Hokie ClubHeading into their first meeting since becoming league foes, Virginia Tech and Stanford each look to earn a key conference victory when they meet inside Stanford Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. E.T., with the game set to air on the ACC Network.
A Heavyweight Fight
It’s no surprise to see Bhayshul Tuten continuing to dominate opposing defenses week in and week out.
Leading the ACC with eight touchdowns and 532 yards on the ground, Tuten posted his fourth consecutive performance with over 100 yards and a touchdown last week against Miami, with the Paulsboro, New Jersey, native now having found the end zone in each of the five contests so far this season.
This week, though, presents a brand new challenge. The Cardinal rank at the top of the ACC in terms of rushing defense, giving up just 76 yards per game and just a tick over three yards per play. That’s good for eighth nationally, with Stanford having only surrendered 305 rushing yards this year.
Heading Out West
Believe it or not, Saturday afternoon will mark the first regular season game the Hokies have ever played in the Pacific Time Zone. On top of that, it’s just the second-ever time Tech has played out west.
Interestingly enough, Tech’s only other appearance on the West Coast also came in the Bay Area – when the Hokies concluded their 2002 season with a 20-13 victory over Air Force in the San Francisco Bowl.
Tech great, running back Lee Suggs, rushed for 70 yards and two touchdowns in the seven-point win, while quarterback Bryan Randall took home the game’s MVP award after going 18-for-23 for 177 yards.
Quarterback Question Mark
It’s hard to ignore the Cardinal’s quarterback situation when looking at who’s poised to suit up on Saturday afternoon.
With starting signal-caller Ashton Daniels deemed questionable after exiting last Saturday’s loss to Clemson with an apparent ankle injury, Stanford may be forced to turn to junior backup Justin Lamson – who went 4-for-8 in the 40-14 setback to the Tigers.
Tech’s faced a similar situation so far this year — in the Hokies’ 37-17 rout of Old Dominion, the Monarchs had to pivot to backups Colton Joseph and Quinn Henicle after starter Grant Wilson couldn’t give it a go. Tech held the pair in check, with the two going a combined 6-for-14 for just 50 yards and not a single score.
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