Virginia Tech returns to Blacksburg this weekend after a 17-3 loss to Boston College. The Hokies are beat up, but turn their attention to the Blue Devils in the final home game of the season, where they'll honor over 20 players for Senior Day.
Braxton Burmeister and Brock Hoffman
Virginia Tech entered last Friday's game with a few injuries, and the team picked up a few more in Boston. Quarterback Braxton Burmeister was injured in the first quarter, while center Brock Hoffman didn't return in the fourth quarter.
Head coach Justin Fuente informed the media on Monday that Burmeister "will go if he can" on Saturday against Duke. Burmeister ran the ball left against the Eagles and was tackled after a five-yard gain. ESPN sideline reporter Paul Carcaterra said Burmeister was "holding his right ribs and talking to the trainers" during the second quarter. He did not return to the game, and backup quarterback Knox Kadum played in his stead.
"He's been fighting through these type of things all season long," Fuente said of Burmeister. "I expect if he can, he'll be out there."
Fuente said Hoffman's injury is close to the same situation and that he avoided any type of serious surgical injury on Saturday. His status for Duke is dependent on how the week goes.
Tre Turner's Injury
The Hokies were also without wide receiver Tre Turner in Boston, who Fuente said has an upper-body respiratory injury. He described it as air being trapped in Turner's neck.
"He feels better, which is a good sign," Fuente said. "In 21 years of coaching, I've never heard of or seen what he's dealing with before. Through the week last week, he practiced some and felt good running around, but it was a short week and he saw a specialist on Wednesday. It was a tough break.
"I do know so far he feels better and maybe he'll be able to go [against Duke]. I know he wants to play."
Fuente said Turner picked up the injury against Georgia Tech back on October 30 and it didn't affect him playing-wise. After the game, though, the injury progressively got worse. He said that flying exacerbates it, and there was a time during the week where the Hokies thought Turner might be able to play, but they would've had to drive him up to Boston.
"It became obvious as the week went on and as we met with the experts that he wasn't going to be able to play," Fuente said. "I hope he's back. He says he feels better. … We got him checked out by everyone under the sun, because it is an odd injury. Sometimes those things take time. What was weird is that he could go run around."
The Hokies could use Turner in the passing game against Duke, especially if Braxton Burmeister can't go. Turner had a career-high 187 yards receiving in Atlanta against the Yellow Jackets, the second-most in the Fuente era (189 yards by Cam Phillips in 2017). Against Boston College, the Hokies struggled, throwing the ball for just 73 yards, the fewest yards in the last decade.
Changa Hodge
Virginia Tech wide receiver Changa Hodge tore his ACL in the spring. Most recoveries for that kind of injury take around six-to-nine months to heal, per medicine.net.
Yet on Friday against Boston College, Hodge was out there on the field. Per PFF, he played 12 total snaps.
"It's incredible," Fuente said. "He was just as low as can be in the spring. He came here and didn't play last year and was sidelined through COVID and missed practice and we were in the middle of the season and it was hard for him to get caught up. It was just an unfair situation. He decided to come back and give it a go and gets hurt in the spring.
"I met with him and said, ‘Changa, what do you want to do?’ He said, ‘coach, I want to be the fastest guy to ever come back from an ACL. That's what I want to do.'"
That's exactly what Hodge has done. Though he didn't catch a pass against the Eagles in his first game back (Tayvion Robinson was Tech's only wideout to catch a pass), he got back on the field again, which is impressive in its own right.
"He's done it through perseverance, a great attitude," Fuente said. "I think that's underrated in rehab, your attitude. I've said it before, there are no fans in the training room. It's not very fun. I think it's miraculous. … We've seen him practice for the last several weeks. … It's pretty amazing."
Duke and Mataeo Durant
David Cutcliffe is in his 14th season at Duke and the Blue Devils are just 3-6 this season, and winless (0-5) in the ACC. Duke's offense is above average, ranking fifth in the conference, but its defense is worst in the league.
Virginia Tech's success might very well depend on whether Burmeister is healthy or not. If Tech can score 20 points, it should be in good shape to win its Senior Day game.
The Blue Devils have a big weapon offensively, though: senior running back Mataeo Durant.
The ACC's second-leading rusher, only behind Syracuse's Sean Tucker, Durant averages 118 yards per game and 5.1 yards per carry. He has over 1,000 yards rushing this season and nine touchdowns to his name.
Like many of the running backs the Hokies have faced this season, he'll pose a huge challenge, especially against a defense that just allowed Patrick Garwo and Boston College to rush for 234 yards.
"He goes north and south," Fuente said of Durant. "He doesn't mess around. When he sees a crease, he hits it at a million miles an hour. He's a fine player. There isn't much indecision going on. And they roll off the football, now, up front. They lost a couple of really tight games, but they roll off the ball. They create creases, and he hits them north and south quickly."
Durant has rushed for over 100 yards in six of Duke's nine games this season, including a stretch of four straight in late September and early October. Virginia Tech will have to tackle and wrap up well, particularly at linebacker and safety, on Saturday.
The Hokies have allowed over 180 yards rushing in each of their last five games, with a season-high 314 yards against Syracuse.