Virginia Tech's Brent Pry discussed South Carolina during ACC Media Days. He expects Sunday's Aflac Kickoff Classic to be a dogfight.
With seven days til South Carolina and Virginia Tech open the 2025 season, both coaches turn their attention to full game prep on Sunday’s Aflac Kickoff Classic.
During ACC Media Days in July, Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry discussed the list of challenges South Carolina presents. At the top of that list are Walter Camp 2025 Player of the Year Preseason Watch List members Dylan Stewart and LaNorris Sellers.
“It’s challenging. South Carolina is a hell of a football team,” Pry said. “They’ve recruited well, they’ve got a ton of momentum, they’ve got a dynamic edge guy, they’ve got an ultra-talented quarterback. We’ve got our hands full.”
Pry was complimentary of how the Gamecocks closed the 2025 regular season, rattling off six straight wins, four against ranked opponents.
“I think the way they responded to adversity early in their season (is) a testament to Shane and to that group of coaches and players, to rally back and finish the way they did,” Pry said.
Whereas South Carolina has been able to win big games under Beamer, Pry, in his fourth year with the Hokies, was honest in stating that he has yet to win a big game at Virginia Tech.
However, he said Sunday’s Aflac Kickoff Classic provides that opportunity to him and his team.
“They’re arguably a top 10 group. They’re talented on both fronts,” Pry said. “Their defensive line is productive, they’re athletic, they’re tenacious. They’ve got a great plan defensively.”
While Stewart causes challenges for the Hokies’ offense, Pry knows the defense will have its hands full with Sellers.
“I think the quarterback is one of the best in the country,” Pry said of Sellers. “And he’s only going to get better. I think the pieces around him — the offensive line, down the stretch, played as well as any group out there.”
However, Sellers isn’t the only quarterback in the game who will cause problems. Shane Beamer is not taking the challenge of veteran Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones lightly. The Hokies will also debut a new offensive coordinator, Philip Murphy, on Sunday.
“He’s a weapon back there, that’s an experienced guy that can make a lot of plays with his feet,” Beamer said Tuesday. “We’re going to need to do a great job of putting stopping the run, putting pressure on him, keeping him corralled, and then allowing our guys to go out there and do what we want to do defensively.”
Regardless, Pry feels prepared for the challenges the Gamecocks will provide when the ball kicks off at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“It’s going to be a dogfight,” Pry said. “We’re going to give them everything that we’ve got, that’s for sure.”
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Category: General Sports
