Like last week, I think we all know the significant challenges this team faces in every game. So, without further ado let's come up with reasons VT can win this game.
REASON #1: Emerging Talent
Dax, Big Play "Tre", Garbutt and Belmar have all stepped up recently and I expect them to continue to get better.
REASON #2: Marshall's Offense is not very good(Offensive S&P+ Ranking of 110, Offensive S&P+ of 23.0)
| Team | Defensive S&P+ Rank | Defensive S&P+ | Marshall Points Scored | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami (OH) | 54 | 26.9 | 35 | 8.1 |
| NC State | 60 | 28 | 20 | -8 |
| Western Kentucky | 75 | 29.9 | 20 | -9.9 |
| Middle Tennesse | 45 | 24.8 | 24 | -0.8 |
| ODU | 114 | 37.4 | 42 | 4.6 |
| FAU | 56 | 27.5 | 21 | -6.5 |
| Southern Miss | 17 | 18.8 | 24 | 5.2 |
| Charlotte | 88 | 31 | 30 | -1 |
| UTSA | 98 | 32.9 | 23 | -9.9 |
| FIU | 85 | 30.7 | 28 | -2.7 |
| VT | 89 | 31.1 |
Marshall's offense generally under performs. One also can't overlook how bad some of these defenses are. Though at first glance a lot of them look comparable to VT in terms of pure S&P+ rankings, one has to consider the competition. I would not expect Marshall to score more than 17 points against VT.
REASON #3: Marshall's Defense is good (Defensive S&P+ Ranking of 7, Defensive S&P+ of 15.4) but...
| Team | Offensive S&P+ Rank | Offensive S&P+ | Marshall Points Against | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami (OH) | 79 | 27.9 | 28 | 0.1 |
| NC State | 23 | 35.2 | 37 | 1.8 |
| Western Kentucky | 118 | 20 | 17 | -3 |
| Middle Tennesse | 81 | 27.6 | 24 | -3.6 |
| ODU | 82 | 27.4 | 20 | -7.4 |
| FAU | 39 | 32.6 | 7 | -25.6 |
| Southern Miss | 119 | 19.3 | 24 | 4.7 |
| Charlotte | 123 | 17.1 | 13 | -4.1 |
| UTSA | 129 | 12.6 | 0 | -12.6 |
| FIU | 76 | 28.2 | 25 | -3.2 |
| VT | 64 | 29.4 |
There isn't a lot of good competition here either. UTSA and Charlotte are HORRIBLE offenses that skew Marshall's S&P+ defensive number downward. It's almost like these should be weighted vs. the offensive ranking. Regardless. They're good but not THE BEST defense we've faced or will face good. We can't fall asleep on them.
Realistically I think VT scores 31.
REASON #4: This team is ready to win again!
The taste of victory over UVA was so good this team wants it again. Football is a game of inches and even 1% more effort can be the difference between a tackle for a loss and a busted play.
I think this is a VT win on the order of 31-17. I am not expecting a blow out in either direction.
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