South Carolina is taking on Virginia Tech on Sunday afternoon of Week 1. The game will take place at 3:00 P.M. EDT in Atlanta, Georgia. The Gamecocks are coming off a season where they nearly made the College Football Playoff and are looking to replicate that success. Meanwhile, Brent Pry is working to get the Virginia Tech football program back on track.
The Gamecocks are 7-point favorites in this neutral-site game on the DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at 51.5 points. This is a preview, prediction, and pick for this South Carolina-Virginia Tech non-conference matchup.
South Carolina vs. Virginia Tech Preview
South Carolina Preview
South Carolina had a special 2024 season. In by far their best season under Shane Beamer, the Gamecocks won nine games in the regular season and were one of the teams in discussion for the final College Football Playoff spot. They were loaded with defensive talent, many of whom left for the NFL. The Gamecocks will find it hard to replace all of that defensive talent, but they still have phenom Dylan Stewart at EDGE. On the offensive side, quarterback LaNorris Sellers emerged as one of the biggest stars in college football. He is a dual-threat with tremendous play-making ability, and should be even better in his sophomore season. The Gamecocks have a tough SEC schedule and lost a lot of defensive talent, but they should be a great team to watch on a weekly basis with two of the most exciting players in the sport, Sellers and Stewart.
Virginia Tech Preview
Virginia Tech are hoping to take a step forward in their program. After going 3-8 in Brent Pry’s first season with the program, he took the team to a bowl game in 2023, going 6-6. They were unable to improve on that, going 6-6 again in 2024. Quarterback Kyron Drones is back for his third season with the Hokies. Drones is a good quarterback, but has struggled to stay on the field due to injuries throughout his career. Virginia Tech had to replace a lot of good players on defense from last season. They hit the portal, but mostly took from Group of Five programs to replace some really high-level talent. It could take some time for things to gel on that side of the ball, but if Drones is healthy, the offense should look good from the jump.
South Carolina vs. Virginia Tech Pick
My best bet for this game is for South Carolina to cover the 7-point spread. These teams have a lot of similarities, but the Gamecocks are better in almost every category. Both teams have an exciting dual-threat quarterback, but Sellers has the potential to be one of the best players in the sport. They both have a lot of talent to replace on defense, but the Gamecocks have better recruits ready to step up, and the X-factor, Dylan Stewart, on the defensive line. The Gamecocks should have a good amount of the fans in Atlanta on their side as well. Sellers will make the necessary plays for South Carolina to get the win and cover the touchdown spread.
