Virginia Tech Football 2011 Schedule: A Game-by-Game Breakdown
There are a few questions facing Virginia Tech heading into the 2011 college football season and the coaching staff has all of spring and summer practice to answer them.
But you never know how certain players are going to perform until game-time finally rolls around. The biggest concern on offense for the Hokies is quarterback Logan Thomas. Why? Well, any time you have a new quarterback under center, especially after the better part of four years, there are going to be questions.
Defensively, the Hokies will likely just plug guys in to fill spots left vacant by last year's graduating class. It's a tad early for projections, and the dates of every game hasn't even been announced, but here's an early look at every opponent the Hokies will face in the 2011 college football season.
Appalachian State
1 of 13
This is a no brainer; Virginia Tech right? You would think so, and it's unlikely the Hokies lose to an FCS opponent for the second straight year.
As of right now, this game is set to be the opener of the 2011 season. That should help a perennially slow starting Virginia Tech squad get their feet under them before taking on better competition.
This will be Thomas' first start at QB for the Hokies, so the coaching staff could choose to throw the ball a lot in the first half. Typically, this game would be over at halftime, but, as we saw last year, nothing is guaranteed.
At East Carolina
2 of 13
East Carolina beat the Hokies on a neutral field in 2008, but the Hokies have won every other matchup since 2007. The Pirates have a very good quarterback in Dominique Davis, and ECU can put up points in bunches.
In fact, the Pirates held a lead for a couple of quarters in 2010 against the Hokies in Blacksburg, before the flood gates opened up as Tyrod Taylor led the Hokies to their first win of the season.
This game is scheduled for early September and the Pirates should hang around early, but the Hokies defense will be too good this year for Davis to lead his team to an upset victory.
At Marshall
3 of 13
Marshall will host Virginia Tech in September, but that will likely be the only thing that goes right for the Thundering Herd.
The last time these two teams played was in 2009 and the Hokies won 52-10. You can expect a similar result in 2011, as the Hokies should continue to roll through their weak non-conference schedule.
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Arkansas State
4 of 13
Capping off the non-conference schedule is Arkansas State. The date of this game has not been announced, but it will probably happen no later than mid-October.
This game could be a nice breakup during conference play, but either way, the Hokies should steamroll the Red Wolves.
At Duke
5 of 13
The Blue Devils are improving, but they're still far from competing with the ACC's best. That being said, they could be good for an upset or two, just don't look for it here.
One benefit of having a group of players that have lost to an inferior opponent like JMU is that they don't want it to happen again. Regardless of improvement, Duke is not on Virginia Tech's level and has little chance of competing in this matchup.
At Georgia Tech
6 of 13
The Yellow Jackets have been a problem for the Hokies the past few seasons, win or lose. Defensively more than offensively that is, and it's something defensive coordinator Bud Foster has been working diligently on.
The problem is Foster has yet to figure out how to stop the triple-option, even with superior talent. The offense will have to carry the Hokies in this game, but if injuries are a concern when this game rolls around, the Yellow Jackets have a great chance to win.
Miami
7 of 13
Al Golden is the new man in Miami and he's got a lot of talent to work with. The biggest question facing Golden is who his quarterback will be. Both Jacory Harris and Stephen Morris are talented, but Harris has experience on his side.
Either way, this game should be a good one—at least that's what it looks like at this point in the year. Thomas will have had a chance to establish himself as a passer by this point, so the Hokies should be favored, unless disaster strikes.
North Carolina
8 of 13
The last time North Carolina came to Blacksburg, they won, and that was a Thursday night game. The Hokies returned the favor in 2010 when traveling to Chapel Hill, and they should win in 2011.
The Tar Heels have a few question marks on offense, so we'll get a chance to see how good those recruiting classes actually are. This game could be close, but the early nod has to go to the Hokies.
At Virginia
9 of 13
The Hokies will head to Charlottesville with a winning streak over the Cavaliers dating back to 2003. There is a new era in Wahoo country, but Mike London and company are a couple of years from competing on the football field with the Hokies.
That being said, you never know what's going to happen. Thomas could be a complete disaster, Wilson may be injured and the defense could completely collapse. If those things don't happen, then Virginia Tech will win.
Boston College
10 of 13
Boston College has had a good run in the ACC since joining in 2005, but they've been struggling the last couple of seasons. They still haven't found a full-time replacement at quarterback since Matt Ryan left, but they've still been competitive despite poor quarterback play.
The last time Boston College came to Blacksburg they were blown out 48-14, and the Hokies shut out the Eagles 19-0 last season in Chestnut Hill.
Expect more of the same in 2011, as Virginia Tech's defense will be too strong for Boston College to contend with.
At Wake Forest
11 of 13
These two teams haven't played a lot since Virginia Tech joined the ACC in 2004, but the Hokies haven't lost to the Demon Deacons since then. The Hokies beat Wake Forest in Blacksburg last season 52-21, and 49 of those points came in the first half.
The two teams did have one thing in common last year, which was getting dominated by Stanford. Moving on, the Hokies are a far better team than Wake and they have superior talent at almost every position, including coaching.
This game won't be much fun for Wake fans to watch.
Clemson
12 of 13
This game should be a good one. The two teams haven't met since 2007, and they've only played twice since 2004. The Hokies have won both matchups in dominating fashion, but this year could be different.
Tajh Boyd is poised to take over the starting QB role full-time, and he probably should have been the full-time starter after the halfway point last season. It's debatable, but Boyd is the Tigers man in 2011.
He's very similar to Taylor, which could help the Hokies on defense, only because they're used to defending Taylor at practice.
This game should be fun to watch, and it could have a lot of meaning for the ACC Championship game. Or, both teams could underachieve and the game may have no meaning.
Conclusion
13 of 13
The Hokies will likely be favored in the ACC's Coastal Division in 2011, and they have a chance to repeat as ACC champions; it's just not a great chance.
The two best preseason teams in the ACC, Virginia Tech and Florida State will not meet in the regular season, but both are likely to be picked as preseason favorites.
The Hokies can win every game on their schedule, but that can be said for every season. The question is whether or not they will, and new players in key positions will play the biggest role.
Will the Hokies lose in 2011? Probably, and the losses should come in conference play. If those losses come out of conference then there will be bigger issues to discuss, as the Hokies should storm through that part of their schedule.
Miami, Clemson, Georgia Tech and North Carolina all have a chance to beat the Hokies in 2011, but the good news for Frank Beamer and company is only one of those games is on the road (GT). Look for Virginia Tech to have anywhere from 8-to-10 wins before postseason play begins in 2011.
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