Virginia Tech Hokies Vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Preview
If a regular season game has decided the ACC Champion, it’s been the match up between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Virginia Tech Hokies. The winner of this game over the course of the previous three seasons have gone on to claim the conference title and a berth in a BCS championship game. It Georgia Tech has aspirations of reaching the ACC title game in Charlotte later this season, they must beat the Hokies. For Virginia Tech, they have turned it around since opening the season with back-to-back losses, having won six-straight which includes an undefeated mark in the ACC.
Virginia Tech (6-2) began the season ranked in the top-10, but a loss to Boise State in the opener followed by an unfathomable defeat to FCS school James Madison, and the Hokie faithful had all but given up. The team had other ideas though, and have vaulted themselves back into the top-25 and are the only remaining unbeaten team in ACC play. Virginia Tech comes into this one off of a Bye last week, with their last outing a 44-7 stomping over Duke. It was the fourth-straight game that Virginia Tech eclipsed 40 points.
“I do think we’ve got things to work on, but when you play well and you have success, it builds confidence,” remarked Hokie head coach Frank Beamer. “You can’t talk your way into it. You’ve got to build it. The last couple of games, we’ve taken steps where we want to go.”
Quarterback Tyrod Taylor spearheads the offensive unit that has been on a scoring frenzy, as the Hokies look for their seventh win in a row. Taylor is tops among all ACC quarterbacks with a rating of 171.1, having thrown 15 touchdowns to just three interceptions. Taylor does it all, as he leads the team in rushing, tabbing 527 yards so far this season.
“It all starts with Tyrod Taylor,” stated Duke head coach David Cutcliffe following the Blue Devil loss to Virginia Tech. “You give him opportunities and he’s going to make the most of them.
“I don’t see a college quarterback playing any better in the country. Period. He might be the best dual-threat quarterback in the country.”
On the other sideline, Georgia Tech (5-3) also comes into this one off of a bye, but endured a much different result in
their last game. The Yellow Jackets dropped to Clemson 27-13, which dropped them to 3-2 in conference play.
The Yellow Jackets are led on offense by quarterback Josh Nesbitt, who is in his third season running coach Paul Johnson’s triple-option offense. Nesbitt was a cornerstone to the Yellow Jackets’ upset victory over then No.4 Virginia Tech last year.
Georgia Tech enters per the usual as one of the best rushing offenses in the country, averaging 317 yards per game, ranking No.1 in the nation in that department. For the Yellow Jackets to get back to the conference championship game, they will need to beat the Hokies, and then would need Virginia Tech to drop one more game.
Georgia Tech is only focusing on what they are able to do out on the field.
“Everything (opponents) are throwing at us this season we’ve seen in practice,” remarked Yellow Jacket running back Anthony Allen. “We’ve practiced it. We went over it in meetings. It’s just a matter of us recognizing and executing when we get out there.”
Game Line-
Online Sportsbooks have set Virginia Tech as a 12.5-point favorite in this match up, with the over/under installed at 56 points on Intertops Sportsbook.
ATS Betting Trends-
College Football betting trends Georgia Tech is 2-6 ATS in their last eight Thursday games. Georgia Tech is 13-5 ATS in their last 18 road games.
Over/Under Betting Trends-
The Under is 12-1 in Virginia Techs last 13 Thursday games. The Over is 8-2 in Virginia Tech’s last 10 games overall.
