Score Predictions for West Virginia at Virginia Tech

West Virginia (1-2) is back on the road to face yet another old rival as the Mountaineers square off against the Virginia Tech Hokies Thursday night at 7:30 with the action broadcasting on ESPN.

Schuyler Callihan: West Virginia 26, Virginia Tech 23

This is a big game for Neal Brown. A loss here could snowball into a losing skid that would seemingly place Brown on the hot seat. Conversely, a win on the road may put him back in the good graces of the fan base and the administration.

On paper, this seems like an even matchup. West Virginia's high-powered offense vs a strong Virginia Tech defense and a bad Hokie offense facing a vulnerable Mountaineers defense. I see both offenses struggling in this one, but WVU will make just enough plays to come out on top. Yes, it will be a crazy environment, but I don't foresee it being one that rattles this team considering they just played in a wild atmosphere for the Backyard Brawl a couple of weeks ago. The Mountaineers hold on for a close win and get to hold onto the Black Diamond Trophy.

Christopher Hall: West Virginia 30 Virginia Tech 27

Prior to the season, I had the Mountaineers as a lock to win this game. Virginia Tech is under the direction of Brent Pry, the former defensive coordinator at Penn State. He had a stint as a graduate assistant at Tech from 1995-97 and has brought back the bluecollar mentality former head coach Frank Beamer had during his tenure.

The Tech defense ranks fifth nationally in total defense, allowing just over 200 yards per game, and allows a mere 12.3 points per game. However, they have an offense as successful as the Mountaineers, and the Tech offense has struggled in the early going. However, this is an old rivalry game, the Hokies are looking for blood after the loss in Morgantown last year, and sold-out Lane Stadium is one of the most electrifying atmospheres in college football.

This could be dangerous for the Mountaineers, especially if an unforced turnover early, and an early Hokie lead is the ultimate nightmare for anyone wearing the old Gold and Blue.

There has been a difference in this WVU team and it's been JT Daniels. He stays steady under pressure if the early nightmare scenario rears its head, you have to have confidence Daniels and the Mountaineer offense will fight their back into it.

That leaves us with a Mountaineer defense that struggled to stop Kansas's triple option attack less than two weeks ago.

While the premiere matchup is the WVU offense versus the Virginia Tech defense, I believe the game will be won on the flipside with the Mountaineer defense making their last stand to hold off the Hokies and get out of Blacksburg with a win 30-27.

Julia Mellett: West Virginia 33 - Virginia Tech 24

This game will be the turning point of West Virginia's season.

For better or worse, the implications of this game will carry into conference play. Neal Brown saw exactly what he needed to see from all three phases of the ball last week, and ideally, he approaches this week putting that information into practice.

The offense racked up points. The defense stood its ground. The sole Towson Tigers score came from a gnarly kick-off return. Albeit, winning so handedly over an FCS opponent shouldn't necessarily spark a fire under a Big 12 team, but I do think it should serve as kindling enough to enter Blacksburg feeling more cohesive.

Blacksburg, on the other hand, welcomes the Mountaineers to town with a sold-out stadium and a QB poached from the Mountain State himself. The Black Diamond Trophy is on the line, and both VT's Grant Wells and WVU's JT Daniels will lead offenses with similar-enough production.

West Virginia's offense leads VT by nearly 100 rushing yards, but Wells and Daniels are incredibly similar through the air. Of note, Wells' offenses statistically top out at 27, so Daniels stringing together at least 30 points should produce a fairly safe victory.

Defensively, WVU will likely lose out on the comparisons; Virginia Tech is No. 5 in the nation in total defense, allowing fewer than two touchdowns per game.

It's stingy defense, but the WVU coaching staff has mentioned time and time again how well Daniels operates under pressure. The Mountaineer offense produces an average of 46 points per game, obviously elevated by Towson's final, but it still speaks to the team's ability to get players in positions to capitalize. Add onto that a 95 percent red zone scoring percentage, and I see this game moving up and down the field quickly and effectively.

If Daniels and the receiving corps can continue to produce, and Tony Mathis Jr., CJ Donaldson, and even Garrett Greene can move the run game down the field, I think the Mountaineers will, at the very least, squeak out a win tomorrow night.

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