It’s another ACC showdown as Virginia Tech travels to take on Duke. VT handled their business against NC State last week, putting up an impressive 45-24 win. It was the perfect way for them to kick off their season, in which they hope to see several 1-0 finished from week-to-week.
After going 8-5 a year ago, (5-3 within the ACC), the win is just what they need to see to open the season. It will be conference play only, so the 5-3 would not suffice in 2020. They’ll need to dig a little deeper against the higher-tier opponents.
Duke, on the other hand, has found absolutely no rhythm this year. They have dropped their first three games, averaging just 13 points per contest. They probably wish that they could bring Daniel Jones back right about now to replace the highly ineffective Chase Brice.
Brice has thrown six interceptions already this year while completing just 52% of his passes. If he doesn’t improve, the team could have a long year ahead of them.
ODDS:
The Hokies are favored by 12 points in this one. The over/under is set at 54.
Hokies Looking For Another Win
In their opening win, they didn’t need any single player to dominate. They got both of their QB’s some reps, and several running backs were able to get in there.
Most impressive from that group was Khalil Herbert, who racked up 104 yards on just six carries. He also caught two passes for an additional 46 yards.
Tre Turner had just two rushes and picked up 53 yards. This is a run-heavy offense that took advantage of a poor front line a week ago. And lucky for them, Duke also struggles against the run, yielding 150 yards on the ground per contest so far.
They’ll continue to eat clock with long drives, running it down their throat. And they’ll throw when they need to, which may not be too often.
Duke Looks to End Their Skid
David Cutcliffe’s team has been so mismatched this year that it’s been hard for the fans to tune in until the end. Coming off a 5-7 (3-5 in ACC) season, this is the last thing they wanted to see. The offense has managed just 39 points this year in 12 quarters, a horrible sign of things to come.
Dean Jackson is leading the way with 175 rushing yards on 44 attempts, but no scores. Brice isn’t a mobile QB, so the lack of a run game keeps things tight in the pocket. They’re allowing nine first downs via the rush per game, a stat that shows their inability to keep their opponents at bay and limit drives.
We’ll see if they can finally come out aggressive this week, but the experts would tell you they would not. For Duke’s sake, a strong performance is mandatory.
Virginia Tech Keeps it Going
Sorry Duke, but 0-4 is where you’re at now. Another big week for the Hokies as they get to 2-0.
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