- Rutgers at Virginia Tech: Saturday, Sept. 21, at 3:30 p.m. ET (ACC Network) from Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va.
- Betting line: Virginia Tech -3.5
- Roster cards: Click here
- Game notes from HokieSports: Click here
- Blacksburg weather: Click here
- Gameday information: Click here
Much was made of Virginia Tech ranking No. 4 in the country in returning production (84%) heading into the start of the season. Not far behind the Hokies was Rutgers at No. 13 (72%). Head coach Greg Schiano has assembled a veteran team with a ton of fourth- and fifth-year players, many of whom are home grown in the state of New Jersey.
The Scarlet Knights went 7-6 last season, capping their year with a 31-24 victory over the Miami Hurricanes in the Pinstripe Bowl. They also beat the Hokies 35-16 on Sept. 16 to go 2-0 against ACC foes.
Rutgers began the 2024 season with an easy 44-7 win over an overmatched FCS Howard team. Then it beat a bad Akron team 49-17 in Week 2. After getting a lot of guys snaps in those two games, and probably sticking to a pretty vanilla gameplan, it had an open week to prepare for this game with Virginia Tech.
Let’s look at what the Scarlet Knights bring to the schedule.
Rutgers Offensive Coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca
Rutgers offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca is a 30-year coaching veteran with somewhere around 20 years of experience as an offensive coordinator. In the past, he’s served as the OC or Co-OC for Minnesota, Penn State, Western Michigan, Delaware and Western Connecticut State. He’s had a bit of an up and down career, with his low point being when he was fired as PSU’s OC after one season. However, it was 2020 and he did not have the benefit of having a spring practice to install his offense.
Here are his F+ (combination of FEI and S&P+) offensive rankings for his most recent years as an offensive coordinator:
2023: No. 85 (Rutgers)
2022: No. 44 (Minnesota)
2020: No. 52 (Penn State)
2019: No. 7 (Minnesota)
2018: No. 62 (Minnesota)
2017: No. 86 (Minnesota)
2016: No. 12 (Western Michigan)
2015: No. 32 (Western Michigan)
2014: No. 54 (Western Michigan)
Those aren’t elite numbers, but he’s also mostly been coaching with Minnesota and Rutgers talent against Big Ten schools. His short Penn State tenure wasn’t successful, but anyone installing a new scheme that year was at a disadvantage. Note that in his tenures at Western Michigan and Minnesota, the Broncos and Golden Gophers improved offensively each year. Generally, the longer he stays at a school, the better the offense gets.
This one is an interesting matchup. Ciarrocca and Pry were both coordinators for that season in Happy Valley, so they should know each other pretty well. Rutgers was only No. 85 in F/+ offense last year and lacked a quarterback who could throw the football. Ciarrocca isn’t someone who tries to plug a square peg into a round hole, so he leaned heavily on the running game. Rutgers quarterback Gavin Wimsatt failed to pass for 50 yards twice, yet the team won both games. Another time he didn’t reach 100 yards; the Scarlet Knights won that one, too. One of those games came against Virginia Tech, when Wimsatt went 7-of-16 for 46 yards. Instead, that offensive unit bludgeoned the Hokies to death on the ground (256 yards) and won the game 35-16.
Ciarrocca has been around a long time and has seen just about every look a defensive coordinator can throw at him. He won’t ask his players to do things they aren’t capable of. I would expect a deliberate, patient, run-first approach from Rutgers on Saturday.
