The (13) Virginia Tech Hokies will try to knock their ACC rivals the (6) Miami Hurricanes from the unbeaten ranks this weekend at Hard Rock Stadium. The game between the two conference enemies is scheduled to get underway on Saturday, November 4th at 8 p.m. EST. The ACC affair will be telecast on the ABC Network for your end of the day football filler. As of this article, the Hurricanes still hold a slight -1 point favorite and the contest’s over/under sits at 46 points.
The Virginia Tech sits at 7-1 on the season with their only defeat coming at the hands of the fifth-ranked Clemson Tigers. Now, they get a chance to go down south to Florida and hand the Miami Hurricanes their first loss of the year. If so, they will get to 4-1 in the conference but more importantly, give Miami its first division defeat. Last week, the Hokies completely stymied the Duke Blue Devils on their way to a 24-3 win in Blacksburg.
The Miami Hurricanes might not look like they belong in the College Football Playoff’s top-ten list but they are still unbeaten. Yes, it hasn’t been pretty but a win is a win and now they have a chance to prove to the country that they truly belong. Against North Carolina on the road, the Hurricanes once again found themselves in another close affair. Like in the previous games, they found a way to win 24-19 and keep their undefeated season alive.
When these two teams squared-off last year, the Hokies had their way with Miami at home 37-16. Virginia Tech has a slight 6-4 lead in the last 10 games that these two programs have played against one another.
(13) Virginia Tech Hokies (7-1)
Virginia Tech might have trounced Duke by a lot more if the weather cooperated. Instead, they had to grind it out on a rainy Saturday in Blacksburg against the Blue Devils. On offense, there wasn’t a whole lot quarterback Josh Jackson could do in the monsoon. The talented freshman did manage to throw for 200 yards on 13 of 27 with a passing touchdown. Furthermore, he ran one in with his feet. Overall, he is having a superb season, throwing for 2,032 yards with 17 scores and only four picks.
The Hokies like to stay balanced so they turn to their running game to get the yardage they need to keep the chains moving. They’re not as productive out of the backfield as they are through the air but good enough to keep opposing defenses honest. Two tailbacks lead the way with almost 600 yards on 129 carries and five touchdowns. Josh Jackson can also hurt teams with his legs. He has run for nearly 200 more and two more scores.
The Virginia Tech Hokies sport one of the better wide receivers in college football. Cam Phillips almost always makes an impact on offense for Justin Fuente’s bunch. So far, Phillips has snatched up 51 balls for just under 700 yards and a team-high six touchdown grabs. Teammate Sean Savoy is next with 30 catches for 388 yards and four more scores.
The defense out of Blacksburg has done pretty well throughout their first eight games of the year. Last week was no exception as they dominated the Blue Devils by allowing just 183 total yards. Including, 101 on the ground on 35 carries (2.9ypc). That is why their front seven is ranked 12th in the country surrendering only 112 yards a game.
(6) Miami Hurricanes (7-0)
Most college football enthusiasts never thought the hurricanes would be undefeated seven games into their season. But here they are, winning close games along the way to reach that mark. Once again, they found themselves in a tight one in North Carolina. Fortunately, their defense had just enough left in the tank to stop the Tarheels in the last half of the fourth quarter.
Offensively, it has been somewhat of a challenge for the hurricanes to find some consistency on the season. Especially, after they lost there starting running back to a season-ending injury a few weeks back. Still, quarterback Malik Rosier keeps finding ways to put up enough points to win games. In all, Rosier has completed 56 percent of his passes in 2017. Like Josh Jackson, he has also tossed for 17 touchdowns and also thrown for only four interceptions.
Running back Travis Homer took over the reigns when tailback Mark Walton went down. Apparently, the Hurricanes really haven’t missed a beat. The outstanding back uses speed and agility along with a downhill running style to help move the offense. Since he has taken over, he has toted the rock 81 times for 517 yards and five scores. He also has caught 14 passes for 173 yards and two more trips to the end zone.
One receiver stands out when you talk to the coaches at Coral Gables. That person is Braxton Berrios and he’s quarterback Mike Rosier’s favorite target. He has reeled in 32 passes for 415 yards with six trips to the promised land. Furthermore, the shifty wideout continues to move the chains, converting key third downs for the Miami offense. Two other pass catchers have combined for another 44 catches for over 600 yards and four more scores.
The Hurricanes’ pass defense has especially been very sharp but will be tested by Josh Jackson this week. Overall, Miami is looking good, winning seven straight to start the season and are now 5-0 in ACC play. The back half ranks 35th in the country, limiting opposing receivers to 197 yards a game. They do struggle against the run, surrendering 182 yards a game which is 84th in the country.
Prediction
Line setters have this game as pretty much a pick em’ match-up. The line opened at 1.5 in favor of Miami and has only dropped a half a point since. I think this is where I will suggest my readers to make their play. I believe that the Hokies are the better well-rounded team heading into this game. I say that because of their ability to pass better and stop the run. The Hokies defense is one of the stingiest run-stops in the FBS. Unfortunately, that’s what the Canes like to do.
Virginia Tech has 11-5 ATS in their last 16 against Miami and 6-2 against the spread in Miami. With that being said, skip the over/under 46 in this game. Although I wouldn’t complain if someone wanted to play that over. Instead, take the Hokies at +115 to outright beat the Canes and even up the ACC race. #moneytreesgrow @EriktheHun
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Trends
The Hokies are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games overall.
The Under is 8-3 in the Hokies last 11 road games.
The Hurricanes are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games in November.
The Under is 4-1 in the Hurricanes last 5 home games.
Under is 10-4 in the last 14 meetings.
