Virginia Tech has won 22 of the 24 games in the UVA-Virginia Tech series since its last loss to the Cavaliers in Blacksburg, back in 1998.
Average margin of victory at home since the 1998 loss: 15.1 points.
There was the 2008 Vic Hall game that the Hokies won 17-14, the 2012 game that was also 17-14, and had Mike London blowing his timeouts on trying to ice the Tech kicker on a chip shot field goal instead of saving them for his offense.
The 2014 game was a 24-20 Tech win, with a TD in the final three minutes.
Bryce Perkins fumbled in OT in 2018, after the fumble TD sent the game to the extra session.
The other seven games in Lane Stadium were by double-digits.
Tonight’s top storylines
Br-r-r-r-r
The air temperature at kickoff, at 8 p.m. ET, is forecast, per AccuWeather, to be a relatively reasonable 30 degrees.
That’s deceiving.
The forecast real-feel: 17 degrees, dipping to 14 as the game gets into the second half.
People have been asking me all week if I was planning to be there in person.
It’s even cold in the press box at those temperatures.
Who starts at QB?
This is a question for both sides.
Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry was giving the first-team reps in practice this week to freshman Pop Watson, who had to finish last week’s game at Duke, a 31-28 loss, after the backup, Collin Schlee, went down after taking a big hit to the upper body, maybe head, we don’t know for 100 percent certain.
Schlee was in the lineup because the starter, Kyron Drones, has been out since the Clemson game with a lower-body injury.
On the Virginia side, sophomore QB Anthony Colandrea has been benched three times in the last five weeks for ineffectiveness, and word from around the program was that Tony Muskett, last year’s starter, was getting first-team reps in practice this week.
Somebody’s going bowling
Both teams are 5-6 coming into tonight’s game, so, needing a win to get an invite to another cold-weather game either side of Christmas.
Tech has come into this game five times since 2014 needing a win to get into a low-level bowl game.
The Hokies’ record in those games: 5-0.
Are either of these coaches on the hot seat?
No, but both should be.
Both Pry and UVA coach Tony Elliott are wrapping up their Year 3 at their programs.
Pry is 15-20, and his 5-6 record is a huge letdown, considering that the talk in the offseason was that he had his Hokies in position to be an ACC title contender this year.
Elliott, meanwhile, is 11-22, and the UVA program is in disarray – with 20 seniors and 23 grad students on this year’s roster that all but guarantee the 2025 season in Charlottesville will be a full-scale rebuild.
Players to watch
- Tech RB Bhaysul Tuten: Man, I am not looking forward to seeing him streaking through the secondary at least once, probably twice. Tuten, a senior, has 1,035 yards and 13 TDs on the ground, with a career-high 266 yards and three TDs in the 42-21 win over Boston College last month. Tuten went for 117 yards and a TD in the 55-17 win over Virginia in 2023.
- Tech PK John Love: If this one comes down to a kick, your money is on John Love, who is 4-of-4 on kicks of 40-49 yards, and 2-of-3 on kicks of 50+, with a long of 57.
- Jonas Sanker: The four-time ACC Defensive Back of the Week could be playing his final game at UVA. Before he graduates to playing on Sundays, the Charlottesville native looks to go out a winner in the Tech-UVA series.
- Malachi Fields: Another Charlottesville native, I’m expecting a big game for the senior wideout, because he’ll have Trell Harris, the Kent State transfer, back to stretch the defense, and give the Tech D another wide receiver to have to account for.
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Chris Graham
