Miami Hurricanes Vs. Virginia Tech Hokies: Game Roundtable

It’s been 12 long days since the Miami Hurricanes took the field for a football game after a bye week this past weekend. With 12 days to prepare for the biggest game of their season, we expect the ‘Canes to come out fired up and be prepared. But then again, we don’t know what to expect anymore.

The Thursday night game in Blacksburg is one of the toughest games in college football, but Miami better be ready. Our staff is ready and we take to a roundtable to answer some questions leading up to this Thursday night primetime showdown.

Q: Brad Kaaya has looked good on the road this season. What do you expect out of him against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on a Thursday night? Any nerves?

Oct 4, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Brad Kaaya (15) throws a pass against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Juan Toribio: I think Kaaya is passed the point of getting nervous thanks to the venues he’s played to start off his collegiate career. Thursday night in Blacksburg is no joke, but neither is Nebraska on a Saturday night. Kaaya will probably have some nerves at the beginning, like any other person, but he’ll settle in after the first couple of drives.

Daniel Nordwall: This will be a tough test for Brad Kaaya, Virginia Tech will be one of the toughest defenses that Kaaya has faced this season next to Louisville. Bud Foster will try to get some pressure on Kaaya with pressure and blitzes with disguises. I do think Kaaya will not have any nerves, because from the experience he has already gotten this season on the road.  Kaaya may have a turnover or two in this game because of Virginia Tech’s defense. However, I still expect a 2-3 Touchdowns for 200 + yards and another good game.

Sam Jacobs: I expect him to continue his impressive season. Blacksburg is generally one of the tougher places to play, but Kaaya has not appeared overwhelmed by any of the previous road games, so I don’t think we have to worry about nerves.

Justin Fessenden: I am expecting a little bit of an up and down game from Kaaya but it wont be because of nerves. Virginia Tech has a pretty good defense and I believe they will give Kaaya some looks that he hasn’t seen so far which may cause a few turnovers (hopefully it won’t be too many). I do think he will find some success with the play action since I expect the Canes to focus on the run a bit more this game.

Andrew Ferrelli: Kaaya played in front of over 90 thousand at Nebraska and a sold out crowd at Louisville and didn’t seem to be bothered. He may have some struggles regardless of nerves because VT has a very good defense. If the Canes can get the screen game working against Virginia Tech’s aggressive front seven, he can have another big time performance on the road.

Harry Kroll: This is definitely the best defense Kaaya has faced in his young career. I don’t know if he’ll be all that nervous—the kid seems pretty poised—but I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a tough day through the air. I’d like to be wrong, but this is a very good pass defense and I think we see at least two interceptions from Kaaya tonight.

Q: Virginia Tech allowed over 200 yards to Pittsburgh on the ground last week. Do you think Duke Johnson and the Canes can have similar success against the Hokies?

JT: Duke Johnson is only averaging about 15 carries a game and I think that number needs to be higher for Miami to beat Virginia Tech. Tech’s starting middle linebacker Chase Williams is out for the season and their rush defense will take a hit. I want to see low-to-mid 20 carries for Johnson with Joseph Yearby sprinkled in when he needs some rest.

DN: Fans have been calling for Duke to get ball more. Without injured defensive tackle Luther Maddy for Virginia Tech, I expect James Coley to use Duke Johnson efficiently and gives the fans their wish. I would like to see him to carry the ball about 20 times or so to wear down the Virginia Tech defense and open up the deep ball for Brad Kaaya. Duke could very well go for 200 yards this game.

SJ: No reason not to believe in the Canes’ rushing attack. Duke Johnson has averaged 7.2 yards per carry this season, and Joseph Yearby 7.4. Virginia Tech’s run defense held Ohio State in check, but has since gotten torched by Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh. I like Miami’s chances on the ground.

JF: Yes! I think we will have a solid game on the ground especially with Virginia Tech linebacker Chase Williams being banged up (and doubtful), along with defensive tackle Luther Maddy being out for the game. If the Canes don’t have at least 150 yards on the ground they may be in trouble.

AF: The Canes need to be able to run the ball successfully if they want to win this week. Every team that has beaten Virginia Tech this year has beaten them with a successful run game. Miami does have some injuries on their offensive line, but VT will be missing their starting DT and their starting MLB who leads their team in tackles. Duke and Joseph Yearby will put up some big numbers on the ground.

HK: Miami certainly can have that type of success, but it will come down to how well the somewhat patchwork offensive line comes together. Linder has looked really good at LG but this will be his stiffest test yet. That said, after the Cincinnati game, both Duke and Joe are averaging more than seven yards per carry and I’d like to see them get a steady workload tonight. I’ll say Miami cracks 170 yards on the ground, but 200 may be asking for a bit much.

Q: Due to Miami’s inconsistencies, this might be the hardest question to answer/predict, but what Miami defense do you expect to see Thursday night?

JT: This is definitely the hardest one for me. I don’t think I’ve predicted one of these right all year, but hopefully it starts here. I really want to believe that after 12 days of preparation the defense will have a good game, but I just don’t know. Only thing I know is that there probably won’t be a middle ground. Either Miami’s defense will be really solid, or they’ll be absolutely terrible. Hopefully it isn’t the latter one.

DN: I expect the same defense we have seen the whole season, with some sprinkles of the defense we saw in the Duke game. Coach D’Onofrio has said he has been somewhat pleased with the defense thus far, so therefore I expect the same “bend don’t break” philosophy in this game, and force a few turnovers. Brewer for VT had a great game against Ohio State, will he rekindle that spark? Proceed with caution, the defense that the fans will see Thursday night may cause some high blood pressure. Or maybe not. We’ll see?