From Wimsatt to Kaliakmanis
The passing-challenged Wimsatt left the program in the offseason and was replaced by former Minnesota starter Athan Kaliakmanis (6-3, 213, r-Jr.). There is plenty of familiarity between Kaliakmanis and Ciarrocca from their time with the Gophers, and Ciarrocca was likely his original recruiter to Minneapolis.Kaliakmanis isn’t the runner that Wimsatt was, but he’s a better passer. He might not be a huge upgrade, but he’s an upgrade nonetheless. Here are the career passing numbers for both players:
- Wimsatt: 215-of-462 (46.5%) for 2,551 yards, 14 touchdowns, 18 interceptions, 95.1 rating
- Kaliakmanis: 245-of-452 (54.2%) for 3,161 yards, 23 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, 123.5 rating
There’s no question that Kaliakmanis is the superior passer. He’s also more familiar with the Kirk Ciarrocca offense than Wimsatt was a year ago. That said, his numbers don’t jump off the page, and my guess is that he’s the type of quarterback that is at his best when operating with a lead and being able to throw off the back of a strong running game.
As it turns out, a strong running game is exactly what the Scarlet Knights have.
Kyle Monangai And The Rutgers Running Game
Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai (5-9, 209, Sr.) ran for 1,262 yards last season while averaging 5.2 yards per carry. Those numbers are particularly impressive when you consider that opposing defenses didn’t have to worry about the Rutgers passing game.
When you rush for over 1,200 yards, you’ve had a number of standout games. Here are a few that catch my eye:
- Virginia Tech: 16 carries, 143 yards, 8.9 yards per carry, 3 TDs
- Ohio State: 24 carries, 159 yards, 6.6 yards per carry
- Miami: 25 carries, 163 yards, 6.5 yards per carry, 1 TD
Monangai only had eight touchdowns for the season, but three of them came against the Hokies (naturally). His 8.9 yards per carry average against Tech was a season high. He had 20-plus carries on six occasions last year, and in hindsight, 16 carries wasn’t enough against the Hokies last year considering the defense’s strengths and weaknesses. I’d bet on at least 20 carries from the 2023 Big Ten rushing leader this Saturday. He has 378 yards and four touchdowns so far this season while averaging 8.1 yards per carry. That includes a 27-carry, 208-yard, three-touchdown performance against Akron last week.
No. 2 running back Samuel Brown V (6-1, 222, Jr.) is a veteran but missed last week’s game with Akron with an injury. True freshman Antwan Raymond (5-11, 202), originally from Canada, has looked solid in a backup role through the first two weeks of the season, though it’s been against poor competition.
- Howard: 6 carries, 49 yards, 8.2 ypc, 1 TD
- Akron: 17 carries, 77 yards, 4.5 ypc, 1 TD
It’s unclear whether Brown will return this week or whether it will be the true freshman who will back up Monangai. Either way, expect a run-heavy offensive attack.
While Monangai gets all the credit, the Rutgers offensive line can’t be ignored. After all, the Scarlet Knights are currently No. 1 in the country in both PFF run blocking and pass blocking grades after their first two games. While it’s certainly true that they haven’t played a good opponent yet, those numbers can’t be ignored.
Here’s a look at their starting lineup:
- LT Hollin Pierce (6-8, 344, Sr.): 2,378 career snaps. Honorable Mention All-Big Ten last year.
- LG Bryan Felter (6-3, 305, Sr.): 1,421 career snaps. Honorable Mention All-Big Ten last year.
- C Gus Zilinskas (6-2, 309, Sr.): 1,244 career snaps. Honorable Mention All-Big Ten last year.
- RG Kwabena Asamoah (6-2, 313, Jr.): 620 career snaps.
- RT: Tyler Needham (6-4, 306, Sr.): 244 career snaps.
Rutgers has plenty of experience up front and has stacked its three best players next to each other from left tackle to center. Though Needham is the least experienced player in terms of snaps, he’s still in his fourth year in the program. This group will be one of the biggest challenges that Virginia Tech faces this season. Again, those grades are somewhat bloated because of the level of competition, but it also shows that the Rutgers players are mentally dialed in. They are making very few mental errors. That’s good coaching from the very top.
An offensive line like that has to be well-coached, right? Well, the offensive line coach is Pat Flaherty, a two-time Super Bowl winner with the Giants. He’s been a part of five division-winning NFL teams. He’s got a pretty good idea of what he’s doing.
