virginia tech-Liberty preview

Chris Hirons

November 7, 2020

BLACKSBURG — An embarrassing loss to Wake Forest two weeks ago gave Virginia Tech (4-2, 4-2 ACC) the fire it needed to get back on track and defeat Louisville in a shootout last Saturday.

The Hokies host an undefeated No. 25 Liberty team (6-0) in Blacksburg at Lane Stadium Saturday at noon on ACC Network.

Last week, Virginia Tech kept itself in the hunt to play (likely) Clemson in the ACC Championship game and media members ranked the Flames for the first time in program history.

Tech and Liberty meet for the first time since 2016, where the Hokies played their first game in the Justin Fuente era, beating the Flames 36-16.

Liberty, an independent team, is off to the best start in program history under Hugh Freeze who was hired prior to last season. Compared to VT’s schedule, Liberty’s looks like nothing more than a cake walk with Western Kentucky, Florida International, North Alabama, UL Monroe, Syracuse and Southern Mississippi.

The Flames’ win against a 1-6 Syracuse was Liberty’s first win against a Power-5 team in school history.

Liberty’s key to the game: Keep the game within reach

It’s no secret that Virginia Tech’s offense is explosive. Liberty is the No. 7 rushing team in the country, averaging 255 yards per game. Liberty’s offense is no slouch either and has four players with over 300 rushing yards and a combined 14 touchdowns.

However, the Hokies could run away with it, and the game could slip away fast if Liberty doesn’t hang with the Virginia Tech offense, which ranks fifth in the nation in rushing.

Virginia Tech key to the game: Running the football effectively

It’s a common theme every week, but there’s no denying it: Virginia Tech’s run game is the key to success. In every game, excluding Wake Forest, the Hokies’ rushing attack has dominated. Khalil Herbert and the offensive line have overshadowed Hendon Hooker’s top-flight passing and rushing efforts as of late.

Herbert ran for over 100 yards last week against the Cardinals, a weekly occurrence since he arrived from Kansas.

Liberty’s Player to watch for: QB Malik Willis

Quarterback Malik Willis is having a strong season for the Flames. He’s completed 67% of his passes for over 1,100 yards with nine touchdowns and just one interception. He leads FBS in quarterback scramble yards with 495 yards and six touchdowns.

Willis was at one time committed to Virginia Tech to play cornerback. However, he flipped to Auburn, who gave him a chance to play quarterback. Willis transferred to Liberty prior to the 2019 season and sat out last season for eligibility reasons.

Virginia Tech’s player to watch for: Hendon Hooker

We’ve seen the best of Hendon Hooker this season: his second half against UNC, a win over Boston College, and three touchdown rushing efforts in the win against Louisville last week. And we also saw the worst of Hooker: a three interception game against Wake Forest.

Last week, he bounced back from his three interception game and turned it in four touchdowns against the Cardinals last week. The rushing game can have all the success it wants, but it’s Hooker who controls the tempo of the offense week to week.

Score Prediction: Virginia Tech 42 Liberty 20