SJ: I think we will see something closer to the Duke game than the Georgia Tech game. It seemed as if Coach D’Onofrio solved the mystery of the run defense against Duke, but then the triple option turned him around. I think the defense gets back on track Thursday night.

JF: Yeah this is tough. I think (and hope) that the good Canes defense shows up. I believe the Canes will actually line up closer to the line of scrimmage and dare quarterback Michael Brewer to pass the ball. Also, the defense can’t afford to line up off the ball when Virginia Tech has a 5’11 229 lb freshman running back by the name of Marshawn Williams. The last thing the defense needs to do is to give Williams momentum before trying to wrap him up. Coach D has to know this, right?

AF: I expect the defense to go back to a game plan similar to the one they used against Duke. The Canes actually brought extra men into the box and forced Duke to throw the ball. Miami will have to do the same tonight. VT struggles when they are forced to pass the ball. They are 1-3 when passing for over 200 yards compared to 3-0 when passing for the less than 200. If the Canes defense uses the strategies that they used against Duke, they will be very successful at stopping this relatively mediocre Virginia Tech offense.

HK: Honestly, I expect good things from Miami’s defense tonight. Virginia Tech’s running game is hindered by Marshawn Williams playing through injury and the ‘Canes have been good against the pass all year. I think Miami gets a pretty solid pass rush against Michael Brewer and forces him into at least one very bad interception.

Q: Miami’s defense had no answer for Virginia Tech (and a lot of other teams) last season. Who needs to step up on defense and set a tone for the Hurricanes early on?

Oct 11, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Anthony Chickillo (71) celebrates in the second half of a game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Sun Life Stadium. The Hurricanes won 55-34. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

JT: I don’t have one specific name to give, but it’s definitely going to have to be someone on the inside of the line. Marshawn Williams is a tough guy to tackle and if he gets going, Miami’s going to lose. Someone on that defensive line is going to have to set the tone early and force Michael Brewer to try and beat Miami through the passing game.

DN: I think the defensive lineman really need to step up this game, and get pressure on Brewer. I think Tyriq Mccord needs to have a big game defensively with rushing the passer, along with Olsen Pierre in the middle. Virginia Tech will try to run the ball with Marshawn Williams between the tackles. The defensive lineman need to control their gaps, and let the linebackers room free. However, I think Thurston Armbrister will set the tone on defense, because he has been a little quiet of late. Miami needs a leader to step up on defense besides Denzel Perryman.

SJ: One individual does not necessarily need to set a tone, but if the the defensive unit as a whole can force some short drives for Hokies’ offense, it will provide a significant boost for the offense. I noticed that the Canes typically get off to a hot start offensively. Perhaps a couple defensive stands can force Virginia Tech in a early hole.

JF: I’m going to go with Tyriq McCord on this one. McCord is a playmaker and I’d like to see a strip-sack early on in the game to quiet the crowd at Lane Stadium. It would be nice to get Michael Brewer rattled early which could start a plethora of turnovers. Once the interceptions start, VT will become one-dimensional.

AF: Denzel Perryman will always be a big factor in slowing teams down, but Thurston Armbrister and Nantambu Fentress will need to step up to stop the run. Both played well against Duke and Fentress came up to make a big play on 4th and short. Hopefully Armbrister will be lined up on the end of the line and be able to make some big plays at or behind the line of scrimmage.

HK: Artie Burns. He’s played outstandingly well this year and is a major chink in the armor of those who assert that this coaching staff can’t develop talent. As the top corner, he’ll likely be tasked with covering VT’s top receiver, Isaiah Ford. If he can lock down Ford, it will be a tough day for the Hokies through the air against the 10th-best passing defense in the country. (Really, that stat is correct!)

Q: Will Kaaya get his first road win or will the Canes go down on the road yet again? What’s the final score? And why?

JT: I think the Hurricanes are due for a road win this season and they’ll come away with a huge win in Blacksburg. I think the offense will be able to move the ball well against VT’s defense and I think Miami’s defense is going to come up with some big plays (or at least I hope.) If that happens, combined with some magic on the ground by Duke Johnson, I like Miami to win this one 31-21. But it could easily be the other way around.

DN: I think Miami gets the win on the road, 28-24. I think the win may still leave fans with somequestions, and unsatisfied. However, I think the teams recognizes their shot to win the Coastal, and they will capitalize on their opportunity Thursday night with a depleted Virginia Tech roster. Brad Kaaya and the offense lead the Hurricanes to victory.

SJ: The Hokies fail to get much going offensively, but their top 20 defense keeps them in the game. This win keeps the Canes in the hunt for the Coastal. Miami: 27, Virginia Tech: 20

JF: For some reason I am feeling optimistic on this one. The Canes should be able to have a good game running the ball which will then help with the passing game against a stout Virginia Tech pass defense. I do expect the Canes to start off a bit slow but then settle in once the nerves calm down. VT didn’t get their dose of Duke Johnson last year due to injury and he will make up for it. Canes win and Kaaya gets his first win on the road, Canes 27 – VT 24.

AF: The Canes will get their first road win tonight. Virginia Tech is as weak as it’s been in quite awhile and the Hurricanes should be able to take care of them. I think it will be a relatively close game and the Canes will come out with a 27-17 win

HK: To me this game is a complete toss-up. I said Miami 24-17 in the preview, so I’ll stick with that. I will say this—if Miami plays well and gets out of Blacksburg with one or fewer turnovers, they’ll win this game. I think Miami has to play poorly and get out-coached to lose. That said, that’s happened at least twice on the road this year so far, maybe three times depending on your perception of Nebraska.