All of those running stats are impressive. Here are some Virginia Tech rushing defense stats that are not so impressive. First, here are the three that Will included in Monday Thoughts:
- Opponent rush total yds: 571 yds, No. 116 out of 134 teams
- Opponent rush yds/game: 190.3 ypg, No. 114
- Opponent rush yds/attempt: 5.05 ypa, No. 113
Now here are a few that I dug up:
- 10-plus yard rushing plays allowed: No. 94
- 20-plus yard rushing plays allowed: No. 116
- 30-plus yard rushing plays allowed: No. 124
- 40-plus yard rushing plays allowed: No. 129
- 50-plus yard rushing plays allowed: No. 126
On paper, this is one of the worst matchups of the season for Virginia Tech. It’s the unstoppable force vs. the moveable object. Schematically, Rutgers will be different than the first three Hokie opponents, and Tech’s defenders won’t be on one-on-one islands against the ball carrier quite as much. From that standpoint, it’s an easier offense to prepare for. However, Monangai and the Rutgers offensive line represent a huge increase in talent, and the Rutgers coaching staff is better as well. This running game will be a massive challenge for Chris Marve’s defense.
Rutgers Receivers
Schiano seems high on his wide receivers, though they won’t get as many touches as they would in some offenses because the Scarlet Knights are going to be run-heavy.
- Dymere Miller (5-11, 184, Sr.): A finalist for the Walter Payton Award, which honors the most outstanding player in the Football Championship Subdivision. He had 90 catches last season at Monmouth, the second-best mark in the country. His 1,293 yards ranked first.
- Ian Strong (6-3, 211, So.): He caught 16 passes as a true freshman last season and appears ready to take the next step this year.
- Chris Long (6-0, 177, Sr.): Long has five catches for 91 yards and a touchdown this season.
Also watch for the massive true freshman KJ Duff (6-6, 219). He was the No. 1 recruit in New York last season and a four-star recruit. He has three catches for 38 yards and a touchdown through two games.
Former defensive end Kenny Fletcher (6-3, 246, Jr.) is a tight end who has five catches for 40 yards and two touchdowns so far this season. The Scarlet Knights have used three tight ends and their performances have been pretty good. Victor Konopka (6-7, 263, Sr.) has great size and seems to be the run blocking specialist of the group.
Rutgers Defense Possibly Missing Key Players
My preview of the Rutgers offense probably sounds a bit gloomy, but I think the Hokies will (or at least should) score more on the Scarlet Knights than they did a year ago. Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Joe Harasymiak is missing two of his key defensive starters. One of them definitely won’t play against Virginia Tech and the other seems questionable.Linebacker Mohamed Toure (6-2, 236, Sr.) was the Big Ten Comeback Player of the Year last season en route to earning Honorable Mention All-Conference honors. The team captain finished the season with 93 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. He has been very good against the run in 1,350 career defensive snaps for Rutgers and brings a veteran presence to the defense that is difficult to replace. Unfortunately, the Scarlet Knights have to replace him as he tore his ACL in the preseason and will miss the 2024 campaign.
Another starting linebacker — former Virginia Tech commit Tyreem Powell (6-5, 252, Sr.) — suffered a season-ending injury last year against Indiana. It was said that he would be ready for the 2024 season opener, but he has yet to play. He was leading the team in tackles last season at the time of his injury. He’s a very athletic player with great size. After not playing against Howard and Akron and an open week leading into this week’s game, it’s possible that he is in line for a return against the Hokies.
However, he hasn’t played since last season and obviously wasn’t full speed in preseason camp. If he does play, what kind of game shape will he be in? Will he be rusty? It’s a smart bet that even if he does play on Saturday, his snaps will be limited.
Four Rutgers linebackers played in the first two games of the season, and though their performances have been good, their on-field experience is limited.
