Category: Predictions

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Duke vs Virginia Tech Preview and Prediction

The Hokies missed a big opportunity to get their season back on track against Clemson. The defense played pretty well but the offense couldn’t do anything. To salvage the rest of this season, the Hokies have to go 2-0 in their last two games. Even then, this season would still be considered a pretty big disappointment. But it would likely keep Brent Pry and maybe his coordinators off the hot seat going into the offseason.

SP+ Rankings

Virginia Tech

Overall: 29th
Offense: 37th
Defense: 33rd
Special Teams: 37th

Duke

Overall: 43rd
Offense: 70th
Defense: 25th
Special Teams: 89th

Duke has a pretty strong passing offense led by QB Maalik Murphy. He’s been consistent about putting up good numbers in just about every game this season. The good news for the Hokies is that he is not a running quarterback. If Tech’s talented secondary can slow down Duke’s passing attack, that would go a long way toward the Hokies getting a win in this game.

Duke’s defense is the strength of their team. Particularly by stopping the pass game. They have a talented secondary that is only giving up 191 yards through the air per game. This is a game where Tech needs to stick to the run game. If Tech can run the ball consistently, they should have good results against this defense. This is a game where Tech should be able to move the ball on the ground regardless of who is available at running back.

Duke is 7-3 against a pretty soft schedule. They are certainly better than a lot of people expected this year but it looks like they are over-performing against a weak schedule. That’s not to say Duke isn’t a good team because I think they are. But they might be getting more credit than they deserve. If the Hokies can run the ball and stop the pass, they should be able to get out of Durham with a win. The Hokies are 7-1 in Durham since joining the ACC. This is a good opportunity for Brent Pry to get his first one-score victory this season.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 23, Duke 20

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Clemson vs Virginia Tech Preview and Prediction

A couple of things before we move on to Clemson. First, it is completely unacceptable to blow a 21 to 3 lead halfway through the third quarter. Doesn’t matter if you’re playing an FCS team or the #1 team in the country. Secondly, no one will take this coaching staff seriously until they can win a one-score game. They are 1-11 in one-score games and that one win wasn’t REALLY a one score game. If you remember, Virginia Tech kneeled the ball against Liberty on the goal line for the win. They could’ve easily score to win by two touchdowns. These coaches need to prove they can win a one-score game or they’ll be gone from Virginia Tech sooner than later.

SP+ Rankings

Virginia Tech

Overall: 27th
Offense: 31st
Defense: 37th
Special Teams: 24th

Clemson

Overall: 15th
Offense: 11th
Defense: 25th
Special Teams: 124th

Clemson RB Phil Mafah is a beast and the Hokies will have a tough time tackling him. He is a big back with good speed. He’s Clemson’s version of Derrick Henry. And for a team that has trouble tackling at times, he should look like a nightmare for the Hokies. This offense looks a lot like the Syracuse offense that torched the Hokies defense last week. This is a good opportunity for the Hokies to show that they’ve improved on that performance from last week. The biggest task this week is stopping the run.

This isn’t the Clemson defense of old. In fact, it looks like they’ve taken multiple steps back from the Brent Venables days. At this point, I’d call them an average ACC defense but that doesn’t mean they don’t still have a couple of All-ACC talents. If Tuten and Drones are healthy, I definitely think they can move the ball against this defense. The biggest thing is don’t get behind big or early on the scoreboard. If Tech is able to run the ball and doesn’t have to chase the game from behind. They’ve got a good shot in this game.

Clemson is the best team the Hokies will play this year despite their issues this year. If I felt good about a 100% healthy Kyron Drones and Bhayshul Tuten, I might feel better about thinking Tech could win in a shootout. But with lingering injury concerns and even questions about if they will actually play, I’m leaning Clemson here. I’m also leaning Clemson because I don’t think the Hokies defense will be able to stop Phil Mafah. I think he will have 100+ yards on the ground this week. That should make life easier on QB Cade Klubnick. The Hokies will hang around in this game and it’ll be close. But ultimately I think Phil Mafah and the Clemson running game will be able to wear out the Hokies defense late in the game. I also have ZERO faith in this coaching staff to win a one-score game.

