Virginia Tech is 3-0 for the first time since 2017 after last week's win over Maryland and opens ACC play with a road trip to heavy underdog Boston College. The Hokies seem very likely to be 4-0 in time for a battle on unebeatens with Pittsburgh next Friday night in Blacksburg, but have to avoid a potential trap game Saturday in what is expected to be very wet and windy conditions due to a major coastal storm.
With that said, let's dive into our preview and predictions for the Hokies vs Boston College.
Keys to the Game: You can check out Josh Poslusny’s keys to the game and preview here. Given the rough weather forecast (especially the wind), Virginia Tech’s passing attack could be difficult to maximize in this game. That may force the Hokies to lean more on their rushing attack this week, an area where VT hasn’t been as strong but did show improvement with Marcellous Hawkins and Jeff Overton Jr averaging over four yards per carry last week. However, VT has a pair of starting offensive linemen listed as questionable in RG Montavious Cunningham and LT Justin Terry (who I’d be very surprised if we see anytime soon based on how bad things looked last Saturday night). That could add another challenge even against a BC team that is one of the weakest in Power 4 football.
Hokies to Watch: It’s been a relatively quiet start to the season for Virginia Tech’s standout RB duo of Marcellous Hawkins and Jeff Overton Jr. However, the duo will certainly be leaned on heavily in this matchup given the forecasted rain and high winds. VT will need Hawkins and Overton to be sure-handed with the football while keeping the chains moving. There’s no denying the talent they have, so part of this will come down to the play of Tech’s offensive line. This game should be a fascinating test to see if they can find their stride and have a big game against a team not named VMI.
Virginia Tech X-Factor: Keon Wylie bounced back well from his fumbled fumble return that should have been a TD vs ODU with a strong performance against Maryland during which he had six tackles including 0.5 for loss plus a pass breakup. He also set the tone early making lots of plays when the Hokies held Maryland to a 3 and out on the Terps’ first offensive possession. This game will be a bigger test for Wylie to deliver against a run-first QB in Mason McKenzie and the best RB the Hokies have faced so far this season by a lot in Evan Dickens. If Wylie can do what he did in College Park last week, it’ll make life easier for the Hokies in Chestnut Hill.
Injury Update: Now that we are in ACC play, we will have weekly injury reports that are required on the days leading up to each game plus hours before kickoff. Virginia Tech’s Thursday injury report lists starting WR Ayden Greene, starting LT Justin Terry, and starting RG Montavious Cunningham as all being questionable. You can check out more from Josh Poslusny here.
Press Conference Notebook: Check out Josh Poslusny’s Monday James Franklin and Virginia Tech press conference notebook here. This includes some insights from Franklin and players on Boston College, how Luke Reynolds has impressed his coaches and teammates, and more.
Tim Thomas
I think there's a case to be made that Boston College is the weakest team that Virginia Tech has faced since the Hokies opened the season against VMI given BC's struggles against a bad Rutgers team with its backup QB, a lackluster performance against Maine, and a big loss against Cincinnati to open the season. However, the weather conditions do provide a boost for BC given their need to run the football due to Mason McKenzie's passing struggles along with VT's passing game strength potentially being nullified.
Tech's running game was improved last week with both Marcellous Hawkins and Jeff Overton Jr running for 4+ yards per carry vs Maryland. Having a strong 1-2 punch at RB on a day where the Hokies will need to lean on those two running backs heavily should help a lot. VT's offensive line could provide a challenge though if Montavious Cunningham is also out in addition to Justin Terry, leaving VT with a decent starting five but serious depth questions after that.
In the end, I think Virginia Tech is clearly the better team and the Hokies' stout run defense will stand up to its best RB of the season to date in Evan Dickens, while Tech's running game will help lead the way to an easy road victory.
Pick: Virginia Tech 27, Boston College 7
Adam Firebaugh
Any trip to Chestnut Hill has its challenges, but this weekend's test in a probable maelstrom will be something else entirely. In ideal conditions, Ethan Grunkemeyer and Co. should have little difficulty in dicing up the Eagles' secondary, but that's difficult to do in 40+ mph wind gusts, as forecasts predict for Boston on Saturday.
Thus far, the Hokies have gotten away with their 4.1 yards per carry average on the ground. Not this weekend, though. I expect a heavy dose of Jeffrey Overton, Marcellous Hawkins, and whoever else Ty Howle schemes up to carry the football to avoid having to throw it in challenging conditions. Although I like Virginia Tech's matchup less in messy, ugly slog like this could be, especially behind an already banged up offensive line and facing a run-first Eagles offense. But I still think it's got too much talent for Boston College to contend with. The Hokies handle business in a nose-pinching, get-it-over-with fashion.
Pick: Virginia Tech 28, Boston College 14
Josh Poslusny
The Hokies are riding on a 3-0 start for the first time in 2017, and they will look to get to 4-0 for the first time since the same season. Boston College, however, is coming off of a pair of narrow wins against Maine — who went 6-6 last season as an FCS team — and Big 10 bottom feeder Rutgers.
The Hokies have the clear talent, coaching and momentum advantage heading into sleepy Chestnut Hill, but with rain and heavy winds coming into play as well, this game will likely be low scoring, as both teams will be focusing on run-heavy attacks.
