After taking care of business the last two weeks, the Virginia Tech football team is set for a primetime clash with long-time foe West Virginia under the lights in Lane Stadium this Thursday night, Sept. 22.
Kickoff of this highly-anticipated matchup is set for 7:30 p.m. ET, with parking lots around the venue opening at 3 p.m.
How to Follow
TV: Thursday's game will be televised on ESPN with Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Louis Riddick (analyst) and Harry Lyles (sideline) on the call.
Radio: The Virginia Tech Sports Network, including its flagship station 105.3 FM "The Bear" in Blacksburg, will carry Thursday's contest over the airwaves. Bill Roth will handle play-by-play duties while Mike Burnop provides color commentary and Zach Mackey reports from the sideline.
Streaming: Catch the game online at ESPN.com and in the ESPN mobile app.
Live Audio: Listen to live audio coverage of Thursday's matchup at HokieSports.com/Watch and in the HokieSports mobile app.
Live Stats: Monitor the game through live stats on HokieSports.com, including play-by-play updates and full team and individual statistics.
Social Media: Stay connected with the Hokies on Twitter (@HokiesFB), Instagram (@hokiesfb) and Facebook (@VirginiaTechFB).
Three Things to Know
1. Thursday's matchup has a throwback twist. In a series that dates back to 1929, it's no secret that Virginia Tech and West Virginia are long-standing rivals. The two programs have squared off 53 times coming into this week, including annual on-campus meetings from 1973 through 2005. The series took a 12-year break before a neutral site meeting at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland in 2017 briefly reunited the two foes, until Tech visited Morgantown last September in the first of a two-game agreement made back in 2013.
Thursday's game will mark the Mountaineers' first trip to Blacksburg since 2004, a game the Hokies won 19-13. The fact that this year's contest falls on a Thursday is even more special, as it marks the 28th anniversary to the day of the Hokies' first-ever ESPN Thursday Night game. Their opponent that night? None other than West Virginia.
Fans in attendance at this Thursday's game will notice a throwback feel throughout the evening, including videoboard content and other in-venue elements that harken back to the mid-'90s, when this rivalry was at its peak.
2. The return of Hokie Effect. The theme asks those in attendance to wear either orange or maroon depending on their seat location. Instead of a stripe like years past, this season's Hokie Effect will see the North half of Lane Stadium turn orange while the South half is covered in maroon. Find out what color you need to wear and get the corresponding T-shirt through this partnership with Virginia Tech's Undergraduate Student Senate. Parking lots around Lane Stadium will open at 3 p.m. that afternoon.
3. Something has to give. Tech's defense has been sturdy so far this season, with being ranked in the top-five nationally in four main defensive categories, including third in third-down conversions (17.1%), third in rushing defense (42 ypg), fourth in yards per play (3.51) and fifth in yards allowed per game (202). However, the Mountaineers have a high-powered offense that has been able to score 46 points per game, which is tied for 11th-best in the nation, as well as being able to convert at a high clip on third down (54.3%) to rank 14th nationally. So be on the lookout as those two units crash course Thursday in what could be a low-scoring affair or shootout.
Top Performers in Week 3
Quarterback Grant Wells: Completing the most passes in the first quarter in school history (12), Wells came out slinging from the pocket versus Wofford in his first few series. The 6-foot-2, 208-pound quarterback finished the day 26-of-35 passing (74.3%) and two passing touchdowns, marking his first 300-yard game in the air since Nov. 6, 2021 versus Florida Atlantic when he was at Marshall.
Defensive back Chamarri Conner: Owning six tackles (4 solo) against the Terriers to tie for the team high, Conner has had at least five tackles in each game this season to bring his total to 19 on the year. He is coming off of a year in which he had the third-most on the team (85) and is on pace for 76 this season.
Kicker William Ross: Despite having a soccer background and not kicking in football until he was 17 years old, Ross has had a stellar start for the Hokies, drilling all of his attempts so far this season (5 field goals, 8 PATs). The Rock Hill, South Carolina native connected on both of his field-goal attempts versus Wofford, including a 46-yarder to begin the game.