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The Skinny for the Day
No one is fooling anybody. This game can be won, but few people are actually expecting that to happen. The Offense is going to have to light an afterburner that few folks think that it has, at the moment (a healthy Khalil Herbert would be a sign). The Hokie defense is just really struggling this season. It’s not a complete struggle, it’s a 2/3rds and 3/4ths struggle. The Defense gets to 3rd and modest and can’t get the stop, or on critical 4th and shorts, it just can manage to keep the other team from getting the first down, consistently. The kicking game has been healthy, but Brian Johnson has been spotty outside of 40 yards.
Of course there are always the big issues and questions to look at.
The Big Offensive Questions
- Can the Hokie Offense ditch the slow plodding and light the afterburner?
- What sort of offense is Cornelsen going to run?
- Can Hendon Hooker keep up the pace that he’s been setting?
- Did Khalil Herbert make the lineup?
- Is James Mitchell back and healthy?
- Are Tre Turner and Tayvion Robinson going to be busy?
- Does Raheem Blackshear get a chance to do some real receiving out of the backfield?
The Even Bigger Defensive Questions
- Can the Hokie Defense get a few quality stops?
- Can the defensive line get pressure on D’Eriq King from the front four?
- Can they get him corralled and keep his run total down?
- Is the Linebacking Corps going to be Dax Hollifield, Alan Tisdale, and maybe more of Keshon Artis?
- Are all the cornerbacks back in action, or are we running the 1-4 Corner to Safety formation again?
General Stuff
- Does the play calling give up on leaden small ball dives up the middle?
- Is the coaching staff willing to take some risks?
- Can they manage a shootout and keep the foot on the accelerator?
Their stock is flying really low. Many in Hokie Nation are walking away, and if we actually were playing for a crowd it would show up on TV. This is a busted flush season, and salvaging something decent would salve some wounds.