Virginia Tech Football: Previewing the Duke Game

After the embarrassing loss at home to Clemson on Oct. 1, Virginia Tech has come roaring back with three straight victories.

The team now sits atop the Atlantic Coastal Division with only one loss and controls their own destiny now in order to get back to the Orange Bowl this January.

Now, sitting at 7-1, they only have four games remaining in the season. On November 10, the team travels to Georgia Tech for a Thursday night matchup with the Yellow Jackets that has the potential to determine the division champion.

Before then though, the Hokies must deal with a Blue Devils team at Duke that has been much improved this season and sits at a 4-3 record overall.

As the team prepares to play the Blue Devils on the road this upcoming Saturday, let’s take a preview of what we should expect.

When Virginia Tech Has the Ball

After some early-season struggles, the Hokies offense has been nothing less than spectacular the past three games.

Quarterback Logan Thomas seems to have found his groove on the football field and is putting up big numbers both passing and rushing the football.

David Wilson, meanwhile, is on pace to break the school’s single-season rushing record set by Ryan Williams in 2009. Wilson remains the heart of the offense as the team seems to be most successful when he touches the ball often.

The one issue the offense has experienced the past two games is slow starts. While Duke may not be a top contender in the ACC, the team is much improved. The Hokies will need to come out strong and make a statement early on the road.

You can expect Duke to load up the box and force Logan Thomas to beat them as they have for several seasons with Virginia Tech quarterbacks.

Tyrod Taylor was able to make them pay. Now let’s see if Thomas is capable of doing the same.

When Duke Has the Ball

Duke has an offense that enjoys to pass the ball and will look to exploit some weaknesses in the Hokies defense.

Antone Exum has been anything but perfect thus far this season, and if All-American cornerback Jayron Hosley is out, the secondary could be looking weak this Saturday.

Sean Renfree has six touchdown throws on the year for the Blue Devils. The team will look to control the clock and wear down Virginia Tech’s defense.

The Hokies have lost three starters for the season in Antoine Hopkins, Jeron Gouveia-Winslow and Bruce Taylor. Now the depth of the team will be tested, and defensive coordinator Bud Foster will need to show us what he can do with a thinned out unit.

X Factor

Barquell Rivers is a senior linebacker who is being asked to replace Bruce Taylor after Taylor was ruled out for the season with a Lisfranc sprain.

Rivers is coming off a quad injury in which he missed most of 2010 and had been rehabbing to get back to this point.

While many don’t believe Rivers will be fully capable of playing an entire game, his ability to do so could bring great benefits for the Hokies' defense.

Rivers is the most experienced defensive player at the position and understands the scheme that Bud Foster is running to a perfection. He also brings a sense of athleticism to the unit that shined before he suffered the injury last season.

While Rivers certainly won’t be a replica of Taylor for the Hokies' defense, if he can manage to be half of the player he was before his injury, the team will be in great shape.

Why Duke Can Win

Duke is a football team that has been at the cellar of the ACC for the past several seasons.

Coach David Cutliffe is slowly but surely turning this program around, though, and it is proven by their overall 4-3 record currently.

The Blue Devils pass the ball extremely well and with the injuries to the Hokies defense, it is possible they will have success with it. The return of Jayron Hosley could be vital.

While the team is certainly a big underdog to pull off the upset, if they are able to manage the clock and contain David Wilson, they will have a shot at a very special win.

Why Virginia Tech Can Win

The Hokies are clicking on all cylinders currently and don’t look like they are slowing down.

Despite continuous injuries to the defense, the team has been rolling, posting three straight wins.

The offense will look to put up big numbers on the Blue Devils Saturday. Logan Thomas should be able to take advantage of a stacked box and put up a large number of yardage through the air.

The defense will get a bit of a chance to grow as they deal with these injuries against a weak offense.

Overall, if the Hokies play the way they are capable and do not get complacent, they will roll in Durham.

My Prediction

The Hokies' offense will roll on Saturday against the Blue Devils.

The team may stack the box, but the athleticism of David Wilson will still manage to get over 100 yards once again. The true winner of the defensive scheme by the Blue Devils will be Logan Thomas, though.

Thomas will put up huge numbers and don’t be surprised if we even see Mark Leal in this game.

I don’t see this Hokies team getting distracted. Instead, I see a focused matchup that results in a blowout.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 41, Duke 13