Weekly Weather Report Pirate Edition

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! Err.... fall or something. Football is here, and the Hokies' annual favorite matchup is this weekend. No I'm not talking about that community college up north, because I consider that Blacksburg winter.... I'm talking about the ECU Pirates...

yeah this is who we're playing...

Sarcasm aside, I hate these guys, and I, like you guys, hate that we're playing them for the next 50 bazillion years. Not because their fans are obnoxious like UVA fans, or that they play a chop-block-o'clock offense, or even because they love to overhype themselves. No I hate playing this team because they're legitimately dangerous. Not only are they "little guys" from another conference (they're pretty good) we also play them every year which certainly gives it the feel of a rivalry game and there's a reason rivalry games are close. The teams typically know each other pretty well, and not only play harder in the game, they also seem to know more about your team than the typical opponent. Throw in the fact that this is a game that we "should" blow them out in and you've got a good ole recipe for an upset. Year in and year out this game is close and for good reason, they ain't too shabby and that doesn't help our national perception. Yet here we go, round 8 (maybe 10? I dunno) of playing ECU in a row. Coupled with the fact that we just played an emotionally draining game in OSU which WE WON!

not sure if you heard... but we won

Gives this game practically the definition of a trap game. Unfortunately mother nature is not cooperating this weekend either, as Fall weather has finally reared its ugly head around.

It's been raining for what seems like forever in Blacksburg but it will stop for the middle of the week. That's bad news however, as the high pressure system that's going to arrive and hover over Blacksburg Thurs-Fri is going to see its way out of the region just in time for the football game. Look for scattered showers to roll around before kickoff and expect it to become more consistent as kickoff approaches and throughout the game. Bring your ponchos y'all! As far as temperatures go, it should be kinda chilly with a high of 72 degrees, again I would bundle up and remember your poncho so that it doesn't soak through to the pants/shirt. Luckily, we don't have to worry about the low as temperatures shouldn't dip down until much after the game ends, but for those of you looking to conquer Hokie House and other bars, expect temperatures to dip down to around 62 degrees as the system pushes itself out. I wouldn't expect too much in the wind department as it's nothing particularly significant weather wise. (super cells and what not)

How it all plays out on the field:

For all the weeks to expect some rain, this could actually work out in our favor. Typically weather is a good equalizer on the field and can lead to more close games especially with our passing game clicking. In this case however, inclement weather can only hurt ECU as they rely so heavily on that passing game. I still expect them to move the chains occasionally, but expect lots of slipping and a good bit of drops with a wet ball. This game is gonna be rainy, and it's gonna be gritty and sloppy which I think plays into our advantage.

seem familiar?

I really hope we don't play that hyper aggressive man coverage that we played against Ohio State, because I do think double moves on the outside could cause some slippage on both sides, but I do see the running games deciding the game this week. I believe our beloved Hokies have the better rushing game, and I foresee a close first half that we begin to pull away from as our running game eventually begins to wear them down in Lane Stadium. The fans and home field advantage will also hopefully be very advantageous for our team as hopefully that energy from the fan base carries over and prevents them from getting complacent against the less favored pirates.

As I'm reading through this report I'm immediately reminded of the Marshall game last year, and only hope that this game isn't nearly as breath taking and nerve wracking. Our team really handed it to Ohio State and I can only hope that this trend continues against our foes down South. I think mother nature will only help us and I really think that our guys won't overlook ECU, especially after the struggles of the last two years. That being said I'm still very confident about the game this week, just a tad nervous. Last week was the biggest win by tech since I've been a fan and I'm thrilled to see how they follow that up!

this game nearly killed me last year

Final predictions

VT -27
ECU - 10
High - 72
Low -62
wind - 5 mph gusts
Rain - probably (I'd say 80-90% At this point) At the very least it's gonna be cloudy!

GO HOKIES!!!