BLACKSBURG – Five days after a stunning upset of Florida State in Tallahassee, Virginia Tech returns to the field to take on an in-state foe in FCS opponent William & Mary at Lane Stadium.
The game against the Tribe doesn't carry quite the pizzazz of Monday night's tussle, but stands as no less important in the overall scheme of things, considering the Hokies' philosophy of going "1-0" each week.
Tech owns an 11-game winning streak against the Tribe, including a 34-9 victory in 2014 – a game that served as the precursor to the Hokies' 35-21 upset of Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. The Hokies also look to remain unbeaten at home against non-conference competition in Justin Fuente's tenure.
Tech only practiced three times in preparation for this game, as the football travel party arrived in Blacksburg at 4 a.m. on Tuesday. The team also never practiced in full pads. Fuente wanted the players feeling at their best for the battle versus the Tribe.
"Trying to again focus on two things," Fuente said earlier this week. "No. 1 is getting our guys feeling well and knowing what to do in a short week, and then hopefully, next week we can get on a normal schedule."
The Tribe features a smart, disciplined crew that rarely beats itself, and the program plays ACC foes tough. Last year, William & Mary lost to Virginia 28-10, and in 2015, nearly beat the Cavaliers, falling 35-29. The Trible lost at Maryland 7-6 in 20012 and 27-17 at North Carolina in 2010.
So what should fans look for in this one? Well, here are some things to watch:
Virginia Tech's mindset – Tech played following a short week last season when it took on Delaware after a Sunday night game against West Virginia in Landover, Maryland. Though shutting out the Blue Hens, the Hokies scuffled around for much of the game, finishing with barely more than 300 yards of offense and missing two field goals.
Will the same thing happen again, with the Hokies looking sluggish after Monday night's big win? Or will they be fired up to play in the home opener in front of a sold-out Lane Stadium. The first quarter probably will provide the answer.
The rotation on the offensive line – Fuente revealed this week that projected left tackle Silas Dzansi battled cramps leading up to the Florida State game, which allowed freshman Christian Darrisaw to get the nod. Darrisaw held up reasonably well, but Fuente hinted that the competition remained open.
Also, Zachariah Hoyt started at center Monday night, with Kyle Chung moving over to left guard. D'Andre Plantin did not play despite working with the first team throughout spring practice and most of August practices. Fuente was not asked about Plantin and did not address him specifically, but can he work back into the mix?
Whoever plays hopefully gives the Hokies a few more holes than Monday night when Tech averaged just 2.8 yards per carry. The going, though, may not be easy considering the Tribe returns seven starters on defense.
The Hokies' dress squad – Tech will be playing the first of three straight non-conference games, which figures to provide the opportune time to play true freshmen given the NCAA's new rule allowing freshmen to play in four games and still keep their redshirt and also given the lack of a cap on the roster size for non-conference games (the ACC limits schools to 72 players on the dress squad for conference games). So who among the true freshmen see action? That largely depends on how the game progresses.
Tech's staff took 14 true freshmen to Tallahassee, but started just two – Darrisaw and long snapper Oscar Shadley. However, the coaches played nine of them, with most of them getting action on special teams. That group probably gets additional reps if the game allows for that, but what about guys like Quincy Patterson or Cole Beck or Eli Adams? Those three stayed at home Monday night.
Either way, it will be fascinating to see how the staff handles this.
Tech's defense – The Hokies played extremely well on defense against Florida State, as the numbers (five turnovers, five sacks, 14 tackles for a loss) suggest. Can Bud Foster's young unit (seven new starters) be mature enough to duplicate that effort, or at least come to it?
The numbers say that William & Mary struggles on offense. The Tribe averaged 15 points and 285 yards per game last season and scored 14 in their opener, and they come into this season replacing four starting offensive linemen.
A year ago against Delaware, coming off that shortened week of preparation, the defense set the tone, allowing just 223 yards. Hopefully history repeats itself.
Farley vs. Dedmon – Freshman vs. senior. Farley picked off two passes in his collegiate debut, and both he and Bryce Watts face a very good player in William & Mary receiver DeVonte Dedmon, who stands as the Tribe's most dynamic offensive player. Dedmon caught three passes for 125 yards in the Tribe's season-opening win over Bucknell, including a 75-yarder for a touchdown that turned out to be the game winner.
Dedmon, who also doubles as a returner, figures to be a tough task for both Farley and Watts. Hokie Nation will see if their two young cornerbacks can take another step in their development Saturday.