Takedown Report

NC State Putting ACC Home Streak On Line In Showdown With Virginia Tech

North Carolina State hasn’t lost a home ACC dual since 2019, but the Wolfpack will have to avenge a November loss to preserve that streak.
The road to an ACC team title has gone through either Raleigh or Blacksburg for more than a decade now. This year appears no different, as #8 NC State hosts #7 Virginia Tech Friday night in one of the marquee NCAA duals of the year.
You’ll need to go back to 2014 to find the last time neither NC State nor Virginia Tech had the best regular season record and were handed the ACC dual championship. In the postseason, either NC State (with seven titles) or Virginia Tech (with three) have won the last 10 ACC Championships dating back to 2015.
“This rivalry is good for our sport,” NC State head coach Pat Popolizio said. “It elevated everyone’s game, and it makes you better in the long run. When you have two really good teams matching up, that is what’s fun about dual meets. It’s 10 versus 10. “Their fan base travels extremely well, so our fans are going to have to show up early and then make sure to make it’s a great atmosphere for Friday night wrestling.”
This will be the second meeting of the year for the two programs, as they faced off in a non-conference dual back in November at the National Duals Invitational. The Hokies easily won that day, 25-9, winning seven of the 10 bouts. As it appears, there will be six rematches from that dual (125, 141, 149, 165, 174, 184). “It’s pretty simple how we can turn that result around — score takedowns,” Popolizio said. “That is something we didn’t do in that first meeting. Both teams obviously didn’t have some guys, and there were some weight changes, so it’s going to be a different dual.”
NC State has not dropped a home conference dual since 2019 vs. Pitt (18-16). With the win over UNC last week, the Pack has won 18 home ACC duals in a row. “Our guys have got to be ready, and they have got to be aggressive,” Popolizio said. “I think that is something we did well last week (in the 24-10 win over #11 North Carolina). We opened up, attacked and scored points. “If you can’t score a takedown, it’s hard to win matches.”
One of the featured bouts will come at 165 pounds, as a pair of true freshmen are introduced into this rivalry and face off in a pivotal match as #10 Will Denny toes the line against #17 Ryan Burton.
Burton was the #14 overall recruit in the 2025 class, while Denny was #16. They did not have a history as high school opponents, … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/15302355-nc-state-putting-acc-home-streak-on-line-in-showdown-with-virginia-tech

January 29, 2026 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | ncaa, sports