GAME BREAKDOWN
KEY MATCHUP: The Virginia Tech running game will be key. Virginia Tech overwhelmed William & Mary (305 rushing yards) and Old Dominion (318 yards), but combined for only 183 yards on the ground against ACC opponents Florida State and Duke. Notre Dame should be similarly hard to run against, led by DL Jerry Tillery and LB Te’Von Coney.
“The defensive line stands out,” said Hokies coach Justin Fuente. “They’re a movement team and will play a little bit of man coverage in the back end and are pretty darn good at it. They’re good at flying to the football. They’re aggressive and good at making it hard for people to run the football. It all starts with that.”
DRAFT SLANT
–DT Ricky Walker is more than just a run-stuffing interior lineman, as he is noted for putting pressure on the quarterback, pushing his 300 pounds into the backfield. The intangibles are there, too — as coach Justin Fuente praises Walker’s leadership. Walker, a potential late-round prospect, doesn’t pad the stat sheet, though. He has nine stops this season, including two for loss.
ROSTER REPORT
–CB Bryce Watts broke up three passes last week against Duke.
–DE Trevon Hill was dismissed from the team on Sept. 23 a day after the loss at Old Dominion. The reason given was “not upholding the high standards we have for our student-athletes,” coach Justin Fuente said in a statement. Hill, a junior, had 20 career tackles for loss, including 4.5 this season in three games.
–LB Alan Tisdale was going to be “put on the shelf” and miss his true freshman season due to unspecified surgery, defensive coordinator Bud Foster said.
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