech and North Carolina State have met 52 times, with the Hokies holding a 20-20-4 edge. They last met on November 18, 2023, with the Wolfpack escaping with a 35-28 win. That was State’s second win in a row against the Hokies. Before the 2022 matchup, Virginia Tech had won the previous five meetings, four of which were by double digits.
- Odds: N.C. State is a 10.5-point favorite, per FanDuel.
Category: General Sports
