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Football

Hokies travel to Pitt for ACC clash

VIRGINIA TECH-PITT GAME NOTES Head Coach Justin Fuente Quotes (11-5-18) DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR BUD Foster QUOTES (11-6-18) OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR Brad Cornelsen QUOTES (11-6-18)

Television: ESPNU
Play-by-Play — Kevin Brown
Analyst — Andre Ware
National Radio: SiriusXM
Sirius — 103
XM — 193
Internet — 955
Local Radio: Virginia Tech IMG Sports
Play-by-Play — Jon Laaser
Analyst — Mike Burnop
Sideline — Andrew Allegretta
Flagship — 105.3 FM
 
VIRGINIA TECH VISITS PITT IN ACC CLASH                
• Virginia Tech seeks to register back-to-back wins at Pittsburgh for just the second time since the series began in 1993. The Hokies won their first four contests against the Panthers, including wins at Pitt Stadium in '93 and '95.
• Tech is coming off a 31-21 home loss vs. Boston College (11/3), while Pitt got a 23-13 win at UVA (11/2). 
• Virginia Tech began the season with a 24-3 win at FSU (9/3), marking the only previous time this season the Hokies have traveled outside of Virginia or North Carolina to play.
• Last season's meeting between these ACC foes at Lane Stadium resulted in a frenetic finish. With Tech up 20-14 and 1:15 remaining, Pitt converted a fourth-and-four from its own 25-yard line as QB Kenny Pickett hit WR Jester Weah, who was caught from behind by Tech S Reggie Floyd at the Virginia Tech one-yard line after a 74-yard gain. An epic goal-line stand by The #LPD ensued as Tech rebuffed the Panthers on four straight plays to seal the win.
• Following last year's loss at Lane Stadium, Pitt proceeded to knock off No. 2 Miami by a 24-14 count (11/24/17) and has since won five of its last six ACC contests.
• Tech was won four straight ACC road games dating back to a 10-0 win at UVA (11/24/17) and is seeking to register five straight conference road wins for the first time since winning 10 in a row (11/14/09 - 11/26/11). 
 
ON THE JOB TRAINING FOR HOKIES   
• Virginia Tech's roster features only six seniors, with RB Steven Peoples serving as the lone skill player among that group.
• Tech's offensive line features a trio of senior starters. Sixth-year performer Kyle Chung has opened at both center and left guard in 2018, while Braxton Pfaff (RG) and Yosuah Nijman (RT) have started all eight games on the right side of Tech's offensive front. 
• DT Ricky Walker is the only senior in the starting lineup on defense.
Through the first eight games of 2018, 70.5% (62 of 88) of Tech's defensive starts have been made by underclassmen.
• Freshman LBs Dax Hollifield and Rico Kearney made their first career starts last week due to injuries to sophomore LBs Dylan Rivers & Rayshard Ashby.
• Juniors DB Reggie Floyd and DE Houshun Gaines have joined Walker as the only upperclassmen to notch defensive starts in 2018.
• Senior DT Vinny Mihota started 25 games for Tech from 2015-17 before a knee injury last season vs. Pitt (10/7/17) that cost him the final two games of 2017 and has curtailed his playing time in 2018.
 
VIRGINIA TECH-PITT CONNECTIONS
• Pitt wide receivers coach Kevin Sherman is a native of the New River Valley (Radford) and coached receivers at Virginia Tech from 2006-12.
• Sheman mentored some of Tech's all-time great wideouts including Eddie Royal, Jarrett Boykin, Danny Coale and Josh Morgan. During Sherman's seven-year tenure in Blacksburg, Virginia Tech went to four BCS bowl games, captured three ACC titles and compiled a 70-25 record (.737).
• Virginia Tech director of player personnel Mark Diethorn, who's in his first season with the Hokies, was the director of recruiting at Pitt from 2012-17. Diethorn graduated from Virginia Tech in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in business information technology and operations management.