Prediction: Clemson 31, Virginia Tech 24

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Syracuse vs Virginia Tech Preview and Prediction

Virginia Tech proved on Saturday they can win a game even when the offense isn’t producing. Georgia Tech did a nice job of stopping the run but the Hokies need to prove they can move the ball with the passing game. This week’s game against Syracuse is a good opportunity to show that the passing game can make plays.

SP+ Rankings

Virginia Tech

Overall: 24th
Offense: 34th
Defense: 29th
Special Teams: 21st

Syracuse

Overall: 61st
Offense: 47th
Defense: 63rd
Special Teams: 106th

Syracuse’s offense was BAD last time out. QB Kyle McCord threw five interceptions against Pitt. I wouldn’t call that a normal performance for this offense. They got down 31-0 in the first half and McCord had to throw the ball 64 times! Syracuse usually likes to throw the ball a lot and they have a very good passing offense. This is a game where Tech’s secondary will need to be able to make plays against Syracuse’s receivers. They like to spread the ball to a lot of receivers including tight ends and running backs. Tech has to be ready for an air raid offense that they haven’t seen thus far this year. The good news is that McCord is not a running QB. So Tech will face a more traditional pro style offense this week in what feels like the first time this year.

Syracuse has a solid defense. Good against the run. Not great against the pass. Tech should not abandon the running game — especially not with Bhayshul Tuten available. But this is a game where Kyron Drones is going to have to hit some passes downfield. The running game alone will not win this game. Tech needs to be able to find balance offensively. A stout running game is a great thing to have but they cannot be one-dimensional. Tech needs to bring Jaylin Lane, Da’Quan Felton and Ali Jennings out of the witness protection program. Tech has weapons and they need to use them in this game.

The Carrier Dome gives me nightmares. There are always weird vibes up there. Last time out in 2016, Virginia Tech took a ranked team there and lost by 14. It’s a strange environment to play in but the players need to be focused on football and nothing else. No cockiness. Just show up ready to play from the opening whistle. A workman-like effort like they had against Stanford. Tech is the better team. I actually think the matchup works in Tech’s favor. The biggest thing is not to let the ghosts of the Carrier Dome take them down. Avoid a turnover fest or a major special teams meltdown and this should be a win.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Syracuse 24

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Georgia Tech vs Virginia Tech Preview and Prediction

Virginia Tech looks like the team we expected in the preseason. Bhayshul Tuten is a special player and will be playing on Sundays next year. APR is the best pass rusher since Daryl Tapp. This team is still only 4-3 but they look like they’ve turned the corner. They are playing good football even if they still can’t string together four quarters of quality football.

SP+ Rankings

Virginia Tech

Overall: 25th
Offense: 30th
Defense: 40th
Special Teams: 26th

Georgia Tech

Overall: 48th
Offense: 28th
Defense: 67th
Special Teams: 121st

Georgia Tech has a good, balanced offense this season. GT’s regular starting QB, Haynes King, is likely out for this game. Meaning his backup, Zach Pyron, will probably get the start. Pyron is a solid QB. He started the game in Blacksburg in 2022 and got a win. The Tech defense he will be playing this weekend doesn’t look much like the defense two years ago. Expect the GT offense to take a slight step back with Pyron under center instead of King.

Georgia Tech’s defense reminds me a lot of BC’s. Generally stout against the run and susceptible to passes downfield. The Hokies should follow the same game plan as the BC game. Establish Bhayshul Tuten early and often which will open up plays downfield. This offense is at it’s best when they are running the ball with Tuten and Drones. The threat of the run game from both of those guys opens opportunities for others to get involved in the offense. When Tech is running the ball, that’s when this offense is clicking.

Georgia Tech is a solid team. The Hokies need to be ready to play in this one. Even at full strength, I still think I’d pick the Hokies in this game. But going against Georgia Tech without Haynes King, I like VT even more. The most important thing is to keep the momentum going from the last two games. The Hokies still have all their goals in front of them if they can keep winning but that involves not taking any weeks off. They gotta keep this good momentum going.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Georgia Tech 21

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Boston College vs Virginia Tech Preview and Prediction

Virginia Tech finally looks like they are getting back on track. Flying to the West Coast and getting a 24 point win on the road is impressive. Now they need to prove they can take care of business like that at home.

