VIRGINIA TECH vs. MIAMI (MIA -17.5, 53.5)
CFB ODDS, CFB PREDICTIONS, CFB PREVIEWS
HOKIES @ HURRICANES 9/27/24
Friday night, the ACC heats up as Virginia Tech and the 7th-ranked Miami Hurricanes battle in South Beach. With a 2-2 record so far this season, the Hokies have disappointed many who had anticipated them to be a surprise pick to advance to the College Football Playoffs. With a 4-0 record, the Hurricanes, on the other hand, are off to a quick start as they prepare for their first ACC game of the year.
The Hokies lost to Rutgers 26–23 at home on Saturday, dropping them to 2-2 on the season. After falling behind by 16 points, the Hokies made a comeback in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 23. With less than two minutes remaining in the game, the Scarlet Knights moved 68 yards and successfully converted a 24-yard field goal to seize the victory.
QB Kyron Drones led the Hokies' offense. Drones completed 13-of-27 passes for 136 yards along with an interception. He also gained 65 yards on nine carries. Running back Bhayshul Tuten was the highlight of the Hokies' attack, amassing 124 yards on 15 carries with three touchdowns. Virginia Tech had 320 yards of total offense.
The Scarlet Knights gained 422 yards of total offense against the Hokies defense. Virginia Tech gave up 269 yards through the air. The Hokies defense recorded three sacks and seven tackles for loss, but didn’t force a turnover.
The Hokies lost their most recent game to Miami in 2019 and have lost three in a row to the Hurricanes. Virginia Tech is ranked 63rd in the country in terms of total offense going into this game. They rank 68th in the air and 48th on the ground. Virginia Tech's overall defense rating is 48th in the nation and they are No. 23 against the pass. The Hokies also rank 15th in sacks per game. They will need to pressure Miami’s quarterback if they want to have a shot at a win.
Miami quarterback Cam Ward leads the Miami offense. After a 50-15 victory at South Florida on Saturday, the Washington State transfer is firmly in the Heisman discussion. In that victory, Ward finished with 404 passing yards and three touchdowns. Sam Brown, Jr. had a touchdown grab that went for 76 yards, while wide receiver Xavier Restrepo had six catches for 99 yards and a touchdown. Jordan Lyle only had to rush for six times to gain 104 yards in the game, and running back Damien Martinez scored three touchdowns. The Hurricanes were successful on 7 of 9 third down attempts and ended up with 574 yards of total offense.
With Ward starting under center, Miami is off to a 4-0 start for the second straight season. The Hurricanes are the best passing team in the country and rank eighth in rushing nationally. The Hurricanes need to be more reliable in the red zone. They rank 67th in red zone efficiency. They do, however, spend more time in the red zone than most teams.
The Miami defense is stout as well. They rank 11th in total defense and the Hurricanes are one of the most efficient defensive teams in the red zone. Miami has the 17th-best turnover margin in the nation.
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COACH RICK FREE PICK:
DAMIEN MARTINEZ ANYTIME TD
Martinez went off last week for three touchdowns and he’s not even the Hurricanes leading rusher. That honor belongs to Jordan Lyle, though Martinez does have the most carries (40) so far this season. The Hurricanes have the No. 2 passing offense in college football. That opens up the running game. Miami rushers average over 6 yards per carry. Rutgers ran for three touchdowns against the Hokies last week. Virginia Tech’s run defense is suspect. They give up over 181 yards per game. That’s 95th in the nation. Martinez will get enough touches to get a shot at the end zone again.