BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech football team is back on the field on Saturday, October 12 for a contest against Rhode Island. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ACC Network.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Saturday, October 12 – 4 PM
Lane Stadium; Blacksburg, Virginia
vs. Rhode Island Rams (1-4, 0-3 CAA)
Head Coach: Jim Fleming (6th Season, 6th Season overall)
Record at school: 14-47; Career: 14-47
Series: Tech leads 1-0 Last: Oct. 11, 1980 (W, 34-7)
Live Stats: CLICK HERE
Broadcast: ACC Network
Play-by-Play: Chris Cotter
Analyst: Mark Herzlich
Sideline: Kelsey Riggs
Radio: Virginia Tech Sports Properties
Play-by-Play: Jon Laaser
Analyst: Mike Burnop
Sideline: Wes McElroy
Virginia Tech Game Notes: CLICK HERE
HOKIES RETURN HOME TO FACE RAMS
• Virginia Tech returns to Lane Stadium for a non-conference contest vs. Rhode Island (10/12) in just the second-ever meeting between the two schools.
• The Hokies are coming off a wild 42-35 win at Miami (10/5), while URI registered a 31-28 win at Brown (10/5).
• The only previous contest between the two squads resulted in a 34-7 Tech win under head coach Bill Dooley.
• Tech owns an 8-1 record in non-conference games under Justin Fuente with that only loss coming in 2018 vs. Notre Dame (10/6/18).
• The Hokies have won four of their last five games at Lane Stadium dating back to 2018.
• The Rams are 2-11 in non-conference road games under head coach Jim Fleming. Prior to URI's win last week, it also registered a 23-16 victory at Harvard (9/28/18).
• Dating back to the start of the 2000 season, Tech is 48-4 (.923) vs. non-conference foes at Lane Stadium.
• VT's offense ranks second in the ACC on third down, converting 50.0% (37 of 74) tries, trailing only Wake Forest (54.4%). Tech's offense is third in the ACC with a 94.7 Red Zone scoring percentage.
• Up next for the Hokies is a Homecoming contest vs. North Carolina (10/19).
SCORING STATS TO WATCH THIS WEEK
• The Hokies have won 26 straight contests when holding foes to 21 points or fewer dating back to 2015.
• Tech owns a 24-1 mark under Fuente when leading at halftime. VT led 28-7 after two quarters at Miami (10/5).
• Tech owns a 77-4 (.951) mark at Lane Stadium when holding foes to 17 points or less dating back to 2000. VT has permitted exactly 17 points in two of its 2019 wins.
• Rhode Island is 2-27 under Fleming when being held to 17 points or fewer.
• Tech is 19-3 when scoring 30+ points under Fuente. VT's 42-point performance at Miami (10/5) was the eighth 40-point game under his tenure in Blacksburg.
• The Rams are 0-33 under Fleming when permitting 30 points or more.
A BIG WIN IN THE TURNOVER COLUMN
• Tech entered last week's contest at Miami (10/5) last in the ACC with a -8 turnover differential (3 takes/11 gives).
• VT responded by going +5 (5 takes/0 gives) at Miami (10/5), registering 21 points off turnovers. It marked the first time since the inception of Miami's "Turnover Chain" in 2017 that Miami hadn't forced a takeaway at home.
• Tech's five takeaways were the team's most since posting five in a 24-3 win at Florida State (9/3/18).
• The Miami game marked the first time this season that Tech didn't commit a turnover.
TIGHT END UNIVERSITY!
• TEs Dalton Keene (5-73, 3 TDs) and James Mitchell (3-75, 1 rush TD) accounted for 148 yards of offense and four TDs at Miami (10/5).
• Keene's three TD catches were a career high, while Mitchell's 75 receiving yards and a long catch of 67 yards were personal bests.
• Keene & Mitchell accounted for eight of VT's 10 catches last week.
WELCOME TO #SACKSBURG
• The #LPD registered a season-high 7.0 sacks at Miami (10/5), the most in a game by the Hokies since registering 8.0 in a 37-16 win vs. Miami (10/20/16).
• Tech has already racked up 17.0 sacks through five games in 2019 after registered 24.0 during the entire 2018 campaign.
• DE Emmanuel Belmar and CB Chamarri Conner are tied for the team lead with 3.0 sacks apiece.
• Tech's 873.0 sacks are the most in the nation since 1996.