SP+ Rankings

Virginia Tech

Overall:36th
Offense: 44th
Defense: 42nd
Special Teams: 33rd

Boston College

Overall: 49th
Offense: 67th
Defense: 35th
Special Teams: 48th

Offense has been a bit of a struggle for Boston College this year. QB Thomas Castellanos has looked a little banged up this year so he hasn’t been his normal dual-threat self. A fully healthy Castellanos would give Tech a lot of trouble since we know they have issues with running quarterbacks. Luckily, in this game, it seems like Castellanos is less likely to run around as he has in the past. If the Hokies are able to stop the run, it’s unlikely that BC can put up big yards through the air.

Boston College is pretty stout defensively. They are one of the better run-stopping teams the Hokies will play this season. They also need to stop DE Donovan Ezeiruaku. He is a defensive end who likes to wreak havoc in the backfield. Tech needs to try to run the ball away from him and be prepared to block him in passing situations. Like the Stanford game, this would be a good game to get the run game going with Tuten and use play action to find open receivers downfield.

Boston College has had a good year thus far and been competitive in every game they’ve played. But if you look at the two most recent games, they look like a team that’s slowing down a bit. I’m not sure if that’s because of an injured Castellanos or if the wear and tear of the season is starting to catch up with them. Either way, Tech looks like they are starting to gain momentum at the same time that BC is starting to lose it. Especially on a Thursday night at home, I like the Hokies to take care of business like they did last year against Syracuse. Get things going early and ride that momentum to victory.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Boston College 17

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Stanford vs Virginia Tech Preview and Prediction

Virginia Tech got robbed against Miami. We can argue all day about whether it was a catch or not. The reality is that they called it a catch on the field. Saying they had enough evidence to overturn the call is nonsense. The ACC officials were just making up rules at that point. Either way, life isn’t fair. Use it as motivation and move on to the next one. The best Virginia Tech teams I can remember used heartbreaking games as motivation to achieve bigger goals.

SP+ Rankings

Virginia Tech

Overall:43rd
Offense: 47th
Defense: 43rd
Special Teams: 43rd

Stanford

Overall: 83rd
Offense: 79th
Defense: 90th
Special Teams: 19th

Stanford has had moments where their offense shows a spark but they aren’t consistent. This is a team that likes to move the ball on the ground. Tech has had a lot of trouble stopping the run so far this season. Stanford’s leading rusher is QB Ashton Daniels. However, he suffered a leg injury at the end of the Clemson game so we’re not sure about his status for Saturday. If he can’t go there isn’t a lot of experience behind him. One of the backups, Justin Lamson, played some last season and is more of a runner than a passer. The Hokies need to be ready to stop a running QB regardless of who starts on Saturday. Another player to watch is WR Elic Ayomanor. He catches everything thrown to him and can break a big play if you give him space.

Stanford doesn’t give up many yards on the ground. This is a game where Drones has to be on his game and let is receivers make plays. Stanford ranks 124th in the country in passing yards allowed. The Hokies are going to have to air it out this week. A conservative game plan is a good recipe for a loss in this game. If this passing offense is going to get right, it needs to be in this game.

The line for this game opened at Virginia Tech by 4. It has since moved to Virginia Tech by 9. I think someone in Vegas knows something about the health of Stanford’s QB. Either way, Tech needs to be able to stop the run. They’ve already been burned by two running QBs this year. They need to figure out a solution for stopping a running QB. Since Stanford is good at stopping the run, they are going to force Tech to do something they aren’t as good at which is throwing the ball. If Drones can throw the ball like he did against Miami, they should be okay. I tend to agree with Vegas. If Ashton Daniels were healthy, I would think this is a close game. If he’s hurt, I like the Hokies in this one.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Stanford 21

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Miami vs Virginia Tech Preview and Prediction

The season so far has been a disappointment. It’s not that 2-2 is a terrible record. It’s not. But when the expectation was 8+ wins and competing for a conference title, it’s a disappointing start. There is no way around it. As conference play starts, this team gets a clean slate with a 0-0 conference record. But they are going to need a serious turnaround if they want to make some noise in a much improved ACC.

