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Virginia Tech football looks to right the ship against Duke

By Jacob Wilson

DURHAM, NC - SEPTEMBER 29: Head coach Justin Fuente of the Virginia Tech Hokies watches his team during their game against the Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium on September 29, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. Virginia Tech won 31-14. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - SEPTEMBER 29: Head coach Justin Fuente of the Virginia Tech Hokies watches his team during their game against the Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium on September 29, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. Virginia Tech won 31-14. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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Virginia Tech football has let far too many lesser teams stick around this season, so they’ll look to right the ship against Duke.

Only three games through the season, some Hokies fans seem ready to thrown in the towel. While this may seem like an overreaction given the amount of football yet to be played, it’s hard to blame those who witnessed such a significant collapse in the 2018 season linger over to the new year.

After reaching as high as No. 12 in the 2018 AP poll, head coach Justin Fuente’s squad went on quite the skid, one that ended in a 35-31 Military Bowl loss to Cincinnati. While that was disappointing enough, Virginia Tech opened up the 2019 season with a loss to a Boston College team that went .500 in conference play the year before.

After scares against Old Dominion and Furman, the Hokies will vault back into ACC play where they will be tasked with fending off Duke at home. This will be the 27th meeting between the two programs dating back to 1937, so there will certainly be pride to fight for, if nothing else.

Here’s how to watch these two ACC competitors battle it out in Blacksburg:

Date: Friday, Sept. 27
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Blacksburg, Va.
Venue: Lane Stadium
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN

Keys to Victory

The home atmosphere should help, but then again, that’s what we thought heading into matchups with Old Dominion and Furman. The Hokies haven’t really done anything convincing up to this point in the season, but a win over an ACC opponent like Duke would certainly be a start.

Virginia Tech’s success in this game will likely be tied to quarterback Ryan Willis’s ability to protect the football. The fifth-year senior has thrown for seven touchdowns this season, but his four interceptions have been particularly untimely. The Hokies have enough talent to pull this one off at home, but they’ll need that talent to finally show up, especially when it comes to their quarterback play.

Betting Odds

Odds provided by Bovada

Point Spread: Virginia Tech -3
Over/Under: 52.5

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Prediction

Again, Virginia Tech has played only three games so far, but this week’s matchup almost feels like do or die, at least as it relates to the Hokies chances for ACC relevance. This game has a Duke upset written all over it, but Tech has far too much on the line to let this one slip through their fingers. Look for the Hokies to manufacture a win in the late stages of this contest.

Final Score: Duke 31, Virginia Tech 34

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