East Carolina @ Virginia Tech preview
Lane Stadium
Last Meeting ( Nov 5, 2009 ) Virginia Tech 16, East Carolina 3
Virginia Tech stormed back from oblivion with 10 consecutive wins the last time it dropped its opening two games of the season, capped by a convincing Sugar Bowl win over Texas.
That was back in 1995, and this year’s Hokies have a lot of things to correct if they hope to duplicate that same magic and right what was supposed to have been a very promising season.
It will start with Saturday’s non-conference date with visiting East Carolina.
Last week’s stunning home loss to James Madison sent shock waves throughout the college football world, leaving the preseason ACC favorites left to start picking up the pieces.
Re-establishing its vintage power running game will be the key for Virginia Tech. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor is the team’s leading rusher after two games with 159 yards.
Hailed as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate after setting the school’s single-season rushing mark with 1,655 yards and earning first-team all-conference honors as a freshman last fall, tailback Ryan Williams has managed just 131 yards over two games and is averaging a paltry 3.3 yards per carry.
The Hokies boast just two rushing touchdowns as a team and have yet to score a fourth-quarter touchdown after two games.
That inability to establish the run was a big reason why Virginia Tech managed just one touchdown in five red zone trips during last week’s 21-16 loss to the Dukes.
Uncharacteristic mistakes on special teams and defense have proven equally as costly for the Hokies. That especially holds true for the defense, which has allowed five touchdowns in six opposing drives within Virginia Tech’s 20-yard line.
It also speaks volumes that not one Hokies down lineman ranks among the team’s top four tacklers. It doesn’t help that starting defensive tackle Kwamaine Battle will miss the rest of the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee last weekend. Antoine Hopkins will assume his spot in the starting lineup.
The Pirates, who beat Memphis 49-27 last week to improve to 2-0, have already scored 100 points, the highest total after two games in school annals. Junior quarterback Dominique Davis accounted for five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) while tailback Jonathan Williams added 109 yards rushing and 50 receiving to lead the Conference USA squad last weekend.
Davis, who completed 27 of 38 pass attempts for 244 yards, will need to have another big game if the Pirates hope to drop Virginia Tech to 0-3 for the first time in 23 years.
The Hokies last dropped three consecutive games in 2002.