3:30 p.m., ACC Network

Virginia Tech Hokies (5-6, 4-3)

Head Coach: Brent Pry

Conference: ACC

Last Game: 35-28 L to NC State

The Virginia Cavaliers close out the 2023 season vying for the Commonwealth Cup against rival Virginia Tech tomorrow afternoon in Charlottesville. UVa last won the Cup in 2019 in a 39-30 thriller at home, of course.

This will be the first meeting between UVa’s Tony Elliott and VT’s Brent Pry. Needless to say, this matchup looms large in state pride, recruiting, and for the immediate future of each program in Year 2 of new regimes.

UVa comes into the game with a full head of steam, closing out Duke 30-27 last weekend. The Wahoos had two different 14-point leads in the third and fourth quarters against the Blue Devils and eventually were able to shut the door on a late comeback.

Rookie signal caller Anthony Colandrea led UVa to last week’s win, tossing three touchdowns and using his legs as well to keep the Duke defense at bay. Malik Washington’s banner year continued, as he scored twice, had another 100-yard receiving day (his ninth), and set the UVa single-season record in both receiving yards and catches.

On Saturday, UVa will need to play its best football game of the season to exorcise the Virginia Tech demon. The last meeting between these two rivals ended the Bronco Mendenhall era here at Virginia, which in turn started the Elliott vs Pry era in this rivalry.

Pry brings his football team up I-81 and across I-64 with a lot to play for. With a win, the Hokies will be bowl eligible, a huge success for Pry and Co. at this stage of the rebuild.

The Hokies seem to have found an answer at quarterback in Kyron Drones. The 6-foot-2, 234 pounder impacts the game with his arm and legs. He has passed for nearly 1,800 yards this season with 12 touchdowns to only three interceptions. On the ground, he is Tech’s second leading rusher with 592 yards and four touchdowns. If the Hokies are successful on offense, Drones will be the key. In their last win over Boston College, Drones accounted for 354 yards of offense (219 passing, 135 rushing). As a team, Tech rushed for 363 yards against the Eagles.

Joining Drones in the backfield will be mainly two running backs. Bhayshul Tuten (5-foot-11, 205 pounds) leads the team with 610 yards rushing and seven touchdowns while Malachi Thomas (6-foot, 207) has 336 yards rushing.

On the perimeter, Tech possesses two big-play receivers in Jaylin Lane (5-foot-10, 192 pounds) and Da’Quan Felton (6-foot-5, 215). Both receivers have brought in six touchdown receptions this year and have combined for nearly 1,100 yards. Tight ends Dae’Quan Wright (6-foot-4, 249) and Benji Gosnell (6-foot-5, 247) are also key cogs in this Virginia Tech offense.

For decades, Virginia Tech earned its name on tough and physical defenses that were athletic at all 11 positions and played with an edge. This year’s edition brings a lot of pressure and has some talented DBs in the backend. The unit is ranked 27th in FBS in total defense but ranked 12th in the country in sacks. Antwaun Powell-Ryland (6-foot-3, 244 pounds) leads the Hokies with nine sacks and 12.5 TFLs. Leading tackler Keli Lawson (6-foot-4, 223) is questionable for Saturday’s game, but has 73 tackles this year. Alan Tisdale (6-foot-3, 225) is also a very valuable and experienced linebacker for the Hokies.

In the secondary, Tech is paced by Dorian Strong. At 6-foot, 182- pounds, he is the latest in a long list of Hokie cornerbacks with an NFL future. This season, he has three interceptions to go along with six pass break ups.

1. Focus on going 1-0 this week.

The first two seasons for Elliott have been unlike any other start for a head coach in the country. A win against the Hokies can quiet a lot of the roars from the fanbase. Face it, UVa has not had success against the Hokies in this century. Elliott would join Al Groh and Mendenhall with one win each against Virginia Tech if he’s able to get the W, while Mike London could not secure a tally against the Hokies during his tenure. While the mantra is always to go 1-0 every week, this 1-0 is a different beast, especially for this program.

2. Colandrea has to continue being steady.

The rookie QB started the rivalry week out with some bulletin board material for the Hokies. The one thing that we know about AC10 is that he is confident in his abilities and the team seems to ride his wave. However, he has never played in this rivalry before. One mistake or one heroic play will etch your name in the annals. Particularly early on, Colandrea and the offense need to weather the emotional storm and just execute the game plan.

3. The defensive front has to come through.

There are only a handful of guys on the UVa roster that experienced the euphoria of 2019. Aaron Faumui stands out as a player who was not only on that team, but also stood out against the Hokies (seven tackles, 1.5 sacks). He and his defensive line mates need to shut down the Virginia Tech run game. That is where this game will be won. Drones, Tuten, and Thomas are all dangerous weapons and set up the Tech passing game. Faumui and Co. must be up to the task as they were in 2019.

In sports, specifically the game of football, teams rarely deserve anything. Everything is earned. Through two seasons, this UVa football program has experienced some good moments but it has seen more than its fair share of low, debilitating, and exhausting moments that would turn back any program. However, Elliott has kept at it through the muck and the program has truly improved in the 2023 season.

There are always going to be mistakes made and changes that need to happen going forward, but more than anything these young men make fans proud to be UVa fans. This collection of talent from across the country has come together and dealt with adversities better than many adults ever could.

The payoff is Saturday. Look for Colandrea and the offense to put together a dazzling performance and the UVa defense makes enough stops to put this game away early for the home team. We think the Hoos close out the 2023 year with a rout of the Hokies and offer an intriguing outlook for the 2024 season.