Hokies and the Hurricanes, a renewed rivalry that is bound to cause tensions to rise
Blacksburg, VA- After a one-year hiatus, one of the most spirited rivalries in the ACC is back. While recent matchups between the two perennial powerhouses may have gone to the wayside due to either of the two sides lacking enough star power to create a scintillating matchup, it was not long ago when both these sides were dueling in front of a national audience.
The Hokies sit at a measly 15-25 record against the Coral Gables side, with Mario Cristobal and Manny Diaz each recently taking down Tech. Of course, in the 2019 season, the Hokies nearly lost a 21-point lead to Diaz's side in South Florida, which marked the last time Tech outlasted Miami.
Besides that almost-collapse at Hard Rock Stadium, the Hokies have mustered two more wins since Hard Rock became the home of Miami, while tacking on five losses, spelling an actually decent 3-5 record since 2008.
Since then, the Ducks have won the last three matchups by a margin of 19, with two one-score losses on the docket for the Maroon and Orange.
The most recent of those losses came at Lane Stadium in Brent Pry's first year when the Hokies nearly capped off a 20-point comeback. However, the Ducks prevailed.
Miami now sits in one of its best positions in years, with an AP rated 7th in the nation as the Hokies stumble out of the blocks. It creates an eerily similar feeling that Friday night's game may look a little like the pattern described above, with one team a lot sharper than the other.
Let's take a look at what our own RJ Schafer had to say about a potential upset happening for the Hurricanes this Friday:
Be Explosive
This seems overly simple, but there's a method behind the madness. Looking at the upset mentioned above of Clemson, Syracuse utilized some of their best play calls of the entire 2017 season, with every touchdown drive, besides the first drive, ending in four plays or less.
How can Virginia Tech do this? It's pretty straightforward, use your key players! Brent Pry and his staff have to find ways to get Bhayshul Tuten open in space, scheme ways to get Jaylin Lane open, and run the ball with Kyron Drones."
