The Hokies were able to get off the mat down in South Florida. It was a great response to bad Friday night at home against Duke. This team hasn’t had a lot of moments to feel good about over the last 12 months. It was nice to see them get a feel-good win against a conference opponent. A game like that can give confidence to a young team. The offense got a spark with Hendon Hooker behind center. The Hokies were able to run for 153 yards with a dual-threat option at quarterback.
SP+ Rankings
Rhode Island
Overall: 46th in the FCS (out of 127 teams)
Virginia Tech
Overall: 75th
Offense: 68th
Defense: 72nd
Special Teams: 76th
Rhode Island features a prolific passing offense. They rank 4th in the FCS in passing offense. But rank 118th in rushing. This is a team that relies on the passing game to move the ball. This is a good test for the Hokies secondary. This is also an opportunity for the Hokies defensive line to get after the quarterback. A week after they sacked Miami’s quarterbacks seven times.
Rhode Island has a bad defense, even at the FCS level. This is a team that has struggled to stop the run and the pass. This is a chance for Hendon Hooker and the Hokies offense to get into a rhythm before the North Carolina game. The Miami game showed what this offense could do with Hendon Hooker behind center. The Hokies should spend a lot of the day running the ball. Set up the run first, then go downfield to your deep threats on the outside.
The Hokies need a convincing win. The Hokies had opportunities against Old Dominion and Furman. Those games ended up much closer than most expected. In this game, the Hokies need to use their new run-based offense to run all over Rhode Island. Based on how this offense ran against Miami’s defense, you would expect that to happen. They need to put this game away in the first half. The Hokies shouldn’t show too much on offense ahead of the North Carolina game.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 45, Rhode Island 13
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