CLEMSON — Clemson hosts Virginia Tech on Saturday night in what is a pivotal game in the ACC standings this week.

The Tigers (4-2, 2-1) are one of five teams with one loss or fewer in ACC play this season. Behind Miami (4-0), that group also includes Wake Forest (4-1), SMU (3-1) and North Carolina (2-1).

That quartet of one-loss teams has only two games against one another this season – Clemson’s win over UNC on Sept. 19, and a looming Nov. 14 matchup between Wake Forest and SMU.

Virginia Tech (5-2, 2-2) is among a crowded group of nine teams currently standing with two conference losses.

Below are three Virginia Tech players I think you need to watch for in this crucial ACC contest in Death Valley (7 p.m., ESPN).

Wide Receiver Que’Sean Brown

Que’Sean Brown is a name Clemson fans should be very familiar with. He is the player former Tiger Avieon Terrell was covering on the questionable pass interference call that allowed Duke to beat Clemson 46-45 in last year’s Homecoming game.

Brown now returns to the scene of the crime as a Virginia Tech Hokie, and again on Homecoming.

In case you forgot, the Blue Devils were facing a fourth-and-10 from the Clemson 18-yard line with 49 seconds left in that game. Former Duke quarterback Derian Mensah’s pass to Brown fell incomplete.

However, a late flag came flying in from the back of the end zone. The call was defensive pass interference on Terrell. Replay showed, though Terrell grabbed Brown very early in the route, the call came after Brown shoved Terrell to the ground as Mensah’s pass fell incomplete inside the 5-yard line and rolled through the end zone.

Instead of a Clemson victory, Duke scored one play later, then added a two-point conversion for the one-point win.

Brown, who caught 6 passes for 80 yards and 2 TDs against the Tigers, has emerged as a big-play threat for the Hokies this year. Through the first seven games, he has been involved in 10 of the Hokies’ 22 plays resulting in gains of 30 yards or more (45 percent).

Last week, against Georgia Tech, Brown accounted for 251 all-purpose yards, the eighth most all-purpose yards by a Virginia Tech player since 1987. He tallied six receptions for 182 yards and a touchdown, along with two punt returns for 57 yards, and a 12-yard rush. Brown now has 895 all-purpose yards this season, averaging 127.9 per game, ranking 18th nationally. He leads the Hokies and ranks fourth in the ACC with 46 catches for 616 yards and 3 TDs. His 616 yards also rank fourth in the league.

Brown is currently the nation’s leading punt returner. He has recorded 11 returns this season for 267 yards, averaging 24 .3 yards per return.

Tight End Luke Reynolds

Reynolds is another Hokie that is having a breakout season. After recording 26 catches for 257 yards at Penn State, while playing in all 13 games last season, he has emerged as the First-Team tight end on the AP’s Mid-Season All-American Team. He already has 43 receptions for 449 yards and 4 TDs, leading all ACC tight ends in all three categories.

The 6-foot-4, 250-pounder had 8 catches for 108 yards and 2 TDs against Old Dominion in Week 2 and followed that up with 12 catches for 107 yards and a TD against Maryland the next week. He also had 7 receptions for 93 yards against Pittsburgh on Oct. 2.

Boston College (5-15) and Georgia Tech (2-18) limited the big tight end to a combined 7 catches for 33 yards and 0 TDs. In fact, he scored all four of his touchdowns in the first three weeks of the season.

California also limited Reynolds to 4 receptions for 58 yards and 0 TDs on Oct. 10.

Reynolds had 2 catches for 28 yards in the Pinstripe Bowl against Clemson last season when he was at Penn State.

Defensive End Aycen Stevens

Stevens is having a breakout season for the Hokies. The Indianapolis, Ind., product has recorded at least one solo sack in six of the first seven games this season. He tied his career-high in sacks against Georgia Tech (2.5) last week and extended his streak to seven consecutive games with a TFL.

His 8.0 sacks lead the ACC and rank tied for second nationally. Stevens, who made the move from linebacker to defensive end after arriving at Tech in 2023, also has three forced fumbles, two quarterback hurries, and a pass breakup. As a team Virginia Tech has recorded 23 sacks through seven games, fifth-most nationally. Virginia Tech’s defense has recorded 64 tackles for loss to lead the country, averaging 9.14 per game.

—photo courtesy of Virginia Tech Athletics