Maryland @ Virginia Tech preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 14, 2009 ) Virginia Tech 36, Maryland 9

After stunning Miami (Fla.) last week, Virginia Tech looks to stay in the ACC Coastal Division title hunt when it hosts Maryland on Saturday afternoon. The Hokies, who have won the last five games in the series, trail Georgia Tech in the standings but hold the tiebreaker over the Yellow Jackets. If Virginia Tech wins out and gets one Duke loss, the Hokies will earn a berth in the ACC championship game.

With three games remaining, Maryland needs just one more win to become bowl eligible. While that may not seem like much of a task, the Terps were blasted by Syracuse at home last week 20-3 despite the return of quarterback C.J. Brown. That was the third straight loss for Maryland, which turned the ball over four times in the game.

TV: 12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3. LINE: Virginia Tech -15

ABOUT MARYLAND (5-4, 1-4 ACC): Brown completed a career-high 21 passes last week but it didn't translate into many points. The Terps, who have lost four of their last five games, have been hunting for that elusive sixth win since the middle of October and have allowed an average of 36.6 points over that span. Maryland continues to move the ball well as it has averaged 273.6 passing yards a game and eclipsed 200 yards through the air in every game this season.

ABOUT VIRGINIA TECH (7-3, 4-2): The Hokies poured it on beating Miami 42-24 last week, amassing 549 yards of offense. Virginia Tech took advantage of a stagnant Miami offense which was playing without running back Duke Johnson, limiting the Hurricanes to 28 yards on the ground. The win snapped a two-game slide for the Hokies, who had been ranked as high as 14th in the nation but are now unranked.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Prior to its 18-point win over Miami, Virginia Tech had played seven straight games decided by 10 points or fewer.

2. The Hokies are ranked third in the nation in total defense (263.1 yards a game).

3. The Terps still rank fourth in the ACC and 12th nationally averaging 14.31 yards per catch.

PREDICTION: Virginia Tech 35, Maryland 17