Clemson Gets A Personal ACC Test Under The Lights

Catch the showdown between Clemson and Virginia Tech as both teams look to solidify their standings in a key ACC clash under the lights of Memorial Stadium.

Clemson gets another primetime stage on Oct. 24, with the Tigers and Virginia Tech set for a 7 p.m. kickoff at Memorial Stadium. ESPN will carry the game, and it marks Clemson’s fifth night kickoff of the season.

The matchup brings a Virginia Tech team that is 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the ACC into Death Valley under first-year coach James Franklin, who arrived in Blacksburg, Va., from Penn State this offseason. The Hokies are coming off a 34-24 win over Georgia Tech.

At quarterback, Virginia Tech is led by Penn State transfer Ethan Grunkemeyer, the same player who guided the Nittany Lions past Clemson in the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl.

Clemson enters at 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the ACC after beating FCS opponent Charleston Southern on Oct. 17. After that game, Dabo Swinney said the Tigers played their most complete game against the Buccaneers.

The history between these two programs tilts heavily toward Clemson. The Tigers are 24-12-1 all time against Virginia Tech and have taken the last seven meetings, including a 24-14 road win in Blacksburg during the 2024 season.

“We'll enjoy it tonight, and right back at it tomorrow. We got tough V-Tech team coming in here who's really having a good year,” Swinney said after the Charleston Southern game. “Got a quarterback that beat us last year who's a really good player, so it'd be a big challenge for us to to kind of finish what we call the primetime phase of our journey.”

For fans looking to watch, the game will air on ESPN and stream on ESPN.com or the ESPN app, with a login or subscription required.

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