Virginia Tech vs. East Carolina: Complete Game Preview
One year ago, the Virginia Tech Hokies were riding high after an upset win over eventual national champion Ohio State. Then, the East Carolina Pirates came to Blacksburg and pulled off an upset of their own with a 28-21 triumph over the Hokies.
Well, a lot has changed in the past 365 days.
ECU is without its record-setting stars, quarterback Shane Carden and wide receiver Justin Hardy, and former offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley. The quarterback who was supposed to have replaced Carden, Kurt Benkert, was injured just before the season, and the Pirates have struggled, starting the season 1-2 with their only win over FCS Towson in Week 1.
The Hokies (2-1), meanwhile, are flying high again after last week's 51-24 thrashing of Purdue. Quarterback Brenden Motley was terrific in his first career road start, completing 15 of 24 passes for 220 yards and two scores.
This week's game at East Carolina is VT's final nonconference game before ACC play opens next week against Pittsburgh.
- When: Saturday, September 26
- Where: Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, Greenville, North Carolina
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- TV: ABC/ESPN2
- Radio: Virginia Tech IMG Sports Network. Here is a complete list of stations by area.
- Spread: The Hokies are currently six-point favorites, via Odds Shark.
Virginia Tech's Keys to Victory
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Keep Pounding the Football
The Hokies are averaging over 221 yards rushing per game, good for 34th nationally. That's a statistic head coach Frank Beamer loves. The Hokies have struggled in recent years in part because of their inability to run the football on a consistent basis.
So far this season, Tech is getting contributions from several talented running backs. J.C. Coleman may be the starter, but Trey Edmunds, Travon McMillian, Shai McKenzie, fullback Sam Rogers and Motley are all giving the Hokies something on the ground.
If that continues, the Hokies will be tough to beat.
Keep Pressure on ECU's Inexperienced Quarterback
Defensive coordinator Bud Foster loves to pressure opposing quarterbacks, especially younger or inexperienced passers. East Carolina quarterback Blake Kemp is making his fourth start and has yet to face a defense quite like the Hokies.
ECU has a quick-hitting offense featuring a lot of short, easy throws for the quarterback, therefore making it tough for the opposing team to get pressure.
The Hokies must mix things up to confuse ECU's offensive line—run more twists, stunts and send blitzes from the secondary to keep the Pirates off balance. Forcing an early turnover and getting Kemp frustrated could make things much easier for Tech's offense.
East Carolina's Keys to Victory
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Attack Virginia Tech Downfield
Theoretically, this may not be the wisest strategy since the Hokies have Kendall Fuller and Brandon Facyson at cornerback. However, Fuller has been beaten a few times already this season, and the Pirates made some plays on Tech last fall. And since VT is expecting the short, quick passing game, the element of surprise may be a great idea for ECU's offense.
If the Pirates don't try and attack Virginia Tech down the field, it could be a long day for them up front. The Hokies will crowd the line of scrimmage until East Carolina proves it can make a play or two down the field.
Stay Balanced on Offense
Traditionally, the Pirates are a pass-first team. That's good and all, but when playing an opponent that has more talent than you, it's imperative you keep the opposition guessing.
If East Carolina throws the ball 50 times against the Hokies, this game could get ugly. The Pirates, with running back Chris Hairston, need to run the ball 25-30 times. When the Pirates can't seem to break a run, they still need to stick with it. Virginia Tech is sometimes vulnerable to big plays on the ground due to its aggressive nature.
Virginia Tech Players to Watch
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Quarterback Brenden Motley
In each of the last two weeks, fans and observers alike have watched Motley, waiting for him to fail.
It hasn't happened.
Instead, Motley appears to be getting better each week. He's not a game manager, either. He pushes the ball downfield and uses his legs to make big plays in the passing game. That's a trait some athletic quarterbacks fail to do. Motley faces another big test this week, and odds are he'll be prepared.
Running Back Travon McMillian
Before the season began, much of the talk regarding Tech's running backs focused on Coleman, Edmunds, McKenzie and Marshawn Williams. Rarely was redshirt freshman Travon McMillian mentioned. Williams and McKenzie were both recovering from a torn ACL, and Williams may redshirt.
So, McMillian is seizing his opportunity.
In the blowout win over Furman, McMillian led the Hokies with 98 yards rushing on just six attempts. One of those runs went for 63 yards with McMillian showing his big-play ability.
Against Purdue, McMillian received nine carries, rushing for 55 yards. Expect those carries to increase as he gives the Hokies a home-run threat on offense.
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East Carolina Players to Watch
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Running Back Chris Hairston
For the first time in his career, Hairston is the unquestioned starter at running back. Second on the team in rushing last season, the senior is off to a good start in 2015, rushing for 207 yards and four touchdowns through three weeks. Hairston is averaging 4.6 yards per carry.
While Hairston is a good runner between the tackles, he has the potential to break big plays, too. He's also a threat in the passing game. If Hairston has a big game Saturday, the Pirates have a chance of repeating the upset from 2014.
Linebacker Zeek Bigger
ECU's senior middle linebacker is arguably the top linebacker in the American Athletic Conference. Bigger is an outstanding run defender and a sure tackler. He's also above average in coverage. Through three games this season, Bigger has 28 tackles.
Virginia Tech's running game is a strength and a big reason for its explosive offensive output over the last two weeks. The Pirates need a big game from Bigger to win this weekend. Bigger is ECU's defensive leader, and he must help limit Tech's big plays on the ground this Saturday.
What They're Saying
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Beamer aims to get the Hokies back on track after another penalty-ridden performance in the win over Purdue. In the last two weeks—both blowout victories—Virginia Tech has committed 22 penalties for 201 yards. As the opposition gets tougher, the Hokies will struggle to win playing undisciplined football.
Beamer is a bit surprised by all of the penalties and thinks it will improve, per Mike Barber of the Richmond Times-Dispatch:
“It’s not like us,” said Beamer. “It’s no question it’s yards you’ve got to make up. Hopefully after yesterday we’re better, and we’ll find out next week.”
ECU head coach Ruffin McNeill hopes his team uses Foster's aggressive defense against him and the Hokies, creating big opportunities in the passing game, per ECU's official website:
"You hope so. They do a good job, even when they're blitzing, of gap discipline. We know when we'll have to stretch them vertically and that's what we had to do last year. I like the way our skill guys are competing downfield. We want to be able to stretch the field on all opponents, vertically and horizontally, with the run game mix. We'll keep working hard to do that.
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Prediction
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This will be a competitive game. It usually is when these two teams meet.
With Carden and Hardy no longer around, it will be tough to top last year's big upset, though. Kemp has played well in three weeks, but he hasn't pushed the ball down the field too much. In order to beat the Hokies, he'll need to do that.
Virginia Tech's pass rush and secondary will be up to the test and make it difficult for the Pirates to get much of anything going on offense. Also, Motley will continue playing well, recording his third straight good start under center for the Hokies. Expect Tech to run for over 200 yards and for Motley to make a few big plays in the passing game.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 34, East Carolina 13
All statistics courtesy of NCAA.com.
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