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Sons of Saturday Game Picks: Hokies Look to Cover a Two Touchdown Spread Against #25 Liberty

By Mike McDaniel | November 06
Malik Willis Liberty
Courtesy: saturdaydownsouth.com

Virginia Tech got back on track last Saturday as the Hokies went on the road to defeat Louisville and move to 4-2 on the season. On Saturday, the Hokies face a Liberty team that is ranked 25th in the nation after a 6-0 start to the 2020 campaign. Can the Hokies cover a 14-point spread against the underdog (but ranked) Flames?

Mike McDaniel

Virginia Tech 42 Liberty 24

Liberty quarterback Malik Willis is the story here, as his dual-threat prowess will provide a tough match-up for the Virginia Tech defense, which always struggles with mobile quarterbacks. However, the bigger story is that Liberty's six opponents this season have combined for four wins, which renders the Flames' 6-0 record a bit hollow. Liberty will score, but Virginia Tech will roll.

Adam Rothe

Virginia Tech 42 Liberty 30

A few things here. First off, Liberty may be a bit overrated. Yes, they're undefeated with a 6-0 record, but they have yet to play a team with a winning record. However, the reason I give them 30 points is because of their QB Malik Willis. A one-time Tech commit who decommitted to go to Auburn (sound familiar?) before ending up at Liberty. He has already thrown for over a thousand yards with 9 TDs to only 1 pick. Although, the worst part about facing Willis is he is a running QB.

All Tech fans know that no matter the level of opponent, the VT defense always gets annihilated by a running QB (see Bryce Perkins last year for one example). This season Willis has rushed for nearly 500 yards while securing 6 TDs as well. Tech has more talent elsewhere on the field to win the game, but I think it will be much closer than people think.

Justin Cates

Virginia Tech 36 Liberty 13

Liberty is a nice story if you're into their weird brand of up-and-comer behavior which consists mainly of hiring a disgraced AD and head coach to get to this point. They're definitely talented and a 6-0 start is always impressive, but to quote many a crazed SEC fan, "They ain't played nobody!" If Tech can avoid mistakes on both sides of the ball this should be a solid win but no one should freak out if it's a bit closer. I picked the same score of the only previous football meeting between these schools which was also Justin Fuente's first game in Blacksburg.

Robert Irby

Virginia Tech 55 Liberty 13

There isn't much to say here. Liberty is a big phony, having neither the defensive speed to slow down the Hokie offense nor the offensive firepower to keep up. Hugh Freeze has this program moving in a great direction, but they are way in over their heads in this one. I envision the Hokies running the ball for 350+ yards and ending the game with a Quincy Patterson Victory Formation.

Brett Smith

Virginia Tech 52 Liberty 17

I think it's a good thing Liberty is ranked coming into this game, that way we will be amped to play them and knock them back down to Earth. Liberty's run defense is absolutely horrible and Tech will be able to pull up massive yardage. Not to mention, Liberty's offensive line is the smallest Tech has faced all year, which should help us get push in the trenches. We know the offense will be fine, but if you see Conner, Tisdale, and Barno's names consistently that means they are keeping Williams under control. Hokies BIG as they blow out the Flames.

Pat Rouleau

Virginia Tech 38 Liberty 13

I don't know how to feel about this game but I'm getting some vibes that remind me of the Packers-49ers game from this past Thursday. Green Bay had a 34-3 lead with ~5 minutes left, allowed a couple garbage time touchdowns and the final score ended up being 34-17. As it relates to Tech, I think this will be a comfortable win for the Hokies on a sensational day in Lane Stadium.

Konnor Kilgore

Virginia Tech 38 Boston College 17

Liberty being in the top 25 facing off against an unranked Virginia Tech team is peak 2020. Props to Hugh Freeze for getting the Flames into those rankings, but it won't last long. I'm sure Liberty is going to throw the kitchen sink at Virginia Tech, and dual-threat QBs like Liberty's Malik Willis always give Tech fits, though I thought they contained Malik Cunningham rather well last week. Tech is far and away the best team Liberty has faced all season though, and the Vice Squad should help Tech's run-heavy offense slow down the tempo of this game and control it from start to finish.


Mike Mcd

Mike McDaniel

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As a first generation Hokie, I can't say that Virginia Tech has always been in my blood, but I can say unequivocally that I bleed maroon and orange now. I graduated from the Pamplin College of Business in 2015 with a double major in accounting and finance, and have parlayed that into a five-year career in government compliance consulting in the Washington D.C. metro area where I grew up. At Tech, I enjoyed going to as many sporting events as I could, playing four years for the Club Golf team, and realizing my passion for writing and creating content.


I have previously written for Gobbler Country on the SB Nation network, Fighting Gobbler for Fansided, InsideTheACC.com, The Tech Lunch Pail, and most recently for Sports Illustrated's All Hokies, where I was the lead publisher.


In addition to writing, I am also co-host of Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast and the Hokie Hangover Podcast covering Virginia Tech athletics.


I'm passionate about Virginia Tech, but also hope to bring an objective and journalistic background to enhance the already fantastic athletic coverage here at Sons of Saturday.

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