- Dariel Djabome (6-2, 240, Jr.): 211 career snaps
- Moses Walker (6-2, 231, Jr.): 103 career snaps
- Timmy Hinspeter (6-1, 231, Jr.): 69 career snaps
- Abram Wright (6-1, 221, So.): 63 career snaps
Djabome and Walker in particular have played well this year, and Djabome was really good last year in extensive playing time against Maryland. Overall, though, this group has limited experience and is basically a complete unknown. I would expect the Hokies to attack this group, though it has to be said that the linebackers seem to be very well coached. The fact that Djabome could record 10 tackles and one TFL in his first extensive action of his career last season against Maryland says that this Rutgers coaching staff is capable of getting backups ready to play.
Rutgers Defensive Coordinator Joe Harasymiak
Harasymiak doesn’t have the experience of Ciarrocca, but the career of the 38-year old has gone well so far. This is his third year as the defensive coordinator for Rutgers. Before that, he was the co-defensive coordinator at Minnesota. He was formerly the head coach at Maine at the ripe old age of 31. He did pretty well, too, going 20-15. In his last year, he led Maine to a 10-4 record and a spot in the FCS Semifinals, and the Black Bears finished No. 4 in the national rankings. This is a guy who seems to know what he’s doing.
Here are his defense’s F+ ratings, including the year at Minnesota in which he was co-coordinator:
2021: No. 11
2022: No. 47
2023: No. 31
Those are good numbers, and they could’ve been a little better last year had he had more help from a Rutgers offense that didn’t have a quarterback against a tough Big Ten schedule. The unit’s best outing came against Ohio State when the Scarlet Knights held a 9-7 halftime lead over the Buckeyes and it limited the OSU offense to just 328 yards. Overall, Rutgers held five opponents to under 300 yards last year and 10 opponents to under 30 points. The only teams to crack 30 on them were eventual national champion Michigan (31), Ohio State (35, including a defensive touchdown) and (randomly) Maryland (42).
Harasymiak was a candidate for the James Madison job last December, but signed a contract extension with Rutgers. He appears to have a bright future as a defensive coordinator, and perhaps even more considering his tenure as a head coach at Maine.
Key Rutgers Defensive Personnel
Even being down two starting linebackers, Rutgers still returns seven starters and a lot of key pieces from what was a good defense in 2023. Here are some names to keep an eye on this Saturday:CB Eric Rogers (6-2, 189, Sr.): Though he technically hasn’t been a starter until this season, Rogers has still played over 1,105 career snaps. Last year, opponents only completed 39.1% (9-of-23) of their passes against him. In 2022, it was 41.9% (13-of-31). Those are very good numbers, and he’ll be a major challenge for the Tech receivers this weekend. The Hokies went after him twice last year, gaining four yards.
CB Robert Longerbeam (5-11, 178, Sr.): The Alexandria (Va.) native is a team captain and was Honorable Mention All-Big Ten last year. For his career (1,675 snaps), opponents have completed fewer than 50% of their passes against him (80-of-166). Virginia Tech went after him five times last year and gained a total of 25 yards.
S Shaquan Loyal (6-0, 204, Sr.): Loyal has played 1,177 career snaps. He had a good 2023 season for the Scarlet Knights, particularly against the run. He’s missed only 13 tackles in his entire career. However, the Hokies had success against him in the passing game last year and could try to replicate that success on Saturday.
Rutgers isn’t dominant up front. In fact, Greg Schiano is on record as saying he wants to see a better pass rush than he’s seen in the first two games.
DE Aaron Lewis (6-5, 266, Sr.): The most experienced and probably best Rutgers defensive lineman. He was an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten player last season. It should be noted that Virginia Tech couldn’t seem to keep him out of the offensive backfield in last year’s matchup.
Rutgers starts Kyonte Hamilton (6-4, 304, Sr.) and Malcolm Ray (6-2, 291, Sr.) at defensive tackle. Those guys have been more “solid” than “good” during the course of their careers. However, they are veterans — they each have over 1,000 career snaps — and the Rutgers staff knows how to use them.
Rutgers Special Teams
Rutgers is an unknown as far as the return game goes. Senior wide receiver Christian Dremel (5-9, 189, Sr.) has just four career punt returns, while kickoff returner Ben Black (6-0, 190, Fr.) is a true freshman with just two returns under his belt.
