BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech and Miami square off Saturday afternoon at Lane Stadium, with both teams desperately in search of a victory.
The 'Canes come in with a 5-5 overall record, including a 2-4 league mark, and losers of four consecutive games. The Hokies enter with a 4-5 record, including a 3-3 league mark and losers of three straight.
Virginia Tech has struggled both to run the ball and to stop the run, while Miami has been plagued by inconsistency at quarterback and turnovers.
Tech knocked off Miami two years ago at Lane Stadium, playing one of its better games in recent memory. Can the Hokies do so again? Only time will tell, but here are some things to watch, as fans from both sides get ready to watch the game:
Virginia Tech's passing game – It's hard not to be impressed with the play of quarterback Ryan Willis, who enters the game completing 60 percent of his passes, with 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions. The redshirt junior took over for injured starter Josh Jackson and certainly has made the most of his opportunity.
That said, he is getting ready to take on arguably the best pass defense in the ACC. Miami ranks second nationally in passing yards allowed at 134.3 yards per game and fourth in total defense (268.7 ypg).
The 'Canes feature two outstanding defensive backs in Trajan Bandy and Sheldrick Redwine, each of whom have three interceptions. Miami ranks third in the ACC with 13 total interceptions.
The Hokies have enjoyed success throwing the football this season, and Willis has thrown at least two touchdown passes in each of his six starts. But he and Tech's receivers figure to be tested extensively Saturday. Whichever side gets the better of this situation probably leads the team to victory.
Tech's avoidance of negative plays – Part of the reason why Miami enjoys so much success against opponents' passing attacks is because the 'Canes put opponents in surefire passing situations. And they put them in passing situations because they lead the country in tackles for a loss, averaging 10.1 per game.
Tech can ill afford to get "behind the chains," as the coaches call it. In other words, second-and-12 or third-and-13 are not good situations. The Hokies need to play well on first down in this one.
Tech's offensive line needs to account for Gerald Willis III on every snap. The defensive lineman ranks tied for eighth nationally with 17 tackles for a loss – and he also leads the ACC.
If the Hokies can neutralize Willis and the rest of a good Miami defensive front, they better their chances of winning.
Miami's quarterback – Miami appears to be going with freshman N'Kosi Perry as its starter, though the 'Canes staff has flipped back and forth between Perry and Malik Rosier a couple of times this season. Perry comes in with 866 yards passing, but just a 54 percent completion percentage. He has thrown for 11 touchdowns and only five interceptions
The 'Canes' run-pass split is staggering – 392 rushing attempts to 149 passing attempts. They play to their strengths, which are two tailbacks with more than 550 yards rushing each. So the Hokies need to find a way to contain that rushing attack and make Perry beat them. That plays into their favor.
Also, consider this: Miami hasn't thrown for 200 yards in any game in its current four-game losing streak. Hopefully, that trend continues.
Tech ability to force turnovers – Obviously, the quickest way to lose a football game is to turn the ball over. Conversely, the quickest way to win a game is to force turnovers – something that the Hokies haven't done particularly well during their three-game losing streak. In fact, in that span, Tech has forced just two turnovers – no interceptions.
The Hokies would do well to break this trend, and Miami could be just the opponent to help make it happen. The 'Canes have turned the ball over 10 times in their four-game losing streak, and Miami sports a negative turnover margin for the season.
Turnovers are always a huge key – and they will be again Saturday afternoon.
The Hokies and 'Canes square off at 3:30 p.m. The game can be seen on ESPN.