Malachi Fields and his Virginia teammates seek a road win against VT. ~ Photo by Kris Wright/TheSabre.com
The 2024 football season comes down to this. For Virginia and Virginia Tech, the annual Commonwealth Clash rivalry game Saturday night in Blacksburg represents an opportunity to salvage what will be an otherwise mediocre season. Two 5-6 teams, two late season slides, and one last chance to make the long offseason a little more palatable.
UVA fans, though, feel like they've seen this movie before. The Hoos have gone to Blacksburg 11 times since their last win in 1998 and rarely have the games been close. In this exact position seven times since 2012, VT has won the game to reach bowl eligibility. In the rivalry overall, the Hokies have won every meeting but one - the 2019 Bryce Perkins fueled win at Scott Stadium - since 2004. Time and time again, Hoo fans have watched their team seemingly struggle to match the fire and intensity from the rival Hokies.
Virginia coach Tony Elliott has challenged this team to be 'different' all season long and he said he's trying to change the tenor of the rivalry after his team lost 55-17 in his only game against VT last season.
"It’s rivalry. Bottom line, it’s rivalry. That’s what it is. It’s a rivalry game. That’s the difference. And that’s where we have to take a step as a program, as a staff, players, everybody," Elliott said. "It’s rivalry week. That’s been the message to everybody. Nothing else matters. It really doesn’t. Nothing else matters but what you do this week. I think that’s the difference. When you have that intensity, that focus, you have that passion, right, and you can block out the distractions. Because you know, yes, bowl eligibility is on the line, but there is a lot more on the line, right? Bowl eligibility, right, is what we’re after, but I’m really after having all the folks that support Virginia have the upper hand for 365 days. That’s just how I was bred in rivalries. I think that’s the difference, the way you look at it, the perspective you have. You are playing for something bigger than yourself. That’s the message that I’m working on getting the guys to understand, the intensity that it takes and the way it should feel, the way you should approach it."
So what does the matchup look like for Virginia and Virginia Tech? Let’s take a quick-hitting look through lists of three.
3 Players To Watch
VT Running Back Bhayshul Tuten (5'11", 209), No. 33: Tuten reached the 1,000-yard plateau last week after he rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown against Duke (that was also the 50th TD of his career).Tuten has 165 carries for 1,035 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. He's now up to 3,476 yards in his career. A powerful runner that avoids clean hits well, he'll test the Virginia defense to tackle well, which has been an up-and-down factor for the defense this season.
VT Defensive Lineman Antwaun Powell-Ryland (6'3", 252), No. 52: A second-team All-ACC pick in 2023 after making 9.5 sacks, Powell-Ryland has put together another strong season. He has 13 sacks, wich ranks second among Football Bowl Subdivision teams. With 22.5 sacks in his career, he's tied for seventh all-time at VT. The Hokies teed off on Anthony Colandrea last season with 6 sacks and they'll be looking for similar disruption this week.
Virginia Running Back Noah Vaughn (5’8”, 199), No. 28: The sophomore (he's technically a redshirt freshman, but UVA doesn't list its roster that way) saw extended action last week against SMU. That's because the running back group has faced significant injuries and lost Xavier Brown for the season (collar bone) and Kobe Pace (knee, day to day) during the game. Vaughn has had two games this season with 6 or more carries and was at least somewhat productive. He had 9 carries for 32 yards (3.6 per carry) at Coastal Carolina and 10 carries for 44 yards (4.4) vs. SMU. He'll likely have a bigger role this week and how he handles his carries as well as pass blocking and receiving opportunties will be a key part of the offense to monitor.
3 Trends To Know
Malachi Fields Has A Catch In 26 Straight Games: The 6'4", 220-pound Cavalier receiver is one of 29 FBS receivers with a receptions streak of least 25 games. On the season, he has 53 catches for 788 yards. That included a 4-yard touchdown catch last week against SMU that upped his season total to 5. While last season's rivalry game didn't produce much good news for the Hoos, Fields did haul in 6 catches for 89 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Sacks Are Rising: Virginia has allowed 42 sacks this season, which ranks 130th among 133 FBS teams. That number has been rising in recent weeks. Over the last five games, UVA opponents have piled up 31 sacks. That's a rate of 6.2 sacks allowed per game. Hawaii ranks last nationally for the season at 3.91 sacks allowed per game to give you an idea of how bad that number really is.
Virginia Tech's Margins Have Varied: While the Hokies have won most of the matchups in recent seasons, their winning margin has been big in some meetings and close in others. Starting in 2011, VT has six wins by double digits and five wins by 5 points or less or in overtime. The Hoos haven't played in front of a packed Lane Stadium since 2018, but that trip to Blacksburg was close as VT won 31-24 in overtime. In front of a limited capacity crowd in 2020, the Hokies prevailed 33-15.
3 Virginia Predictions
Virginia Scores 2 Passing Touchdowns: The Hoos' chances in this game will come down to whether the offense can do anything to put points on the board. That's been a problem in 7 of the last 8 games. Some of that lands on the shoulders of QB Anthony Colandrea, but the offense as a whole isn't making many plays or executing well consistently. Everyone will need a better effort if this game is going to be competitive.
Kam Robinson (6’2”, 234) Finishes Posts At Least 4 Tackles With A Sack: Nursing a shoulder injury that may require postseason surgery, Robinson was limited against SMU. He's expected to be back in the regular defensive rotation this week. He'll come up with at least one big play in his first road game at VT.
Ethan Minter (6’0”, 201) Makes An INT: With injuries in the secondary causing some shuffling with certain personnel groupings, the true freshman has been seeing more snaps. He had an interception against Louisville earlier this season. He'll make another in this game.
3 Keys To The Game
No Explosive Touchdowns: The Hoos generally deploy a bend-don't-break style defensively in an effort to minimize big plays and force teams to drive the field. That didn't happen in last season's meeting with the Hokies, who scored 5 touchdowns of at least 30 yards in the romp. That included passes of 44, 84, and 34 yards plus runs of 33 and 32 yards. You can count special teams here too - VT ripped off a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown too. If Virginia wants to have a chance in this year's meeting, it can't let those big plays happen.
Quick Hitters, Straight Ahead: Given the issue with sacks lately, the offense needs to have a steady diet of quick-developing plays ready to go in this game. That doesn't have to be simple draws and A gap runs in the rushing game or flat throws in the passing game, but the teams that give the Hokies trouble seem to slow them down a little bit with plays that take advantage of their angles defensively.
Turnovers: Virginia Tech thrives on forcing turnovers with 21 takeaways in 11 games. That is tied for 11th nationally. It's been part of the Hokies' identity for a long time and they're 58-13 when winning the turnover battle since 2012. Against the Hoos, Tech often seems to create a turnover (or a blocked kick) that helps fuel its success in the rivalry.
3 Virginia Picks
Offensive Player Of The Game: Malachi Fields (6'4”, 220) plays well again with at least 50 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Defensive Player Of The Game: Jonas Sanker (6'1", 210) needs 11 tackles to reach 100 for the second straight season. He gets there with a big game.
Winner: Nothing about this game suggests the Hoos will win. No victories in Blacksburg since 1998. Injuries at a lot of key spots. Quarterback controversy with uncertain team dynamics swirling. Until UVA proves it can match VT, the pick has to be the Hokies. Virginia Tech 38, Virginia 21. (Season to date: 6-5)
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