Placekicker Jai Patel is good, with a 16-of-19 (84.2%) mark for his career, with a long of 51. The punter is true freshman Jakob Anderson, the latest in what has become a long line of Australian punting imports. He’s only punted four times in his college career thus far, so we don’t know much about him.
Last season, Rutgers finished No. 9 in FEI special teams efficiency, so it knows what it is doing in that area of the game. The Hokies finished No. 11 in that metric last year. On paper, this should be a pretty even matchup from a numbers standpoint (despite Tech’s gaffes in the first few weeks), but I believe Virginia Tech has more play-making talent in the return game. A big return could be the difference in a game like this.
Virginia Tech-Rutgers Prediction Poll
Before our staff makes their picks, tell us what you think will happen Saturday.
Virginia Tech-Rutgers Final Thoughts
I think Rutgers is good. I’m not sure how it’ll do in the Big Ten, but I do think it’ll end up with a better record than a year ago. But it’s not last year’s record, or this year’s projected record, that is the reason why I’ve had this game circled on my calendar since the schedules were released last winter. I’ve been focusing on this game because the style of football Rutgers plays — not to mention the talent level at specific positions — was Virginia Tech’s kryptonite last season.
I spent the offseason saying that if the Hokies had flipped schemes and committed themselves to Kyron Drones sooner, they would have beaten Purdue and Marshall last season. I think this year’s result against Marshall shows that theory is grounded in realism. But notice that I did not mention Rutgers. Drones said the same thing in Charlotte this summer, and he didn’t mention Rutgers either; just mentioned Marshall and Purdue. That’s because the Scarlet Knights are more physical than those two teams and are very talented at the positions that gave Tech the most trouble last year. Even with an earlier scheme change, I still believe the Hokies would have dropped that one in Piscataway.
Rutgers is a lot more like Louisville and NC State than Marshall and Purdue. It has the leading returning rusher in the Big Ten, three Honorable Mention Big Ten offensive linemen, one of the most experienced offensive coordinators in the country and a cohesive identity. Greg Schiano knows what he wants his football team to be and recruits to that style and hires coaches who can coach to that style. We’ve talked about identity a lot over the years on this site, but for as long as Schiano is at Rutgers, there will be no identity crisis. The Scarlet Knights may not be more talented than some of the teams they play, but they will be tougher and better coached than most of them.
I respect Rutgers. It is pretty much what Virginia Tech was in the middle-to-late 90s, but without the Jim Druckenmiller or Michael Vick at quarterback, and without an Antonio Freeman, Bryan Still or Andre Davis at wide receiver. Schiano has built the mentality that I want at Virginia Tech, and I’ll admit that I’m more than a little bit jealous. If Tech could combine that mentality with the Hokies’ superior quarterback talent and wide receiver ability, then lots of winning would be on the table. Ultimately, that’s what we’re striving for, and hopefully it comes. Beating Rutgers this weekend could go a long way in establishing that mentality.
With so many key Hokies players returning, almost everyone projected improvement this season. For me, this Rutgers game was going to be the measuring stick. We knew exactly where the Hokies needed to improve and this game would tell us exactly how much (or if) they had improved. Then Vanderbilt happened, and some of the same old gap control/technique issues showed up in the next two weeks against the likes of Marshall and ODU. That led to many people (myself included) questioning whether or not Virginia Tech had actually improved at all.
Well, I think we’re about to find out. I think Rutgers is good and solid but has enough holes where it should be a beatable team in Lane Stadium. But at the same time, with what we know of its strengths and what we know of the Hokies’ weaknesses, on paper, this one isn’t a particularly good matchup. However, we’re still in the first month, and there is still plenty of unknown.
