Three Storylines Ahead of Virginia Tech vs. Miami
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Virginia Tech heads into Saturday's matchup against No. 15 Miami as the heavy underdogs. With it being the final home game of the year and the excitement following the hiring of James Franklin, it should be a fun atmosphere. Here are three storylines heading into Saturday's contest.
No. 1: How will Virginia Tech's rushing attack fare against Miami's defense?
The Hokies' offensive identity is running the football consistently. In their last game against Florida State, Virginia Tech rushed the ball 41 times as a team, compared to just 18 pass attempts in the game. The Hokies rank fourth in the ACC in rushing yards per game at 187.6.
On the flipside, the Hurricanes have one of the best run defenses in the entire country. They allow just 81.8 yards of rushing per game, third in the entire country.
In Miami's last game against NC State, it held a great running back in Hollywood Smothers to -2 yards. The Wolfpack rushed for just 23 yards as a team.
If Virginia Tech wants any chance of coming away victorious, it needs to break through Miami's rushing attack.
No. 2: How will the hiring of James Franklin affect the team?
While Franklin will not be coaching in the game, his hiring could energize the team and fanbase. A new sense of optimism will invite a more rowdy crowd than usual to Lane Stadium which could cause trouble for Miami.
His hiring can also bring extra motivation to players who will want to impress their new head coach this year. They know that Franklin will be watching and will want to put on an impressive performance in front of him.
On the flip side, too much pressure or distraction could backfire. If players are too focused on making Franklin impressed, it could weigh on their perfomance.
No.3: Can the Hokies play four quarters of quality football?
Time after time this season, the Hokies have played really good football for the first half, and then imploded in the second. For example, in the Vanderbilt game, the Hokies were up 20-10 at the half. They then proceeded to lose by 24, not scoring a single point in the final two quarters.
In the Louisville game, Virginia Tech was up 16-7 going into the break. Once again, the Hokies did not score in the second half and lost 28-16.
In just this past game against Florida State, the Hokies were only down a field goal at halftime, but got blown out 34-14 due to a weak second half.
It goes without saying that these kinds of performances will not be good enough to get the job done against Miami. The Hurricanes are too complete a team on both sides of the ball to have a poor second-half showing.
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James Duncan is a senior at Virginia Tech studying Sports Media and Analytics. He is an active member of 3304 Sports, covering Virginia Tech sports, as well as a reporter for The Lead covering the Washington Commanders. James is passionate about delivering detailed, accurate coverage and helping readers connect with the games they love.