After knocking on the door of this system’s first Faculty Soccer Playoff look final season, No. 13 South Carolina opens 2025 in Atlanta with sizable nationwide expectations beneath Shane Beamer, who has gained 29 video games in 4 years — essentially the most by any coach at school historical past.
The Gamecocks are led by preseason first-team All-SEC quarterback LaNorris Sellers and former five-star edge rusher Dylan Stewart, who’s coming off a breakout freshman season. Whereas South Carolina misplaced appreciable defensive expertise to the 2025 NFL Draft, the employees expects switch additions and rising starters to fill the gaps.
LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina’s ‘Interstellar’ QB, is aware of time is fleeting. So is his workforce’s title window
John Talty
Virginia Tech enters with tempered optimism after three straight dropping seasons. The Hokies are relying on a rebuilt offensive line to guard veteran quarterback Kyron Drones and provides new coordinator Philip Montgomery’s scheme room to develop. This system’s final eight-win season got here in 2019, underscoring the significance of this opener for coach Brent Pry and his employees.
The matchup is one in all a number of SEC-ACC showcases in Week 1, becoming a member of LSU-Clemson, Syracuse-Tennessee and Alabama-Florida State. The SEC is projected to provide 4 Faculty Soccer Playoff groups this season, whereas the ACC might place two within the 12-team discipline. For each South Carolina and Virginia Tech, Atlanta represents an opportunity to grab early momentum.
The place to look at South Carolina vs. Virginia Tech reside
Date: Sunday, Aug. 31 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta
TV: ESPN | Stay stream: Fubo (Attempt free of charge)
South Carolina vs. Virginia Tech: Must know
Beamer Bowl: The opener marks Beamer’s first battle in opposition to this system his father, Frank Beamer, led for almost three many years on the faculty because the Hokies’ all-time winningest coach. South Carolina and Virginia Tech have performed 19 occasions beforehand, however that is the primary assembly because the 1991 season. Shane Beamer performed for his father as a large receiver for the Hokies from 1995-99 and later served as affiliate head coach and operating backs assistant on employees from 2011 by way of 2015.
Hokies in opposition to ranked groups: Virginia Tech has misplaced six consecutive video games in opposition to top-25 competitors, its final win coming within the 2021 opener in opposition to then-Tenth-ranked North Carolina. Pry is 16-21 total over three seasons on the program and misplaced his solely different matchup in opposition to an SEC opponent final season (Vanderbilt). Virginia Tech hosts the Commodores on Sept. 6 throughout its residence opener at Lane Stadium.
Gamecocks’ new weapons: South Carolina is anticipated to take the sector with a number of true freshmen on its two-deep offensively on the wideout spot, together with Brian Rowe Jr. and Donovan Murph. The Gamecocks selected to not signal switch portal assist on the place this offseason and are assured newcomers from the 2025 signing class will do their half alongside returnees Nyck Harbor, Mazeo Bennett and others.
South Carolina vs. Virginia Tech prediction, picks
South Carolina has typically stumbled out of the gate in season openers, however there is a completely different sense of confidence round this 12 months’s group as a preseason top-15 workforce — this system’s first such recognition in additional than a decade. With Sellers drawing Heisman buzz and Virginia Tech breaking in a defensive coordinator, the playmaking edge seems to lean towards the Gamecocks. A garnet-heavy crowd is anticipated in Atlanta, including to the benefit.
SportsLine’s confirmed laptop mannequin has simulated each Week 1 school soccer sport 10,000 occasions. Go to SportsLine now to see all of the picks, all from the mannequin that went 27-16 final season on top-rated money-line and over/beneath picks.
