Virginia Tech (1-2) at Marshall (2-0), Saturday, midday ET (ESPN2)
Line: Marshall by 5 1/2, in accordance with FanDuel SportsBook.
Collection File: Virginia Tech leads 11-2.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Virginia Tech hopes to keep away from one other letdown heading into Atlantic Coast Convention play. The Hokies are off to their worst begin since 2010, once they opened 0-2 however rallied to complete 11-3. Virginia Tech has completed with a shedding document in three straight seasons and 4 of the previous 5. Marshall, considered one of solely three remaining unbeaten groups left within the Solar Belt Convention, opens league play subsequent Saturday and nonetheless has a tricky nonconference take a look at at North Carolina State in two weeks.
KEY MATCHUP
Marshall RB Rasheen Ali in opposition to Virginia Tech’s protection. The Hokies are giving up 212 speeding yards per recreation, which is seventh worst amongst Bowl Subdivision groups. Ali, who ran for 1,400 in 2021 and missed most of final season with a knee harm, has 5 touchdowns in two video games and is tenth within the nation with a median of 111 speeding yards. Ali has accounted for 56% of Marshall’s speeding performs.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Virginia Tech: QB Kyron Drones. The Baylor switch threw for 190 yards and one rating and ran for 74 extra in his first begin final week in a 35-16 loss at Rutgers. Marshall followers would in all probability desire to see Grant Wells, who thrived for 2 seasons in Huntington, West Virginia, earlier than transferring to Virginia Tech final yr. Wells injured an ankle two weeks in the past in opposition to Purdue, didn’t play at Rutgers and is questionable for Saturday. He threw for 5 TDs and ran for a rating within the first two video games.
Marshall: DL Sam Burton. The sixth-year senior is off to an ideal begin with 3.5 sacks. He’s a part of a unit that has 10 complete sacks and has allowed three touchdowns.
FACTS & FIGURES
Marshall will go to Virginia Tech subsequent season. … Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry and Marshall’s Charles Huff served in varied roles underneath coach James Franklin at Penn State and Vanderbilt. … Pry’s father, Jim Pry, was a backup quarterback at Marshall in 1971. That “Younger Thundering Herd” group was patched collectively after a November 1970 aircraft crash killed 75 folks, together with many of the soccer group within the worst catastrophe in U.S. sports activities historical past. … Hokies defensive position coach J.C. Worth spent 9 seasons at Marshall. … The Hokies rank fourth nationally in passing yards allowed per recreation at 129.3 after limiting Rutgers to 46.
___
AP faculty soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
