UNC vs. Virginia Tech: Game Preview
The North Carolina football team is in the midst of its toughest stretch of the season. It has been blown out the last two games, against East Carolina and Clemson. Tomorrow, they play Virginia Tech and after that, they go to Notre Dame before playing Georgia Tech.
It’s still pretty early in the season to call a game a “must-win,” but this game on Saturday is very important. Virginia Tech is a beatable football team, and the Heels need to be able to stop their losing streak and get some momentum before facing the 9th ranked Fighting Irish.
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Virginia Tech shocked the college football world with their upset of then number 8 Ohio State. Since then, the Hokies lost to ECU (by a much narrower margin than UNC did) and Georgia Tech. Hopefully the Heels face the Virginia Tech of the last two weeks and not the world-beaters that faced the Buckeyes.
So what can we expect from Virginia Tech tomorrow? And how do they compare to the Tar Heels?
Offense
Virginia Tech’s offense has been very weak. They have scored just under 30 points a game, and have averaged 421 yards per game. This is not bad, but throwing the football has been a real problem for them this season. Quarterback Michael Brewer has been especially bad, throwing ten interceptions and just nine touchdown passes. Against Georgia Tech, he had three picks, and no touchdowns.
Sep 27, 2014; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Turnovers have been an issue for Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Brewer (12). Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
Carolina’s offense has been slightly better, especially last week against Clemson when they kept the team in the game. The Heels have averaged 440 yards and over 40 yards a game this year. Marquise Williams looked good for most of last week’s game against Clemson, and Mack Hollins has emerged as a very solid wide receiver, to complement stars like Quinshad Davis, Ryan Switzer and T.J. Thorpe.
Edge: North Carolina
Defense:
Virginia Tech’s defense has allowed just 325.6 yards per game this year, and are ranked 30th in the country in points, allowing just 20.4 per game. The Hokies’ run defense is especially good, allowing just over 3 yards per rush. And their pass defense hasn’t been bad either, as opponents have completed less than fifty percent of their passes. However, they have struggled forcing turnovers, creating just 1.8 per game.
Sep 27, 2014; Clemson, SC, USA; North Carolina has to do a better job pressuring the quarterback. Deshaun Watson had all the time in the world pretty much every time he dropped back last week. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
The Tar Heels, on the other hand, have a very weak defense. Their 44 points a game ranks 126th out of 128 FBS teams. The Heels rank 120th in yards, giving up 523 per game. They have been good at creating turnovers, however, creating close to three takeaways per game. Unfortunately, that’s been pretty much the only bright spot for the defense this year, and it is not even that good, considering that six of the eleven takeaways came in the Liberty game.
Edge: Virginia Tech
Intangibles
Virginia has not looked the same since their victory over Ohio State. They lost their next two games to ECU and then Georgia Tech. Losing to ECU is nothing to be ashamed of, but the Hokies definitely should have beaten Georgia Tech. They were able to turn it around last week against Western Michigan, but it’s not like Western Michigan has a great football program. It’s tough for a football team to go from such a high to such a low in a very short period of time. If you’re a Virginia Tech fan, you would hope that this roller coaster would bring the players closer together as a team, but, based on their performance the last few weeks, I would not be so confident.
Sep 6, 2014; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; UNC will have the benefit of playing at home against Virginia Tech on Saturday. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Carolina is also in a rough spot. They are arguably coming off of the worst two games in Larry Fedora’s tenure. They can react to this one of two ways. They can get down and feel bad about themselves, or they can go out ready to prove they are better than they have played. This game will be a huge test of Carolina’s character this season. Based on the way they battled back last week, I think the Heels will pass, and come out firing on all cylinders.
Edge: North Carolina