After a heart-wrenching loss to Miami on a very, very questionable call on a final Hail Mary - to put it politely - the Hokies need a win and they need it now.
There are plenty of winnable games left, but a 2-4 run - and 0-2 start in the ACC - would be a problem.
Stanford has quietly been strong. It battled with TCU, pulled off a thriller over Syracuse, and dealt with a whole slew of logistic issues before going to Clemson in a 40-14 loss.
With a rested Notre Dame up next, it could use a win to start the run of three home games in four.
Sep 7, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones (1) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Lane Stadium.
© Peter Casey-Imagn Images
Virginia Tech vs Stanford Preview
Virginia Tech vs Stanford How to Watch
Date: Saturday, October 5, 2024
Game Time: 3:30 pm ET
Venue: Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA
How to Watch: ACC Network
Stanford (2-2), Virginia Tech (2-3)
- Week 6 Schedule, Predictions
- 5 Biggest College Football Surprises
- 5 Biggest Disappointments
- Bowl Projections | CFN 1-134 Rankings
- College Football Playoff Projections: Week 6
Predicting the Rest of the Season
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | SEC
Why Virginia Tech Will Win
Assuming the team can pick itself up off the mat after what happened in Miami, the running game should work.
The Hokies aren’t cranking up the passing attack, but that’s because Bhayshul Tuten and QB Kyron Drones are so good at taking off.
The offense hit 200 yards on the ground three times in the last four games - Rutgers was able to hold firm - but Stanford’s issue is against the decent passing teams.
The Cardinal give up 288 yards per game and close to ten yards per completion, but …
Why Stanford Will Win
Stanford leads the ACC against the run.
That’s partly because everyone spends so much time throwing it on the Cardinal D, but this bunch allows just 76 yards per game. It goes to the overall style that worked well over the first four weeks.
Don’t get penalized, slow things down, control the clock, and hang around.
The team couldn’t do that against Clemson, the secondary struggled to keep things under wraps against TCU, and the leaky offensive line is about to have problems against the Virginia Tech pass rush, but as long as the defensive front holds up …
Virginia Tech vs Stanford: Who Will Win
Stanford should be able to pull this off as long as the defense can force third-and-long situations.
The Hokies can strike quickly with that running game, and Drones can do a little of everything, but Stanford has a way of keeping the game tight until late.
For the fourth time in six games, Virginia Tech will lose a game that stays tight until late.
Virginia Tech vs Stanford Prediction, Betting Lines
Stanford 26, Virginia Tech 24
Line: Virginia Tech -8.5, o/u: 49.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
Virginia Tech vs Stanford Must See Rating: 3
Week 6 CFN Expert Picks
Houston at TCU | Michigan St at Oregon
Syracuse at UNLV | UCLA at Penn State
Missouri at Texas A&M | SMU at Louisville
Iowa at Ohio State | Auburn at Georgia
Ole Miss at So Carolina | Rutgers at Neb
Clemson at Florida St | Tenn at Arkansas
Michigan at Washington | Miami at Cal
Texas Tech at Arizona
