After picking up a big road victory at Clemson and having a bye week to recover, Virginia Tech is back on the road for a major Friday night clash against SMU in a battle of 6-2 ACC teams. The Hokies and Mustangs are both hanging on by a thread in the ACC Championship race, with the loser of this game almost certainly being out of the hunt.
So with that said, let’s get you ready for today’s matchup between Virginia Tech and SMU.
Keys to the Game: You can check out Josh Poslusny’s keys to the game and preview here. Virginia Tech’s defense will face arguably its toughest test of the season against a high-powered SMU offense led by one of the ACC’s best quarterbacks in Kevin Jennings. This isn’t just about Jennings and the passing attack though as Kendrick Raphael has 692 rushing yards and 5.1 yards per carry through the first eight games. Five different SMU receivers have at least 16 catches and 200 yards this season, presenting a major test for a VT pass defense that has struggled mightily this season. If VT can slow down the Mustangs enough, they could pull off this road upset.
Hokies to Watch: Virginia Tech’s primary trio of safeties in Tyson Flowers, Quentin Reddish, and DQ Smith will all be under fire against a SMU offense that is averaging over 300 passing yards per game. Tech’s safety play has been better than the cornerbacks but a little underwhelming overall this season. Tech will need their safeties on their game both for defending the litany of SMU options and to make sure everything is in alignment for Tech’s pass defense. There may be some extra motivation for redshirt senior Tyson Flowers, who will be returning to his home state as a Hokie for the first time.
Virginia Tech X-Factor: SMU hasn’t allowed a lot of punt returns this season but when they have, they’re allowing over 13 yards per punt return, ranking outside the top 100 in the country. Que’Sean Brown is making a strong case for earning All-American honors as a punt return this season with the Duke transfer being in serious contention to break multiple VT punt return records this season. When you’re a road underdog, finding an edge on special teams can flip a game and Brown could have an ideal matchup to do just that against a SMU punt coverage unit that hasn’t been great this season.
Injury Update: Starting OL Montavious Cunningham is not on the injury report and set to return this week. Meanwhile, DT Emmett Laws is questionable and could make his return this week. LT Justin Terry, CB Thomas Williams, and DT Randy Adirika headline those who are out this week for the Hokies. You can check out more from Josh Poslusny here.
Press Conference Notebooks: Check out Josh Poslusny’s media availability notebook from Virginia Tech’s Monday press conference and Tuesday post-practice availability here.
Predictions
Tim Thomas
Virginia Tech is roughly a touchdown underdog as they head to Dallas, but they have some momentum coming off wins against Georgia Tech and Clemson followed by a bye week. Meanwhile, SMU is looking to bounce back after being upset by Syracuse and knocked out of the top 25, with their ACC Championship and CFB Playoff hopes hanging on my a thread.
This is a tough matchup for the Hokies as SMU's best strength is their passing attack with a proven veteran in Kevin Jennings at the helm plus a litany of quality receiving targets around him, five of whom have at least 16 catches and 200 receiving yards this season. Meanwhile, Tech's pass defense is one of the Hokies' biggest weaknesses, but they will need to step their game up or else this game could easily turn into a shootout or even a rout if the Hokies aren't careful. SMU's rushing attack into too bad either with Kendrick Raphael having 692 rushing yards and 5.1 yards per carry through eight games.
The good news for the Hokies is that if this game turns into a shootout, Ethan Grunkemeyer and VT's passing attack is capable of making it very interesting. SMU is only allowing 181.8 passing yards per game but are giving up a 61.0% completion rate and could be more vulnerable given how Grunkemeyer and VT likely has the best passing attack that SMU has faced so far this season. Tech also isn't reliant on just one receiving option with Que'Sean Brown and Luke Reynolds both pushing to break some school records while Ayden Greene and Davion Brown have also both been very good.
Ultimately, I think this game ends up becoming a shootout with SMU's passing attack being able to put on a show against a subpar Tech pass defense to outscore the Hokies and win a high-scoring affair in Dallas.
Pick: SMU 42, Virginia Tech 34
Adam Firebaugh
These teams enter this game on very different wavelengths. Virginia Tech is fresh off an open week after taking down Clemson in Death Valley two weeks ago. SMU, meanwhile, returns home after suffering its second loss of the season at Syracuse.
Momentum notwithstanding, this is an intriguing matchup. After being ranked all year, the Mustangs are now out of the AP top 25, but remain one of the best teams in the league, while the Hokies look refreshed after dropping two contests to backup QBs from Pitt and Cal.
SMU's electric offense will strain Brent Pry's unit, which tightened up on the back end against Clemson, though that's hardly an achievement. If Virginia Tech can keep pace offensively, its defense will have to find a stop somewhere, and given the Mustangs' turnover woes–they're 119th nationally in turnover margin–there's a recipe for a victory here for the Hokies. Virginia Tech has the playmakers to get the job done, but it'll have to go blow-for-blow on the road. With his team rested and healthier after the week off, James Franklin gets his signature win in Dallas in a close one.
Pick: Virginia Tech 38, SMU 34
Josh Poslusny
Virginia Tech enters this matchup with considerable momentum following its victory over Clemson, and the additional week of preparation should benefit a team that has dealt with several injuries throughout the season.
However, SMU presents a different challenge offensively, particularly with Jennings under center. The Mustangs’ passing attack could exploit some of the weaknesses Virginia Tech has shown in its secondary, and playing on the road will only make things more difficult.
I expect the Hokies to remain competitive throughout the contest, particularly if Grunkemeyer can continue his strong play and the offensive line benefits from the return of Meadows and Cunningham.
Ultimately, though, I believe Jennings and the SMU offense will make enough plays to secure a victory at home. Virginia Tech should have opportunities to score, but I expect the Mustangs to pull away late in a relatively high-scoring contest.
