Virginia Tech Football: SP+ Predicts Final Score of Saturday's Matchup Against Clemson
Virginia Tech can prove themselves while their backs are against the walls this weekend. Kyron Drones and Bhayshul Tuten both went down with injuries before the game against Syracuse. Reports indicated that Drones was in a walking boot during the game, and his presence was needed in the Hokies' overtime loss against the Orange.
Last week's game against Syracuse showed plenty of parallels to Virginia Tech's early loss against Vanderbilt. The Hokies did not force a third down in either overtime, Collin Schlee came in to the game during overtime, and the Hokies ultimately fell short in the fifth period.
Now, Virginia Tech faces a different challenge. Instead of facing tough, unranked opponents on the road, the Hokies will invite a strong, ranked team to Lane Stadium.
Pry has noted that Drones and Tuten are questionable to play on Saturday, and the Hokies will definitely need both of their stars in the backfield against No. 23 Clemson.
Now, Clemson isn't unbeatable. The Tigers are a long way away from perennial college football dominance, and Tigers' fans were thrown through a loop last week after an embarrassing home loss. An unranked Louisville team walked into Memorial Stadium and silenced the home crowd, opening some interesting conversations about Dabo Swinney's planning as a head coach. The Cardinals jumped out to a 26-7 lead, and cruised through the fourth quarter to a win.
Both Virginia Tech and Clemson have had dissapointing weeks and dissapointing seasons. The Hokies are out of ACC contention, even though Brent Pry's preseason goal was an ACC Championship appearance. The Tigers, on the other hand, are still in ACC contention, but have taken two embarrassing losses to Georgia and Louisville this year.
So how does Bill Connelly's SP+ predict the final score of this matchup?
SP+ projects Virginia Tech to drop their game against Clemson, despite a sold out home crowd. SP+ predicts the final score as 30-27 in favor of Clemson. The advanced metric system formed by Bill Connelly also gives Virginia Tech a 42% chance to win, five percentage points higher than ESPN's FPI projected win probably for Virginia Tech.
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RJ Schafer joined the On SI team in 2024, contributing to the coverage of Major League Baseball, Collegiate Basketball, and Collegiate Football at https://www.si.com/college/virginiatech/. Prior to this, RJ built a strong portfolio covering Georgia Tech and the Tigers for the Bleav Network. With a solid background in sports journalism, RJ has conducted interviews with both collegiate and professional athletes, enhancing the depth and authenticity of his reporting. RJ's extensive experience in the sports industry has equipped him with a keen understanding of the dynamics and intricacies of both collegiate and professional sports. His work is focused on providing insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage, making him a trusted voice in the sports community.