By Jimmy Robertson
BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech and North Carolina may not go six overtimes, but it would surprise no one if this upcoming bout didn't bring similar theatrics.
Both unbeaten at 2-0 and both nationally ranked, the Hokies and Tar Heels square off in a high-noon showdown Saturday in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in what figures to be one of the better ACC matchups of the season.
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Tech, ranked No. 19, is coming off back-to-back impressive wins over NC State and Duke despite missing more than 20 players from each of those games – a byproduct of a COVID-19 environment. The Hokies put up 45 points against the Wolfpack, 38 against Duke and rushed for more than 300 yards in both games. Defensively, Tech leads the country with 6.5 sacks per game.
The Tar Heels, ranked No. 8, pulled away late to beat Syracuse and then hung on to beat BC last Saturday in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. They feature a potential Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback in Sam Howell, who has gotten off to a slow start, but has an arsenal of skill weapons on his disposal.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Saturday, Oct. 10 – Noon
Kenan Stadium; Chapel Hill, North Carolina
at North Carolina (2-0, 2-0)
Head Coach: Mack Brown (12th Season, 32nd season overall)
Record at school: 78-52-1; Career: 253-128-1
Series: Tech leads 24-12-6 Last: Oct. 19, 2019 (W, 43-41 6 OT)
Live stats: CLICK HERE
Broadcast: ABC
Play-by-Play: Bob Wischusen
Analyst: Dan Orlovsky
Sideline: Dr. Jerry Punch
Radio: Virginia Tech Sports Properties
Play-by-Play: Jon Laaser
Analyst: Mike Burnop
Sideline: Wes McElroy
Virginia Tech game notes: CLICK HERE
Virginia Tech's Monday press conference recap: CLICK HERE
Tech's staff expects to see the return of defensive coordinator Justin Hamilton on Saturday after Hamilton missed the first two games. He has remained involved with the defense's preparations during the past two weeks via Zoom and now returns for what figures to be one of the Hokies' toughest tests. Howell, a sophomore, threw for 348 yards and five scores last season against Tech, and he certainly requires the bulk of the attention from the staff.
"Sam is a fantastic player," Tech coach Justin Fuente said Monday at his news conference. "It was easy to see that last year as a freshman. Incredible poise, and I think an underrated aspect that he may not get enough credit for is his toughness. Watching the film from last year, he took some heavy shots in some games, and he kept getting back up and standing in there and delivering the football. Incredibly accurate passer that has a really good run game to go along with it. He and that entire offense are a tremendous challenge."
Tech and North Carolina have developed a little rivalry of late, one with an edginess to it. Fans saw that last season in the epic six-overtime affair. Expect things to get chippy at times Saturday, as this game ranks as the rare early-season ACC tilt with a lot at stake.
And with that said, here are some things to watch:
Tech's secondary vs. the Tar Heels receivers – The Hokies could very well be without most of their secondary again Saturday, as Divine Deablo, Jermaine Waller, Armani Chatman, and Brion Murray all missed the Duke game for undisclosed reasons and there isn't a lot of optimism for returns Saturday.
So Tech's staff probably runs out Nadir Thompson and Dorian Strong at the cornerback positions again, with walk-on Tyler Matheny playing at free safety and starter Keonta Jenkins at the boundary safety. Thompson, Strong and Matheny held up well against the Blue Devils, but Duke in no way matches the skill position firepower of the Tar Heels.
"We were really on thin ice obviously there in the secondary this past week," Fuente admitted.
Howell hasn't heated up yet for North Carolina – he hasn't thrown for 300 yards yet in either of the Tar Heels' first two games – but he ranks as one of the best signal callers in the country. Plus, North Carolina returns three experienced and dynamic receivers in Dazz Newsome, Beau Corrales, and Dyami Brown.
So Tech's secondary will be tested – and often.
"They have a lot of guys that have dynamic skillsets," Thompson said. "There's not one person that you can key out, or one person that you can say, 'Oh, he runs go routes better than Dazz Newsome' or anything like that. They're all pretty good. It's a pretty balanced receiving corps."
Tech's front seven made things easier for the secondary against Duke because of the pressure it generated (seven sacks). The Hokies need that same type of outing from their front against UNC. If Howell gets time to throw, he could make the afternoon rather unpleasant for an undermanned Tech secondary.
The Tar Heels' running game – Yes, you read that right. Howell gets all the hype and deservedly so, but this Tar Heel team knows how to run the ball behind tailbacks Michael Carter and Javonte Williams. Carter rushed for more than 100 yards in the Tar Heels' victory at BC, and Williams has rushed for more than 50 yards in both of North Carolina's games.
The Tar Heels are averaging nearly 170 yards rushing per game. They commit to running the ball more than many realize. But Fuente and his staff know that, and both Carter and Williams caught the eye of Tech's head coach during preparations for the game.
"They certainly are dangerous," Fuente said. "They have that ability to take the ball to the house. If you're out of a gap or give them a crease, they can break a tackle and score. Take an 8-yard gain and turn it into an 80-yard gain in the blink of an eye. It'll be imperative that we do a good job.
"We've given up some rushing yards. Part of it is how we're designed right now, but it's going to be really important that we find a way to both try and create pressure for Sam in the backfield when he's throwing the ball and also stay sound in the run game."
Fuente is right – the Hokies have given up some yardage on the ground. NC State's and Duke's tailbacks each combined to rush for more than 150 yards against Tech, though the Hokies' sacks skewed the rushing totals.
So Tech needs to be cognizant of UNC's willingness to ground and pound in this one.
Tech's running game – What's the best way to help an undermanned defense? Hog the football. Last weekend, Tech held the ball for 34 minutes thanks to a rushing attack that amassed more than 300 yards rushing for the second consecutive week. Clearly, the strength of this roster lies in tailback Khalil Herbert and that big, strong offensive line.
The Hokies' offensive line expects to face their toughest test to date against a North Carolina front that leads the nation in rushing defense (54.0 ypg).
"Definitely, those guys up front," Herbert said of North Carolina's strength. "They've got a really good front seven. Their linebackers are really fast – athletic to the ball. It's going to be a nice matchup, but definitely those guys up front do a really good job getting off blocks and being physical, so we definitely look forward to playing."
North Carolina's rush defense, though, needs to be put into context. The Tar Heels sacked Syracuse quarterback Tommy DeVito seven times, which skewed the rushing total (68 yards), and the Orange were playing in an opening game with a rebuilt offensive line and missing two top running backs. And Boston College inexplicably only ran the ball 19 times for 40 yards, while throwing it 56 times.
So how good is that rush defense? How good is Tech's rushing attack? This is the premier matchup of the game.
Turnovers – The Hokies were fortunate last week at Duke. They turned the ball over three times, and Duke only capitalized once, recovering a muffed punt in the end zone for its first touchdown. Tech's defense did a good job on sudden transitions.
But Duke lacks North Carolina's talent. The last thing that the Hokies need to do is give the Tar Heels a short field.
On the other side of the equation, Tech needs to force some turnovers – and the Tar Heels have been prone to coughing up the ball, with four turnovers in two games. Howell threw two interceptions in the Tar Heels' win over the Orange and one in the victory over BC.
As most with football knowledge know, turning the ball over certainly is the quickest way to lose a game. The numbers bear that out, too, as Tech sports a 21-4 record under Fuente when committing fewer turnovers than its opponents.
In closing: The Tech-North Carolina game kicks off at noon and can be seen on ABC.