The Hokies came off a tough win last Saturday and are looking to get their fourth straight win against the Syracuse Orange. We saw the Hokie defense step up in a big way in last week’s game, allowing just six points the entire contest and the offense being able to take advantage of the short field. This week, however, the Hokies will face a tough ACC opponent in Syracuse, having lost just two games this season.

1. QB Kyle McCord

Kyle McCord has been leading the way for the Orange this season; with 2,481 yards, 19 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and an average of 354.4 yards per game. This season, Kyle McCord has led the Orange to a 5-2 record so far, but last week against Pittsburgh, it could be argued that McCord had one of the worst games or one of the worst games of his career. In last week’s game against Pittsburgh, McCord threw for 321 yards, 5 interceptions, and completed just 54% of his passes. This matchup will potentially be a good game for the Hokies as they are holding their opponents to 196.2 passing yards per game, which ranks 88th in the country.

2. WR Trebor Pena

Syracuse wide receiver Trebor Pena is putting up good numbers this season, catching 47 passes for 509 yards and 5 touchdowns, averaging 72.7 yards per game. In his last game against Pittsburgh, Trebor caught five passes for 51 yards and his longest reception was 20 yards. How the Hokies secondary plays against him and the rest of the Syracuse offense will be something to keep an eye on as they are coming off a game in which they forced Georgia Tech to score twice.

3.RB LeQuint Allen

Syracuse Orange running back LeQuint Allen struggled with the rest of the Syracuse offense in the last game against Pittsburgh. Finishing with 15 carries for 32 rushing yards and six receptions for 20 receiving yards. So far this season, Allen has rushed for 481 yards, 4 rushing touchdowns, is averaging 4.4 yards per carry and 68.7 rushing yards per game. Allen’s receiving stats are 37 receptions, 274 receiving yards, three receiving yards, and 39.1 receiving yards per game. Considering how teams have played the Hokies this season, it wouldn’t surprise me if Syracuse took a rushing approach coming off a game in which they threw five interceptions and the Hokies struggled to stop the run.

Additional Links:

Virginia Tech Football: Three Things Virginia Tech Needs to Fix Before Matchup with Syracuse

Virginia Tech Football: 5 Big Takeaways from Virginia Tech’s Win Over Georgia Tech

Virginia Tech Football: Three Keys to Hokies’ Victory Over Georgia Tech