By Jimmy Robertson
BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech football team left Friday for Atlanta, where it will face nemesis Georgia Tech on Saturday in a Coastal Division game at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
The Hokies have lost three straight to the Yellow Jackets, but will be taking on a much different Georgia Tech squad Saturday. Gone are the days of the option-oriented attack of former head coach Paul Johnson, who retired after the end of last season. New head coach Geoff Collins took over the program and continues to mold it into a much different version from what Johnson left, particularly on offense.
As expected, the transition has been difficult. Georgia Tech enters the game having lost six of its past seven games to fall to 2-7 overall, 1-5 in the ACC.
Injuries have hindered the Yellow Jackets, as they have lost three players on offense for the season. They also played without four defensive starters in their previous game at Virginia, but they continue to give teams trouble. They lost by just five to the Cavaliers and 10 to Coastal Division contender Pittsburgh on Nov. 2.
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"Coach Collins has his guys playing extremely hard," Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente said. "You can look at the Virginia film as great evidence of that. [It was] a really close ball game that they had a couple of opportunities to pull out … [Georgia Tech] has had some close losses. I think Coach Collins is doing a fantastic job. Those guys are really playing hard in all three phases."
The Hokies come in on a hot streak, having won four of their past five and played themselves into the race for the Coastal Division crown. Tech enters with a 6-3 record overall, 3-2 in the ACC.
The game carries the utmost of importance for the Hokies, who need a victory in their final three games to become bowl eligible for the 27th consecutive season.
So what do the Hokies need to do to get that seventh win? Here are some things to watch:
The Hokies' mindset – Virginia Tech is coming off a huge, emotional win this past Saturday with its 36-17 upset of then-No. 22 Wake Forest. The Hokies played with passion, as the athletics department recognized retiring defensive coordinator Bud Foster for his 33 seasons of service. Virginia Tech played its best game of the season – the Hokies simply were not going to lose on Foster's day.
Now, the Hokies face a totally different situation. They are a young team playing a game on the road against, record-wise, the worst team in the division. The stadium also may be half empty. Truthfully, coaches hate this type of situation.
Can the Hokies show maturity and handle business? Hokie Nation probably will find out rather quickly and probably within the first quarter. Georgia Tech has been outscored 75-35 in the first quarter this season, so the opportunity is there.
Virginia Tech's special teams – The Hokies have been solid on special teams this season for the most part. Oscar Bradburn continues to have an All-ACC season, and Brian Johnson has made 12 of his 16 field-goal attempts. Virginia Tech got a spark from punt returner Tayvion Robinson against Wake Forest, as he showed natural instinct in that role. The Hokies' coverage units have been solid, too.
But Georgia Tech has made some plays on special teams this season. The Yellow Jackets have blocked three kicks this season, including a blocked field goal in their upset of Miami. The three blocked kicks ranked tied for eighth nationally.
So the Hokies need to be careful. The quickest way to lose a game is to botch things on special teams.
The Hokies' rushing attack – Virginia Tech has been running the ball with authority of late, having rushed for more than 150 yards in four of its past five games – and won all four of those games. Saturday presents a great opportunity to continue that trend.
Georgia Tech has really struggled to stop the run. The Yellow Jackets have allowed at least 150 yards rushing to every opponent this season except for one. They allow 210.7 yards per game on the ground, which ranks 14th in the ACC and 119th nationally. In contrast, the Hokies' rushing offense ranks fifth in the ACC at 172.2 yards per game.
The Hokies average 319 pounds per man on the offensive line, and Georgia Tech only averages 269 – a 50-pound difference. One would expect Virginia Tech's staff to exploit this matchup.
Forcing the Yellow Jackets to throw — Georgia Tech has struggled one offense this season partly because it has started three different quarterbacks in at least two games. In fact, the Yellow Jackets haven't amassed 400 total yards in any game this season and have been over 350 just twice.
Georgia Tech does run the ball decently. The Yellow Jackets average 157 rushing yards per game and have rushed for more than 150 on six occasions – and nearly a sixth after rushing for 143 yards in the loss to Virginia.
But the Yellow Jackets have struggled through the air. They've thrown for more than 200 yards in just two games this season, and Graham enters the game with a completion percentage of less than 50 percent.
That plays into the Hokies' hands. Foster loves to take away the running game and force teams to throw, unleashing a group that has registered 19 sacks over the past five games and ranks tied for fourth in the ACC with 29 sacks on the season.
If Virginia Tech limits the Yellow Jackets' ground game, it stands a great chance of winning.
In closing: The Hokies and Yellow Jackets kick off at 3:30 p.m., and the game can been seen on Regional Sports Network (RSN).