Oct 13 min read

Virginia Tech Hokies Set to Battle Stanford in Epic Showdown

The Virginia Tech Hokies are going to travel out to Stanford, Calif., on Oct. 5 for an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup against the Stanford Cardinal. Virginia Tech hopes to bounce back from a last-minute loss against the now No. 8-ranked Miami Hurricanes. This is the Hokies' first meeting with Stanford since 2011 and their second meeting ever. Stanford will look to rebound from a lopsided defeat at the hands of the Clemson Tigers. The Cardinal hopes to notch their second win this season against a conference opponent.

Key Players for Virginia Tech

The Hokies have done very well, getting running back Bhayshul Tuten involved in their offense each week. Against Miami, Tuten ran for 141 yards off of 19 carries. On the season, Tuten has accumulated 532 rushing yards with 8 touchdowns to match. Those numbers that indicate how consistent he has been thus far.

While Tuten has shined for the Hokies, Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones has been off to a slow start. He has thrown for 954 passing yards, 6 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. The third-year signal-caller has been productive on the ground with 261 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, showing flashes of the explosiveness that made him so effective in the 2023 season.

Drones gave fans a brief glimpse of his physical gifts in last week's near-upset, but for the most part, he has had a relatively mild impact on the offense.

On the defensive side, Virginia Tech will need to get defensive end Antwuan Powell-Ryland involved early on. He leads the team in sacks with 7 for the season. The Hokies have been most effective when blitzing, successfully hindering lesser offenses throughout the start of the season. Stanford certainly qualifies as a lackluster offense, indicating that the Hokies should put together another solid defensive performance.

Fortunately, Stanford has not done well enough in the air for to worry the Virginia Tech secondary. The coverage unit looked the best it has this season last week against Miami, but they still gave up a whopping 343 yards to Miami quarterback Cam Ward. As long as this Hokies' secondary can limit big plays over top, there shouldn't be much to worry about.

Keys to Victory for Stanford

Offensively, Stanford has produced behind wide receiver Elic Ayomanor. The sophomore pass-catcher has easily been the best weapon on the Cardinal offense, producing 284 yards and 2 touchdowns through four games. If Stanford head coach Troy Taylor is to keep up with the Hokies, then Ayomanor will be a key reason why.

On the other side of the ball, it is crucial that Stanford finds a way to make Drones as uncomfortable as possible. Pass rush production has been hard to come by for the Cardinal defense, but one bright spot has been linebacker David Bailey. Bailey has come up with a team-high 2 sacks in addition to a pair of forced fumbles. Stanford's defense will need a productive day from him against the run and the pass to stay in the game.

Conclusion

Expect the run-heavy Virginia Tech offense to carry it across the finish line. Stanford has been consistently subpar and will have trouble stopping Tuten. This game will also be important for Drones to continue finding the spark he needs to make these Hokies playoff contenders. All in all, the Hokies should find a dominant win in this matchup with a struggling Stanford team.