Virginia Tech vs Vanderbilt: Three Storylines To Watch On Saturday

With week one just around the corner, and the matchup in Nashville coming up, questions, storylines, and much more will be answered.

Jul 26, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia Tech wide receiver Ali Jennings answers questions from the media during the ACC 2023 Kickoff at The Westin Charlotte. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

With the college football year kicking off just this past Saturday and the official week one beginning this week, teams are looking to start the year off right by picking up a win to begin their season.

One of those teams will be Virginia Tech, as they take on Vanderbilt this Saturday at 12:00 p.m. After their 7-6 record this past year, including a bowl game win, the Hokies expect to reach greater heights this year. With the matchup coming up soon, let’s get a rundown of some important storylines going into the match in Nashville.

1. Virginia Tech sits as a 13-point favorite; do they get the dominating win that many fans expect to see?

The hype for Virginia Tech is real this year; there is no doubt about it, but the fact is that the Hokies have notably underperformed in games where they shouldn’t. 

VT has a chance to turn that around this year, starting in Nashville. They face a Commodore team that went 2-10 in the regular season, including 0-8 against SEC opponents. With Virginia Tech returning the majority of their production on offense and defense, the Hokies don’t 100% need to win by 40 points like some of the CFB powerhouses in week one sometimes do, but Brent Pry and Co. need to display that they aren’t messing around this year. 

2. Ali Jennings makes his first return to the field since injuring his ankle in week two of last year's matchup vs. Purdue.

Transferring from ODU after back-to-back 900+ yard seasons, Jennings was set to have a huge year for the Hokies in the 2023 season. Unfortunately, after his 72-yard and two touchdown performance in week one for the Hokies, he went down with an injury the next week and would miss the remainder of the season, leaving the WR1 duties to guys like Jaylin Lane and Da’Quan Felton.

Despite the misfortune of last year, Ali Jennings will be primed and ready for his return against Vanderbilt, and he looks to give VT fans a taste of what they missed from him last season. With Kyron Drones at the helm again for the Hokies, he will enjoy yet another dangerous target on the field in Jennings.

3. New offensive additions to Vanderbilt and their rushing defense?

The Commodores have a new face on offense in New Mexico State transfer Diego Pavia. Pavia, who had a strong season last year and was the Conference USA OPOY, has 39 career passing touchdowns and is also a rushing threat, totaling 13 career rushing touchdowns. They also return leading rusher Sedrick Alexander, who will look to barrel through a tough Hokies defense.

With Vandy’s top three receivers gone as well, new faces are going to have to prove themselves in week one vs. the Hokies.

On the defensive side, 

“The Vanderbilt defense has frankly struggled against the run; it has not been pretty. Vanderbilt has the 108th-ranked rush defense, giving up an average of 179 rush yards per game. The Vandy defense has struggled in many ways; it has definitely not just been the run. Vandy ranks 130th in opp. points per game, 132nd in opp. yards per game, and 129th in opp. points per play.”

All in all, every question will be answered in five days when the Hokies and the Commodores face off in Nashville.