Looking Ahead at the Next Few Opponents

Rhode Island
Record: 1-4 with a 31-28 win over 1-2 Brown and losses to 2-3 Ohio, 3-2 Delaware, 3-2 New Hampshire, and 4-2 Stony Brook

While not posting eye popping stats, the Rams' quarterback Priore has done a good job throwing only 3 picks and netting 8.1 yards per attempt on 65% passing. This is a very traditional team with the vast majority of carries going to a single back (Bryant, 6-0 220) who averages just under 4 yards a carry. Two 6-3 receivers (Parker and Coulter) lead the Rams in receptions and TDs getting a combined 76 of 137 completions for 10 of 12 total TDs, with their slot receiver (Dorsey) getting an additional 20 receptions with 1 touchdown. They do occasionally throw to the Bryant out of the backfield, about 3 catches per game.

The O-Line has been decent, only allowing 12 sacks through five games.

Defensively, the rams are led by LB Castillo with 52 tackles and S Campbell with 1.5 sacks. They don't generate a ton of pressure (5 sacks on the season), but are very adept at causing turnovers, picking off 8 passes and recovering 2 fumbles.

North Carolina
Record: 3-3 with wins over South Carolina, Miami, and Georgia Tech; with losses to Wake Forest, App State, and Clemson

Freshman signal-caller Sam Howell has done well garnering a 15/3 TD/INT ratio with 7.9 yards per attempt on 63% passing. On the ground, the Tar Heels are paced by backs Williams and Carter, each getting about 14 carries a game for a combined average 147 yards. Howell has shown some mobility, getting a 15 yard run and a 2 yd TD run, but netting -2 yards over his remaining 54 carries. Through the air, the Tar Heels have 5 players averaging at least 2 catches per game (Brown, Newsome, Corrales, Groves, and rb Carter) with all of the receivers averaging over 10 yards per catch. The trio of Brown, Newsome, and Corrales are also responsible for 11 receiving touchdowns. TE's for the Heels average a little over 1 catch per game for 10.7 ypc.

The O-Line is young, with 3 rSo and a rFr, and has allowed 20 sacks on the season.

Top tackler for the Heels is LB/former QB/piƱata/turnover victim Chazz Surratt who has made 46 tackles on the season. LB Tomon Fox has been in the backfield the most, registering 4.5 sacks so far. The Heels bring a lot of pressure from the LB position, with 10 of the team's 13 sacks coming from the linebacking corps. The defense has forced 6 interceptions and has recovered one fumble.

Notre Dame
Record: 4-1 with wins over 3-2 Louisville, 2-3 New Mexico, 4-1 UVA, and 1-4 Bowling Green, with their lone loss coming against 5-0 Georgia.

Field General Ian Book has thrown 13 TDs to 2 interceptions on 65.5% passing, averaging 9 yards per attempt. The workhorse back, Jones, is averaging 11 carries a game, getting 6.9 yards per carry, occasionally spelled by Flemister, who is getting just shy of 5 carries a game with an average of 2.5 yards per carry. Book does tote the rock about 7 times per game, averaging slightly less than 4 yards per attempt. Book spreads the ball around very well with only 3 players averaging 3 or more receptions per game (Claypool, te Kmet, Finke) who have combined for 49 of 91 completions, averaging between 13.6 and 14.5 yards per catch.

A veteran offensive line (2 Sr, 2 Jr, 1 So) has allowed only 8 sacks on the year.

Defensively, they all fly to the ball with no individual tackler over 30 tackles so far. 12 of 13 sacks on the season have come from a stout defensive line, lead by Okwera's 4 sacks. Additionally, this is a ball-hawking defense, who has forced 6 interceptions and recovered 7 fumbles.

Notre Dame does play USC and Michigan before they take on the Hokies.

Wake Forest
Record: 5-0 with wins over 3-2 Utah State, 0-6 Rice, 3-3 UNC, 2-4 Elon, and 3-3 Boston College.

Jamie Newman might just be the best QB in the ACC this year, with a 14/3 TD-INT ratio, a nearly 70% completion percentage, and a ridiculous 9.1 yards per attempt, while also leading the team with 78 carries and 3 rushing TDs. The top 3 backs for the Deacs (Walker, Carney, Beal-Smith) have 133 combined carries for 674 yards and 5 TDs. Four receivers (Surratt, Washington, Hinton, Claude) and 1 TE (Freudenthal) average 2 or more catches per game, with the vast majority of damage coming from Surratt and Washington who each have 6 touchdowns on a combined 985 yards.

Wake's O-Line might be the most experienced the Hokies face, with 3 rSrs and 2 rSos, and it shows. The Deacs have only allowed 6 sacks on the season.

LB Justin Stmad leads the team in tackles with 53 with DL Basham leading the team with 4.5 sacks. The Demon Deacons bring a balanced pressure system getting 7 sacks from their front 4, 4 from the LBs, and 2 from the secondary. This pressure has helped force 5 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries.

Before coming to Blacksburg, the Deacs face Louisville, FSU, and NC State. If they come into Blacksburg unbeaten, it's possible they may be caught looking forward to the following week's matchup with Clemson that would determine top tie-breaker in the Atlantic.

Out of fairness and to offer comparison Virginia Tech

Record: 3-2 with wins over 1-4 ODU, 4-2 Furman, and 2-3 Miami, with losses to 3-3 BC, and 3-2 Duke

Hokie quarterbacks have combined for a 11/5 TD/INT ratio on just under 59% completions and a 7.7 yard per attempt average. Top backs McClease and King have 118 touches on the year for 489 yards and 2 TDs, averaging 3.9 and 4.6 yards per carry respectively. QBs Hooker and Willis have added 78 carries for 119 yards and 2 more TDs. Receivers Robinson and Turner and TE Keene are the only players to record more than 2 catches per game for a combined 424 yards and 5 touchdowns, although 3 additional players (Grimsley, Mitchell, Smith) are close with 7 or more catches on the season for 395 combined yards and 4 touchdowns.

Possibly the youngest OL in the NCAA, the Hokies have 2 Fr, 1 So, and 2 rSo starting, but have only allowed a respectable 10 sacks on the year.

The LPD is lead by LB Ashby with 46 tackles, and DE Belmar and DB Connor with 3 sacks each. As usual for Bud Stout the pressure is dialed up from all over with 10 sacks coming from the DL, 4.5 from the secondary, and 2.5 from the linebackers. DBU is on the board with 6 interceptions on the season, 1 shy from last season's total. The Hokies have also recovered 2 fumbles.

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Never Forget #1 Overall Seed UVA 54, #64 UMBC 74

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Never Forget #1 Overall Seed UVA 54, #64 UMBC 74

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Warning: this post occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors)..

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Joffrey, Cersei, Ilyn Payne, the Hound, Jeff Jagodzinski, Paul Johnson, Pat Narduzzi.

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No, I *don't* want to go to the SEC. Why do you ask?

We don't love dem Hoos.

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I just sit on my couch and b*tch. - HokieChemE2016

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"Why gobble gobble chumps asks such good questions, I will never know." - TheFifthFuller

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Marshall University graduate.
Virginia Tech fanatic.
Formerly known as JWillHokieAlum.

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"Runs up the hill! Into the Tech student section! Here in Charlottesville!"

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"What kind of person would throw away a perfectly good dog?"

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2023 Season Challenge: TBD
Previous Challenges: Star Wars (2019), Marvel (2020), Batman (2021), Wrasslin' (2022)

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Hokies, Local Soccer, AFC Ajax, Ravens

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Never Forget #1 Overall Seed UVA 54, #64 UMBC 74