SP+ Rankings

Virginia Tech

Overall: 40th
Offense: 51st
Defense: 37th
Special Teams: 42nd

Miami

Overall: 7th
Offense: 6th
Defense: 21st
Special Teams: 64th

Miami is a different team with QB Cam Ward under center. Anyone paying attention saw that Cam Ward was a special player at Washington State. Now he has a lot of skill talent around him at Miami to make the most of his elite skillset. Miami’s big play guy is WR Xavier Restrepo. He’s like Miami’s version of Jaylin Lane. Give me the ball in space and let him do his thing. At running back, keep an eye on Jordan Lyle who has the ability to break off big runs if given space. The only good news for Virginia Tech is that Cam Ward doesn’t normally run a lot. He can. They just don’t like to run him a lot in this offense.

Miami’s defense is elite. They stop the run and the pass and are ranked in the top 10 in the nation in total defense. DE Tyler Baron (brother of VT DE Woody Baron) plays for Miami. He can get after the QB and cause havoc in the backfield. Miami also has a strong LB core who do not give up a lot of yards on the ground. Miami is a little more susceptible in the passing game but having such a strong pass rush makes their jobs a little easier in coverage.

I don’t feel good about this game. Tech has the ability to turn this season around but that’s a tough order in a short week on the road. There isn’t much opportunity to change anything or try anything new in a shortened week. Maybe Tech will come out with a little more fire this week after they’ve heard all the criticism all week. Even so, I still like Miami to win by multiple scores. The only way this one stays close to the end is if Miami has a turnover fest that leads to short fields and scores for the Hokies. Otherwise, Miami wins this one comfortably.

Prediction: Miami 38, Virginia Tech 17

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Rutgers vs Virginia Tech Preview and Prediction

Virginia Tech has had good moments this season. There are times in each game where the defense is getting stops and the offense is scoring points. The issue is that the Hokies still haven’t been able to put together a full 60 minute game. They got close last week but the offense went into a coma in the 2nd quarter. Let’s see if this is the week they can put it all together.

SP+ Rankings

Virginia Tech

Overall: 35th
Offense: 44th
Defense: 35th
Special Teams: 53rd

Rutgers

Overall: 41st
Offense: 77th
Defense: 21st
Special Teams: 35th

Rutgers is a very physical team. The Hokies have yet to play a team this season with this level of physicality. If Tech wants to win, they need to be able to match Rutgers’ intensity. RB Kyle Monangai is one of the most physical runners in the country. You need to bring your lunchpail if you’re going to meet him in the hole. I’m not sure if Tech is ready for a physical game like this. Rutgers has played Howard and Akron so far, so maybe Tech will be a big step up in competition for them too. For Tech to win, they need to be able to stop the run. If Monangai goes for 150, it’s going to be tough for the Hokies to win.

It’s tough to get a read on Rutgers’ defense based on who they have played. You’d expect a Greg Schiano coached team to play good defense. But it’s hard to gauge quality based on who they’ve played so far. If Tech can bring their physicality to the run game, they may give this defense some problems. Once again, this is a game where Tech needs to establish the run game and then bring in the play action passing game downfield. This offense works best when they are able to run the ball first.

This is a game where Tech either wins by one possession or loses by multiple touchdowns. There is no in between. If Tech can’t stop the run, they are going to get blown out. But if they can find gameplan to stop Monangai, they should be okay. This isn’t the scariest offense outside of one guy. I said that about Diego Pavia too and we all remember how that turned out. I’ve been going back and forth on this one all week but I feel like I’m trying to talk myself into a Tech win when it’s not really there in the numbers. I’d pick VT if I felt like they could consistently stop the run but I don’t think they’ll be able to.

Prediction: Rutgers 31, Virginia Tech 17

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Old Dominion vs Virginia Tech Preview and Prediction

It’s beyond bizarre how this offense can only seem to score 3 offensive points in the first half of games. Especially when they follow that up with 24 and 21 respectively in the 2nd half of games. Weird. Pry needs to give the halftime speech pre-game. I can’t imagine Tech scoring 3 points or less in the first half for a third week in a row.

