Week 3: Virginia Tech vs. East Carolina @ Greenville, NC 12:00 PM EST Foxsports1

[Sleepy T]

ECU is 2-0 after a 52-38 win vs. ODU and a 31-13 win vs. Florida Atlantic.

They like to throw the ball and currently rank in the top 25 in FBS in passing yards. Their QB has thrown almost 80 passes for 638 yards and 7 TDs total.They have a good WR Justin Hardy who has caught 20 balls for 227 and 1. This should be a very good test for the Hokies' young secondary. Hopefully a strong pass rush will help the young guns back there out.

At a glance, their run defense looks much better than their pass defense. ODU's air raid type offense lit 'em up for 370 yards through the air. LT and company can hopefully shake off the 1st half rust and get the passing game going.

If the DL and secondary continue playing the way they have..then VT should win this game with relative ease IMO. But this is the Pirates, and they have played us tough in the past..including that horrid loss in Charlotte several years ago. If I recall, that is the day "Beamerball" started its decline.....

 

[Ragingcroc]

I hope we start out on offense faster than we did versus WCU.

 

[HoHumHokie]

The ECU-FAU game was a lot closer than the final score indicates. FAU is terrible on offense, but the FAU defense was in the ECU backfield most of the night. VT should win by 2 or 3 scores unless LT decides to throw to the purple jerseys all night.

 

[hokiehi21]

First true road games always make me nervous.

 

[Ragingcroc]

The ECU-FAU game was a lot closer than the final score indicates. FAU is terrible on offense, but the FAU defense was in the ECU backfield most of the night. VT should win by 2 or 3 scores unless LT decides to throw to the purple jerseys all night.

You mean Virginia Tech's colours aren't purple, gold and white?

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

First true road games always make me nervous.

Especially if it is a noon kickoff.

 

[ckhokie]

Hokies open as 7 point favorites

 

[hokiegrad]

Hokies open as 7 point favorites

That seems a little low to me.

 

[VTscores]

That seems a little low to me.

Me, too, but they better strap on an offense and make fewer mistakes than against Alabama in that one.

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

This game concerns me a lot.

 

[hokiegrad]

This game concerns me a lot.

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

First road game

Noon

Team that can score

It reminds me of the Pitt game last year and I don't think Pitt is much better than ECU.

 

[hokiegrad]

First road game

Noon

Team that can score

It reminds me of the Pitt game last year and I don't think Pitt is much better than ECU.

I'm not as worried about the first road game when we've already played away from Lane. I have faith in our defense. And I do think last year's Pitt team was better than this year's ECU, as well as this year's VT being better than last year's. Hope I'm not wrong about that.

 

[ckhokie]

Defense may have actually found their stride late last season, and I would say our secondary is better this year than last.

Over last 4 games:

UVA - 217 total yards, 7 points attributable to defense
Rutgers - 196 total yards, 3 points attributable to defense
Alabama - 206 total yards, 14 points attributable to defense
Western Carolina - 162 total yards, 0 points attributable to defense

 

[ckhokie]

Looking at those numbers, it is actually quite sad how bad our offense and ST has been.

UVA - offense fumbled that was returned for a TD
Rutgurs -offense fumbled that was returned for a TD
Alabama - Pick 6, punt return, kick return
Western Carolina - botched punt lead to fg

It is insane that our offense and ST are getting scored on more than our D.

 

[HoHumHokie]

Defense may have actually found their stride late last season, and I would say our secondary is better this year than last.

Over last 4 games:

UVA - 217 total yards, 7 points attributable to defense
Rutgers - 196 total yards, 3 points attributable to defense
Alabama - 206 total yards, 14 points attributable to defense
Western Carolina - 162 total yards, 0 points attributable to defense

That is pretty impressive no matter which way you slice it. Fix special teams and LT's decision making and we may have a decent team.

 

[ACC_HOKIES]

I too am concerned. ECU highly anticipates these games with us (and WVU/UNC/SCAR, etc.) because they just don't get that exposure in their conference. It's a good primer for our ACC slate. The energy and preparations will need to be there. The offense needs to get off to a better start.

IMO, this has all the makings of a grind-it-out game that the defense is forced to play lights out and fans gnash our teeth waiting for the one or two drives that the offense can put together.

 

[Sleepy T]

I think it could be close. The 7 point line isn't by chance..the people in Vegas are usually pretty damned good at what they do.

I hope we can run the ball and keep them off the field. If LT plays well and the passing game picks up where it left off/continues to improve I think VT could have a healthy lead at the half. If ECU can get ahead a couple of scores...I am not sure if this Offense will have what it takes to bring them back.

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

I hope it's a fucking boat race blowout. I just can't remember the last time we boat raced ECU, and we have played them with much better teams, IMO.

 

[Ragingcroc]

I hope it's a fucking boat race blowout. I just can't remember the last time we boat raced ECU, and we have played them with much better teams, IMO.

We never boated race ECU. A few games were won by wide margins but were close games. We were down by 10 vs. ECU in 2010 but we pulled it out by 22.