I think Rutgers should win, but I also don’t think it has the offensive firepower in the passing game to blow the Hokies out on the road. I also don’t see Tech blowing Rutgers out. This one seems like it’s going to be pretty close, and the Hokies are 1-8 in one-score games under Brent Pry, with the lone victory coming over a Liberty team whose coaching staff already had one foot out the door to Auburn. The matchups, plus Tech’s tendency to find a way to lose close games, means Rutgers is my pick this week.
Prediction: Rutgers 27, Virginia Tech 23
Will Stewart (Founder): Man, Rutgers completely dominated last year’s game, didn’t it?
Not so fast, my friend. The Hokies ran 71 plays to just 50 for Rutgers and outgained the Scarlet Knights 319-302. VT controlled time of possession, 33:44 to 26:16. Those sound like winning numbers for the Hokies, but they were dominated on the scoreboard, 35-16.
The problems came in three areas: turnovers, big plays and penalties.
- Turnovers: Virginia Tech 2, Rutgers 0
- Big Plays (20+ yards): Virginia Tech 1, Rutgers 3
- Penalties: Virginia Tech 7 for 75 yards, Rutgers 4 for 35 yards
As always, the devil’s in the details. One of Virginia Tech’s turnovers was a Kyron Drones fumble on the VT 19-yard line on the second play of the game, and Rutgers scored on the next play to go up 7-0 just 43 seconds in. Tech thus spotted Rutgers seven points.
Two of Rutgers’ long plays of 20-plus yards were a 34-yard touchdown run by Gavin Wimsatt and a 55-yard touchdown run by Kyle Monangai, who also ran for a 19-yard score, effectively a fourth play of 20-plus. That’s three long Rutgers plays for touchdowns, while Tech’s one long play was a 39-yard touchdown reception by Da’Quan Felton.
Two of VT’s penalties were damaging: an interference call that gave Rutgers the ball at the VT 4-yard line, and a holding call that wiped out a 28-yard gain by Bhayshul Tuten on Tech’s first possession of the second half. Rutgers only had four penalties, none of which were all that painful.
The reason I go over all of this from last year’s game is because this is basically the same two teams playing each other this season. These notes point out that Virginia Tech can win this game; it just needs to avoid damaging turnovers and penalties (that’s doable) and not give up big plays (sadly, I think big plays by Rutgers will happen).
If the Hokies don’t give Rutgers short fields, they can limit the Scarlet Knights to the 20s. The Rutgers defense, however, rarely gives up 30-plus points, as Chris detailed, and Rutgers only turned the ball over once per game last year, so it’s not going to help the Tech offense with short fields.
I’m conflicted. I can see the Hokie path to victory, but I think it’s unlikely. Yet, if I want to distinguish myself in our game-picking battle, I have to pick differently than everyone else, and I think the rest of the staff is picking Rutgers.
So, as I sip from my Kool-Aid Jammers pouch with that delicious high-fructose corn syrup base, I’m once again picking the Hokies. (VT winning a one-score game? There’s another leap of faith.)
Will’s Prediction: Virginia Tech 27, Rutgers 24
David Cunningham (Managing Editor): I’m not very confident about the Hokies in this game. They have the talent to win, but they have yet to beat a “good” team under Brent Pry. The wins and the combined final record of said teams:
- 2022: Boston College, Wofford, Liberty: 14-22
- 2023: Old Dominion, Pitt, Wake Forest, Syracuse, Boston College, Virginia, Tulane: 41-48*
- 2024: Marshall, Old Dominion: 1-4
*Note that Tulane finished with an 11-3 record but had the majority of its team opt out for the Military Bowl.
Virginia Tech only has one regular-season win over a team that finished above .500: Liberty. That’s a big reason why it's a “prove it” weekend for the program. This staff’s done nearly everything right in the offseason, from high school recruiting and the transfer portal to retaining players and using NIL to its advantage. But what happens when the lights come on?
I worry about the Hokies getting out-coached in this one. The defense is also susceptible to big plays, and I feel like Kyle Monangai will be the equivalent of Grond in Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King — Sauron’s battering ram in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Rutgers has a weapon in Monangai that will eventually beat down the walls of the Tech defense. In my opinion, it’s only a matter of time before the Hokies give up a big play — or two, or three, or more.
