Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Syracuse Orange: News, Tidbits, and Predictions

4th Down Fake Punt Scamper (er um Rumble)

So, who doesn’t think that Cole Nelson, who blocks for punts on Special Teams, wouldn’t get Brent Pry’s attention for the #25?

He had the longest single gain, 18 yards, on that fake punt, and that single play probably changed the entire momentum of the football game. Congratulations Cole!

The Hokie Bird Completely Gets Us Regarding Bye Weekends

Add to that the usual momentum crushing that goes on for Tech, we can only hope that the Thursday night energy makes up for the usual crash.

Syracuse’s Offense is Struggling a Bit Time to Take Advantage

Hopefully This Uniform Combo Isn’t Cursed as Badly as the Orange Rig

We would prefer the team stick to all Maroon all the time, so we’ll see. This combo hasn’t been too heavy in the good luck department this season.

Hokies in the NFL Featured a Hokie-on-Hokie Contest with Tyrod Winning

With Kendall Fuller, Logan Thomas, and Joey Slye playing for Washington, it was difficult to root for Tyrod playing for the Jersey Gints. But Tyrod is a huge improvement over former Duke QB Daniel Jones - every Hokie fan knows that one, cold. It was a good win for him.

Time to Put the Week’s Research to the Test: PREDICTIONS!

Bryan Manning

Syracuse began the season 4-0, but those victories didn’t come against a murderer’s row of opponents. However, Virginia Tech’s early schedule wasn’t daunting either, yet the Hokies started 1-3, so you have to give credit to the Orange. The Hokies have won two of their last three, while ‘Cuse has lost three in a row. Those three losses have come against Clemson, North Carolina and Florida State, which is a tough group.

I believe the Hokies win this game, but I am concerned about Syracuse QB Garrett Shrader. He is a true dual-threat quarterback, and we know that can be a Hokie killer. The key for Virginia Tech is to jump on Syracuse early. Don’t allow them to get comfortable because if they can establish the run it could be a long night for a defense that has played well recently.

I do think Shrader has a solid performance, but I think he’s the second-best QB on the field that night. Kyron Drones leads the Hokies to a win.

Hokies 28, Syracuse 20

John Schneider

These teams are at a major intersection in their quality paths. Tech has seemingly made a major turn in offensive production and that is putting some positive energy into the defense. The Orange are heading in the opposite direction, and neither side of the ball is managing to knit together a cohesive showing. Admittedly they have been playing the better programs in the ACC so there’s that.

What that brings to the table on Thursday is a must-win game for both programs. Syracuse started off their season with a roar, and then coughed to a grinding halt. They are absolutely desperate for a win. They have to stop the skid, and facing a Virginia Tech Hokie Team that is just climbing out of the Low-risk category is a prime opportunity to get their house back in order.

The Hokies can look to solidify their performance trajectory turn and put a positive spin on the final four games. Let’s not indulge in any bowl hopes just yet. So, in that spirit, I see the Hokies winning this one by a bit more than a TD. Syracuse is going to have been studying the films for the Wake game, so Tech needs to counter their probable adjustments by tossing in some wrinkles. We’ll see if they can come up with an interesting game plan on both sides of the ball.

31-20 Hokies

Now, we wait. The cameras are programmed, batteries are being charged, and we wait. Bryan will have the game summaries and his Five Takeaways coming. View from the Sidelines will be out by Saturday evening or Sunday morning. We might even get to another extra Good, Bad, and Ugly, but I’m also stewing on the College Offense article so it’s up in the air. I also have the final risk analysis for the last third of the season, due. This game will be critical to that article.

GO HOKIES!!!