Hokie ClubLooking to close out the regular season with a win, Virginia Tech football seeks to keep the Commonwealth Cup in Blacksburg when it plays host to Virginia inside Lane Stadium on Saturday evening. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET, with the game airing on ACC Network.
Feasting On Sacks
One of the more consistent talking points centered around Tech football throughout the 2024 campaign has been its ability to get to the opposing quarterback – and on Saturday night, the opportunities should be plentiful.
The Cavaliers allow more sacks than nearly any other team in the country, giving up 42 so far on the year. That’s just south of four surrendered a game – and tied for 130th nationally out of 133 teams.
Not only that, in last week’s loss to SMU, starting quarterback Anthony Colandrea was sacked a whopping nine times over the course of the afternoon, still not trumping a season-high 10 given up in a setback to North Carolina a few weeks earlier.
On the flip side, the Hokies find themselves tied for 20th in the nation in accumulated sacks – racking up 31 so far on the year and averaging 2.82 per game. Redshirt senior Antwaun Powell-Ryland remains a big reason why, with the Florida transfer boasting 13 total sacks this season. That’s tied for second nationally, with Tech’s defensive line seemingly set up for a successful week against a Virginia offensive line that continues to struggle rather consistently.
Airing It Out
Though the Hokies’ quarterback situation still remains in limbo for this upcoming weekend, whoever gets the nod as the starting signal-caller will have a matchup to exploit.
The Cavaliers currently rank a lowly 125th in passing yards allowed, giving up nearly 264 yards per game and almost eight yards per attempt. Opponents are registering almost 13 yards a catch, signifying the potential against a group that’s struggled to limit teams through the air.
Tech is more than capable of exposing UVa with its aerial attack. The combination of Collin Schlee and Pop Watson threw for 213 yards and a touchdown last week against Duke, with the Hokies needing to take advantage of a unit that has struggled to find its footing over the course of the year.
The Clash Returns
Playing in front of fans inside Lane Stadium for the first time since 2018, Tech and Virginia have always had a longstanding tradition of squaring up on the gridiron. Luckily for the Hokies, more times than not, it’s been able to go their way.
Dating back to 2004, Tech’s won 18 of the last 19 in the series and have won 11 straight at home. The Cavaliers haven’t taken down the Hokies in Lane Stadium since 1998, with only six meetings since then decided by one score or less.
It’s also the seventh time in the last 13 seasons that Tech’s needed a victory to claim bowl eligibility with a sixth win, with the Hokies looking to knock off Virginia to reach the postseason for the third time in the last four years.
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