A Quick Look at No. 15 Virginia Tech

The Hokies make their first trip to Morgantown since 2005.

The West Virginia Mountaineers welcome the No. 15 Virginia Tech Hokies Saturday with kickoff set at noon and broadcasting on FS1. This is the first road game for the Hokies this season and the first trip in front of opposing fans since losing at in-state rival Virginia in the 2019 season finale. 

Virginia Tech is 2-0 on the season with wins over, then No. 10 North Carolina in the season opener, and after leading 14-7 at the half against Middle Tennessee State last week but pulled away in the second half with a 35-14 victory. 

The Hokies are led by redshirt junior quarterback Braxton Burmeister. Coming from the west coast, he originally committed to Oregon. He made seven appearances, including five starts as a true freshman, completing 44-77 for 330 yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions while rushing for 102 yards and three touchdowns before transferring to Virginia Tech after making five appearances as a sophomore. 

Since arriving at Virginia Tech, He’s 5-1 all-time as the Hokie starter. He’s 26-43 for 311 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception through the first two games of the season. He also leads the team in rushing with 94 yards. However, in nine appearances as the Hokies signal-caller, he has only eclipsed the 200 yards through the air once – it came in the 2020 season finale in the 33-15 win over Virginia.

The Hokies have a tough duo in the backfield, with Jalen Holston and Raheem Blackshear combining for 149 yards and three touchdowns on the year. Blackshear, a transfer from Rutgers, has rushed for over 100 yards three times in his career – all three coming in a Rutgers uniform. However, he is second on the team in receiving with 71 yards on four receptions.

Junior receiver Tre Turners has a team-leading eight receptions for 131 yards. He has hit the century mark twice in his career, both in the 2019 season, including career highs in receptions (7) and yards (134) in the 39-30 loss to Virginia.

Defensively, the Hokies are allowing 351. 5 total yards per game and only allowing an average of 12.0 points per game. They’re also getting to the quarterback ranking ninth in the country in sacks with nine - six of those went against North Carolina in the season opener.

West Virginia is 28-23-1 all-time versus Virginia Tech. However, the Hokies have won 10 out of the last 13 meetings and currently hold a three-game winning streak over the Mountaineers. This is the first meeting in Morgantown between the two programs since 2005. The Hokies won that matchup 34-17.

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