SP+ Rankings

Virginia Tech

Overall: 45th
Offense: 49th
Defense: 44th
Special Teams: 51st

Old Dominion

Overall: 103rd
Offense: 103rd
Defense: 95th
Special Teams: 79th

The big question of the week will be if QB Grant Wilson will play. He injured his wrist at the end of last week’s game. If he isn’t able to go, expect a QB without much experience to come in. I think it’s reasonable to expect the backup to play similar to Wilson, which means he can run or throw. ODU runs an offense similar to Vanderbilt’s so the Hokies will once again need to be ready for a running QB. Although Wilson has not put up big numbers on the ground so far this season. ODU has some good pass catchers and the like to spread the ball around to a lot of receivers. RB Aaron Young gets the majority of the carries but expect former Virginia Tech RB Bryce Duke to get some carries too. This is an offense that can definitely put up points against quality opponents but don’t expect them to light up the scoreboard.

Old Dominion has been impressive defensively so far this season. They held South Carolina to 288 total yards on the road and forced former Miami QB Jake Garcia into 4 interceptions in their home game against ECU. The numbers suggest that this is a bend but don’t break defense. They have given up yards but not a lot of points. It’s critical for Tech to finish drives against ODU. This appears to be a team you can run on. This is a week where Tech needs to line up and run the ball like they did in the 2nd half against Marshall. Let Drones, Tuten and Thomas get carries and move the ball down the field on the ground. No need to get cute with the passing game. RUN. THE. BALL.

I’m not going to kid myself, G5 road games are always tough. Nothing comes easy. In the 2018 game, Virginia Tech couldn’t seem to pull away and then had a defensive meltdown in the 4th quarter. In 2022, the Hokies gifted ODU 7 points off a bad snap on a field goal and four Grant Wells INTs later the Monarchs won by 3. If the Hokies can avoid the self-inflicted wounds, this is a game where Tech should win by the Vegas line of 14. But Tech has to play at least their C-level game to get there. Which means score more than 3 points in the first half and avoid the sloppiness they’ve had in the last two visits there. This is a good opportunity for Pry to show that he can get his guys ready at kickoff and not let the last two weeks’ special teams oopsies show up.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 27, Old Dominion 20

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Marshall vs Virginia Tech Preview and Prediction

I still think Virginia Tech is a 9-3 / 8-4ish team. In the second half, they looked like that kind of team. The first half was a burn-the-tape kind of half. Everyone was bad. If the Hokies can be ready to play at kickoff, they should be fine. That’s not to say this team doesn’t have issues. All teams do. But this is still a good team that got off to an exceptionally bad start to begin the season.

SP+ Rankings

Virginia Tech

Overall: 51st
Offense: 55th
Defense: 51st
Special Teams: 78th

Marshall

Overall: 81st
Offense: 79th
Defense: 89th
Special Teams: 61st

Marshall has two quarterbacks who can scoot. If Marshall watched any film from last week, expect their running QBs to play. We’re just not exactly sure who since all three of their quarterbacks got snaps against Stony Brook. RB AJ Turner had a huge game against Stony Brook running for 119 yards on 8 carries. They have some good receivers that have transferred in from Power 4 schools. Any of their three QBs should have good targets to throw to in the passing game. Since Marshall is likely to play their running QBs, the Hokies have to do better against the run this week.

Marshall struggled with run defense last season. If you remember, last season Marshall finished ranked 80th in rushing defense but Tech only gave Bhayshul Tuten 8 carries. Even though he was posting 9.8 yards per carry. The best bet this year is for the Hokies to stick to the run game. Last year, they averaged 6.1 yards per carry and still lost. They lost because they gave up on the run game when they shouldn’t have. This year, they need to run the ball and stick to it. This will also open up opportunities downfield in the passing game. Notice I said downfield. Not this dink and dunk behind-the-line of scrimmage stuff. Put the ball in your playmakers’ hands and make Marshall have to make a tackle. That should be enough to win this week.

Sometimes my picks are based on vibes alone. I’ve watched enough Virginia Tech football to know that after a loss like Vandy we either win close or lose. I don’t remember coming back after a loss like that and putting the beatdown on the next opponent. That being said, I do believe this is a different team at home. Tech just plays better within the confines of Lane Stadium. Everybody knows that. And while Marshall is a decent team, they don’t have the horses to come into Lane and pull an upset. It also helps that Tech played a real opponent last week and Marshall played a bad FCS team. But if I could bet on this game, I’d be taking Marshall +20.5 — a nice little note for our out of state readers. We get a win this week but closer than the experts think. In a manner where nobody is satisfied but it’s a win nonetheless.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Marshall 20