Virginia Tech Football: Three Storylines For Thursday's Game vs Boston College
1. Virginia Tech's run defense faces big challenge.
Virginia Tech's defense allows over 170 rushing yards per game, the 89th lowest in the country. The rush defense has struggled. Boston College brings a run-heavy approach on the offensive side of the ball. The Eagles run the ball on 56.73% of their plays offensively and average thirty-seven rushes per game. Treshaun Ward, Turbo Richard, and Kye Robichaux have run for over two hundred yards on the ground. Thomas Castellanos also brings a big threat on the ground, and Diego Pavia ran for over a hundred yards on the Virginia Tech defense. The run game will be Boston College's biggest threat to Virginia Tech, so expect the Hokies
2. Can Bhayshul Tuten power through against a tough defense?
Boston College brings a good rushing attack, but so does Virginia Tech. Tuten has led the way for the Hokies all throughout the season while maintaining status as the workhorse running back for Virginia Tech. The Fighting Hokies average over 180 yards on the ground and have only lost two fumbles the entire year. Tuten has limited turnovers, Drones has been viable on the ground, and all of the backup running backs have been valuable for Brent Pry. The Hokies are looking to attack Bill O'Brien on the ground.
3. Will Virginia Tech's secondary stay hot?
Keonta Jenkins picked up an interception against Stanford in a game where Justin Lamson had no touchdown throws, one interception, one hundred and three yards, and an impressive 20.3 total quarterback rating. Mansoor Delane, Aycen Stevens, Dorian Strong, Jaylen Jones, and the entire Virginia Tech secondary have improved throughout the season. The secondary started off the season shaky against Vanderbilt. Since then, Virginia Tech has improved every single week in the secondary. Freshman Quinten Reddish has come along quickly and has been a valuable piece to the Hokies.
Virginia Tech is no stranger to home Thursday night football games and head coach Brent Pry talked about that this week.
"Good to see everybody; it's been a little bit. I'm excited to be back in Lane Stadium. It's been nearly a month, I believe. Thursday night, a sold-out crowd, ESPN national television, Orange Effect—there's a lot to be excited about. Great opponent in BC, highly regarded head coach, a lot to be excited about for Thursday. You know, ESPN Thursday Night Football and Virginia Tech go hand in hand. Back when I was a young coach, watching the Hokies on Thursday night was one of my favorite things to do. Our guys are excited, our coaches are excited. I'm appreciative of our fan base; we've sold out every home game this season, which I don't think has been done in quite some time. Everybody's fired up. It's been a good week of practice. Again, a little bit of a different week as far as scheduling and things like that, but our 37th appearance on ESPN Thursday Night Football speaks volumes. This series is tied three to three on Thursday night against Boston College, so it's a rubber match. We want to get on top of this thing."
Additional Links:
Virginia Tech Football: Hokies release Uniform Combination For Thursday's Matchup vs Boston College
How to Watch: Virginia Tech vs Boston College
Report: Star Boston College Defender Out For Season Before Virginia Tech Game
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.