No. 23 Hokies host Pittsburgh for Senior Night

Having only thrown one interception this season, Pitt’s secondary, which has suffered mighty, must be on alert for these two.

The night will also see two other games streaming live on ESPN3, including the California v USC battle, which is available in Spanish. Head-to-head victories are the first tie-breaker should there be a tie at the end of the season.

The Hokies return home this week after suffering a loss to No. 3 North Carolina last Saturday.

Quadree Henderson has two kickoff return touchdowns this year and three over his last eight games. We’ll cross that bridge if and when we get to it. Whomever comes out of the trenches victorious defensively will win this football game.

The Panthers’ ground game isn’t the only obstacle that the Hokies will have to overcome. The odds are exceedingly long, but they aren’t impossible. With that, the Hokies will need to get the passing game going and Evans is more than capable of doing so. Pitt’s defense is going to be important here because Virginia Tech will certainly be strong on that side of the ball. Meanwhile, Pitt ranks second in the ACC and 11th in the P5, averaging 239.1 rushing ypg. It would make sense for Pitt to attack through the air, but everyone in the stadium knows that won’t happen.

Of the teams in the country that don’t run the option, Pitt actually ranks 2nd behind only San Diego State in run play percentage (69.23 percent).

Virginia Tech can finally put its Heinz Field doldrums to rest. Two big first down conversions from Peterman to Jester Weah and a 37-yard completion to Henderson set Pitt up in the red zone. Tech’s defense held Pittsburgh to just 12 yards on six plays in the quarter.

Led by Conner, who has rushed for 531 yards and seven touchdowns, and buoyed by a massive, physical offensive line, the Panthers (5-2, 2-1 ACC) have the ACC’s second-ranked running game and scoring offense, averaging 239.1 yards per game on the ground and 38.4 points per game. The Panthers haven’t shownan anything offensively, outside of a sweet James Conner run, and the good guys had the ball again on the Virginia Tech 20. Now they visit a Pitt team coming off its bye. Both teams are 5-2 overall and looking to avoid a second ACC loss. After getting his right ankle taped and watching backup Motley fill in at quarterback for a possession, Evans returned to lead Tech on a touchdown drive that featured him completing all three of his pass attempts for 65 yards.

Conner would eventually punch the ball in from the one, giving Pitt it’s first lead of the game and Conner’s third rushing touchdown of the evening. The Panthers had all the Mo, and the game was going to come down to whomever had it last.

It also puts them in position to play another important game next week at Miami, and if they win that one, they would play a huge game on national TV against Clemson on November 12. They have a nationally televised home game to show they belong with the ACC Coastal’s best.