Georgia Tech @ Virginia Tech preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 17, 2009 ) Virginia Tech 23, Georgia Tech 28

No. 20 Virginia Tech welcomes Georgia Tech to Blacksburg for a Thursday night matchup featuring the winners of the last three ACC titles.

Virginia Tech (6-2, 4-0), which has won six straight after an 0-2 start, won the conference championship in 2007 and 2008. Georgia Tech (5-3, 3-2) is the defending ACC champ. Virginia Tech leads the Coastal Division, while Georgia Tech is tied for second with Miami.

The Hokies appear primed to avenge last year’s 28-23 loss in Atlanta, which knocked them from a No. 4 ranking and gave the Yellow Jackets the Coastal Division crown. Virginia Tech leads the all-time series 4-3.

While Virginia Tech controls its own destiny, Georgia Tech must win out and have the Hokies lose again to get back to the conference title game.

Georgia Tech leads the ACC in rushing (317.4 yards per game), followed by Virginia Tech (214.8).

But the Yellow Jackets were impotent in their latest outing, a 27-13 loss to Clemson on Oct. 23. Senior quarterback Joshua Nesbitt was held to a shocking two yards on 15 carries as the Yellow Jackets were manhandled up front. Still, Nesbitt needs just 42 rushing yards to become the most prolific rushing quarterback in ACC history.

B-back Anthony Allen (692 yards, 5 TDs) has been solid, and A-back Orwin Smith has been explosive (11.4 yards per carry) in coach Paul Johson's option offense.

Georgia Tech’s passing game continues to struggle. Nesbitt has been erratic; his receivers have been plagued by drops.

The Yellow Jackets give up 23.6 points per game, which ranks seventh in the ACC. They’ve failed to force a turnover in five of eight games.

They’ll have a hard time stopping the Hokies, who have scored at least 40 points four straight games. No one is playing better than their electric senior quarterback, Tyrod Taylor. He leads the ACC in pass efficiency (171.1) and ranks second in total offense (266.1 ypg).

Virginia Tech also has been buoyed by the return of tailback Ryan Williams. He strained his hamstring Sept. 18 against East Carolina but got back on the field in the Oct. 23 rout of Duke. He joins Darren Evans (470 yards, 9 TDs) in a loaded backfield.

The Hokies have picked off 10 passes, half by Jayron Hosley. The sophomore also averages 16.8 yards on punt returns.

Virginia Tech will try to hand the Yellow Jackets their first back-to-back losses in Johnson’s three-year tenure.