BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech football returns to Blacksburg for its third straight conference matchup, hosting Wake Forest in Lane Stadium/Worsham Field on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
How to Follow TV: The game will be televised on ABC with Chris Cotter (play-by-play), Mark Herzlich (analyst) and Sherree Burruss (sideline) on the call.
Radio: The Virginia Tech Sports Network, including its flagship station 105.3 FM "The Bear" in Blacksburg, will carry the 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 the matchup at HokieSports.com/Watch or 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 Homecoming and Maroon Effect
Saturday's matchup will be Tech Athletics' Homecoming game and it will be accompanied by the Maroon Effect theme. Fans are encouraged to arrive early and to wear their maroon team gear. Get your hands on the official Maroon Effect shirt before kickoff. Tickets to the game are currently sold out, but fans still interested in attending the game can purchase tickets on SeatGeek, the official secondary marketplace of Tech Athletics.
Home field advantage
Tech has found tremendous success against Wake Forest when playing at home. In the last two matchups played in Blacksburg, the Hokies have outscored the Demon Deacons 88-38. In the most recent match on Nov. 9, 2019, Tech won 36-17, upsetting Wake Forest, who was ranked No. 22 at the time. Nine years prior, the team scored a whopping 52 points en route to a 31-point margin of victory. In the overall matchup, the Hokies are 12-4-1 at home and currently lead the series at 25-13-1. Saturday's contest will mark the 40th matchup between the two programs.
Finding running lanes
Offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen has been very committed to establishing the run game in recent weeks. In the latest win at home against Pitt, the team had a season-high 59 rushing attempts, finishing with 199 total rushing yards. Continuing the trend of season highs, the offense finished with 209 rushing yards this past weekend in Tallahassee. Building upon that success can be beneficial against Wake Forest, which gave up its highest rushing total of the season against Clemson. Facing the Tigers on the road, the defense allowed 207 rushing yards, providing a blueprint for Tech's offense this weekend.
Players to WatchKicker John Love: A redshirt freshman, John Love has performed well when his number has been called. Through six games this season, Love currently boasts an 87.5% field goal percentage, making 7 of 8 attempts. Handling field goal-kicking responsibilities for special teams coordinator Stu Holt, the Spartanburg, South Carolina native has been perfect on his last four attempts. Love's longest make of the season came against Purdue for 41 yards.
Running Back Malachi Thomas: Primarily operating as a spell to lead back Bhayshul Tuten, the redshirt sophomore had his best outing of the year against Florida State. Thomas averaged 5.8 yards per carry in Tallahassee, rushing for 58 yards on 10 attempts. The Hartwell, Georgia native offers a good blend of agility and speed to complement the power-running styles of Tuten and quarterback Kyron Drones. Thomas finished Saturday's contest with 81 total yards, also hauling in two receptions for 23 yards with a long of 21 yards.
Defensive Lineman Josh Fuga: Named a defensive captain before the start of the season, Fuga is a strong vocal leader for Brent Pry's defense. The redshirt senior has amassed 52 career tackles, five tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries and registered his first fumble recovery this season at Rutgers. Starting four games so far in 2023, Fuga has nine tackles and a tackle for loss. Against Florida State, he recorded two quarterback pressures and a 68.0 pass rush grade, according to Pro Football Focus.