Tech has a very good shot at home if it jumps out in front early, takes care of the ball, establishes the run and puts the Scarlet Knights in obvious passing situations. But I'm not convinced this group can get it done — in part because we have yet to see it under Pry. More than anything, I feel like this is an indicator of overall progress within the program through two-and-a-half years.
David’s Prediction: Rutgers 35, Virginia Tech 27
Andy Bitter (Senior Staff Writer): Is this a challenge? Sure. Does Rutgers’ run game strike at the heart of the Hokies' defensive weakness right now? You bet. Have the Hokies played like the team everyone thought they were before the season? Not even close.
But there seems to be something off about how Tech fans are perceiving this game. Rutgers is a solid, solid team. Not a pushover by any means like it was for most of the time between Schiano’s two tenures. But the Scarlet Knights still haven’t really played anybody. They’ve yet to be in a tight game. Heck, they’ve yet to trail this season. How does this run-first approach work if they find themselves in a deficit at some point?
That's not to say Virginia Tech is all that. The Hokies have yet to play a full four quarters this year, but this is a game at home, where they play well. And believe it or not, based on the dialogue this week, but Tech is favored in this game. So I’m going with the home team in a tight game, perhaps a sign that this group is getting back on track.
Andy’s Prediction: Virginia Tech 23, Rutgers 19
Nick Brown (Director of Media): The last two games were expected to be easy wins, and they proved to be just that. But now it’s time to buckle that chinstrap a little tighter.
Last year, Rutgers struck first against the Hokies by forcing a turnover on the opening drive and scoring just seconds later. The Hokies’ run defense was so porous a season ago against the Scarlet Knights that my 89-year-old Grammie could have racked up 100 yards on the ground (she’s more nimble than you might think). Virginia Tech tried to make it interesting in the second half, but it never truly felt close.
The Hokies have significantly improved offensively since last year’s contest, and unlike last season, this Saturday is set to be 60 minutes of nail-biting action. Both teams will rely on their rushing attacks, creating an old-school, smash-mouth football atmosphere reminiscent of past Big East clashes.
I know Tech has the firepower to win, but until this coaching staff proves it can secure victories in one-score games and until the defense demonstrates it can stop big chunk plays on the ground, I will continue to favor the opposition in close contests. I am still skeptical about Rutgers due to its previous two opponents, but I still foresee the Scarlet Knights leaving Lane Stadium with a 3-0 record.
Side Note: I should have included a Buy or Sell line of, “Will Kyle Monangai have two or more carries of over 40 yards?”
Nick’s Prediction: Rutgers 24, Virginia Tech 20
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| Fan Poll | Score | ||
| Hokies Win by 11+ (73%) |  |
Vanderbilt 34, Hokies 27 | |
| Hokies Win by 11+ (50%) |  |
Hokies 31, Marshall 14 | |
| Hokies Win by 11+ (63%) | |
Hokies 37, ODU 17 | |
| Rutgers Wins by 1-10 (39%) | |
Rutgers 26, Hokies 23 | |
| Miami Wins by 11+ (84%) | |
Miami 38, Hokies 34 | |
| Hokies Win by 1-10 (48%) | |
Hokies 31, Stanford 7 | |
| Hokies Win by 1-10 (54%) | |
Hokies 42, Eagles 21 | |
| Hokies Win by 1-10 (51%) | |
Hokies 21, Jackets 6 | |
| Hokies Win by 1-10 (48%) | |
Orange 38, Hokies 31 | |
| Tigers Win by 11+ (54%) | |
Tigers 24, Hokies 14 | |
| Blue Devils Win by 1-10 (46%) | |
Blue Devils 31, Hokies 28 | |
| Hokies Win by 11+ (46%) | |
Hokies 37, Hoos 17 | |
| Gophers by 11+ (45%) | |
Gophers 24, Hokies 10 | |