Virginia Tech heads to Dallas with plenty still hanging in the balance, and the staff split on whether the Hokies can leave SMU with a statement win.
The matchup arrives with Virginia Tech sitting at 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the ACC in its first season under head coach James Franklin. SMU, meanwhile, is trying to protect its own conference hopes in a game that has the feel of a measuring stick for both teams.
One camp sees a path for the Hokies if they can make life uncomfortable for Kevin Jennings and take advantage of a defense that looks vulnerable. Jackson Caudell pointed to the chance for Virginia Tech to “land another win against one of the better programs in the conference,” while also stressing that getting after Jennings and forcing turnovers could be the key to a big result.
James Duncan leaned even harder into the idea that Virginia Tech has already seen the blueprint for beating SMU. Syracuse did it last Saturday with a 30-27 win on a touchdown with 17 seconds left, and Duncan believes the Hokies are built similarly.
Virginia Tech has not lost by more than five points this season, and it comes in with 13 days of rest compared with SMU’s six. He also noted that Ethan Grunkemeyer has thrown 17 touchdowns and two interceptions, with both picks coming in one game against Pitt, and said the Hokies should avoid giving Jennings easy chances.
On defense, Duncan highlighted Brent Pry’s group after it posted 13 tackles for loss at Clemson, adding that if Tech can get off the field on third down, “Friday won’t be a rout, but I think the Hokies give the Mustangs their first home loss in the ACC.”
Thomas Hughes took a different route, starting with the fact that SMU has never lost an ACC game at home. He also pointed out that the Mustangs’ best home wins this season came against Virginia and California, two teams with a combined 7-11 record and a 4-8 mark in ACC play.
Even so, Hughes said Virginia Tech should be ready for the challenge, though he expects Jennings to provide the toughest test Tech has faced so far. He still likes another strong outing from Grunkemeyer, but picked SMU to narrowly edge Virginia Tech in Dallas.
Kaden Reinhard expects the game to be defined by one word: intensity. He tied that to Friday night lights, SMU coming off the Syracuse loss, and Virginia Tech being back in the receiving-votes group of the AP Top 25. Reinhard sees both offenses settling into a close battle with a balanced mix of run and pass, and believes the Hokies’ defense can handle the night if it keeps Jennings from extending plays outside the pocket.
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