Sons of Saturday Game Picks: Hokies Look to Bounce Back Against #9 Miami
The Virginia Tech Hokies are sitting at 4-3 after a poor performance and loss to Liberty last Saturday in Blacksburg. As the Hokies try to turn the page and move on, they welcome the #9 Miami Hurricanes to Southwest Virginia. Despite playing against the #9 team in the country on Saturday, the Hokies enter play as a 2.5-point favorite. Will Vegas get this one right?
Mike McDaniel
Miami 31 Virginia Tech 21
Vegas is trying to tell us something. 70% of the public money has come in on Miami, yet the line hasn't moved at all from when it opened at Hokies -2.5. What does this mean? It means that the sharps are likely on Virginia Tech with big money.
Despite this, Miami has been the better team all year, and provides a palpable path to victory behind dual-threat quarterback D'Eriq King. He's an absolute force to be reckoned with and I'm not sure how the Hokies hold him down for a full 60 minutes. I have Miami here, but a Virginia Tech victory wouldn't shock me because of the Vegas factor.
Adam Rothe
Miami 42 Virginia Tech 21
I've seen enough from this Hokie coaching staff. Miami BIG here. D'Eriq King rushes for over 150 yards.
Justin Cates
Miami 35 Virginia Tech 21
Don't kid yourselves, Miami is a good team with a special player at quarterback. You could say the same about the Hokies, but D'Eriq King is a more complete player at this point. It's hard to gauge which Tech team we'll see this week, but there will be no shortage of motivation on either side. I'm expecting a good game, but ultimately the Canes should prevail.
Robert Irby
Miami 38 Virginia Tech 24
The Hokies do have a pretty good history bouncing back against Miami, as their last four wins over the Canes have come after losses. Most notably was last season's matchup, as the Hokies came into Coral Gables following a horrendous Duke loss, switched to Hendon Hooker at QB and played one of their best games of that season. I don't see the same scenario unfolding this time around. D'Eriq King and Cam'Ron Harris are a matchup nightmare for the Hokie defense, and with Khalil Herbert likely not playing or being severely limited, the offense won't be able to keep up.
Pat Rouleau
Virginia Tech 27 Miami 24
I couldn't tell you why I am doing this but like I've alluded to in other previews, weird things happen every Saturday in college football. With that said, I can see this game coming down to the wire and the Hokies pull this one out. Tech needs to put together a complete performance for 60 minutes against a quality opponent and acquire momentum going into the final four games of this season.
Konnor Kilgore
Virginia Tech 31 Miami 27
It's once again gut check time in Blacksburg. I'm sure Justin Fuente would like us all to forget last week's debacle, and a victory over #9 Miami would go a long way in doing so. I don't think Tech has much of a chance to stymie D'Eriq King completely, but if they can figure out a way to slow him down just enough (a spy would be helpful), I think Tech can pull this one out as long as Khalil Herbert is healthy and King is held under 100 yards rushing.
Preston Huennekens
Miami 38 Virginia Tech 30
I don't have confidence that the Hokies will be able to bounce back against Miami after a demoralizing loss to Liberty. Yes, Miami is overrated. Yes, Miami has eeked out close wins against questionable opponents. Yes, it would be Typical Tech to lose to a team like Liberty only to turn around and beat a top 10 opponent the following week. Despite all that, I just do not see this being a game that the Hokies can or will win.
Chris Himes
Miami 34 Virginia Tech 24
Many cite Virginia Tech’s impressive 14-5 record coming off a loss under Justin Fuente as a reason to expect a bounce back performance. What they don’t mention is the best win among that bunch was versus 22nd ranked Duke back in 2018 following the ODU loss, just before the wheels came off and the team bus careened off the highway. Unfortunately, this version of Miami represents the toughest bounce back opponent Fuente has ever faced along with a matchup against D’Eriq King, who is the best version of a mobile quarterback that can exploit this Hokie defense, which may not be able to create enough turnovers to keep Miami in check.
Ed Williams
Miami 38 Virginia Tech 35
Close, but not close enough. I hope I'm wrong and the defense can hold their own, but I haven't see it yet so I'm not holding my breath.
Grant Mitchell
Virginia Tech 35 Miami 31
I have a sneaking suspicion that this will be a momentous victory for Virginia Tech... Coach Justin Fuente has split the opinion of fans regarding whether he is the man for the job or not, and it is my guess that he will continue the confusion after a disappointing loss to Liberty. D'Eriq King will run wild on the Hokies, but with a healthy lineup, they should be able to expose the gaps in a Hurricane defense that allowed 41 points last weekend to NC State.
Ryan Wilkes
Miami 42 Virginia Tech 30
I'd like to think Virginia Tech's bounce back record would prove relevant once again, but I'm just not confident enough in the Hokies' ability to stop D'Eriq King. Expect King to top 400 all-purpose yards with 3+ TDs in a game that may be tightly contested at times but the Canes leave Blacksburg with a comfortable win.
