Battle at Bristol – Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Tennessee Volunteers Predictions, Picks & Preview

Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Tennessee Volunteers Preview

Where: Bristol Motor Speedway – Bristol, Tennessee

When: Saturday, September 10, 8:00 PM ET

Line: Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Tennessee Volunteers – view all NCAA football lines

TV Broadcast: ABC

Writer’s Pick: Tennessee

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Offensive Edge – Tennessee Vols

Tennessee should have the significant offensive edge in this matchup. The Vols, who are priced at +400 to win the SEC after last year’s 9-4 season, return a ton of talent on that side of the ball.

Senior quarterback Joshua Dobbs isn’t the greatest passer – he completed 60 percent of his passes for 2,291 yards, 15 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in 2015 – but he makes up for it with his legs. He ran for 671 yards with 11 rushing touchdowns, so don’t be surprised to see him go over 51.5 rushing yards against Virginia Tech.

Talented running backs Jalen Hurd (1,288 rushing yards and 12 TDs in 2015) and Alvin Kamara (698 yards, 7 TDs) also return, and they will get to run behind four returning starters on the Vols O-line.

On the other side, there’s a ton of optimism with the arrival of new Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente, whose Memphis offense was one of the most prolific in the country last year. He will need some time to get a full grasp of his team, but he should have some weapons to work with right off the bat.

Running back Travon McMillian, who ran for 1,000 yards last season, returns along with top receivers Isaiah Ford (1,164 receiving yards, 11 TDs), Cam Phillips and Bucky Hodges. Meanwhile, the offensive line returns four players with a lot of starting experience.

Quarterback will be the big question mark, though. Junior college transfer Jerod Evans – who Lynch recruited when he was in Memphis – and fifth-year senior Brenden Motley are both competing for the starting spot, but neither is expected to be a true game-changer.

Defensive Edge – Tennessee Vols

Tennessee should also have the advantage on defense, but its gap on this side of the ball will likely be a bit closer.

The Vols bring back nearly every starter on defense save for the two safety positions. They have three very good edge rushers in Derek Barnett, Jonathan Kongbo and Corey Vereen, as well as a formidable linebacking duo in Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Darrin Kirkland Jr. Depth along the interior of the line and the secondary isn’t great, but they do boast star power in those positions with tackle Kahlil McKenzie and corner Cameron Sutton.

The Hokies defense was expected to be excellent – as it almost always is under defensive coordinator Bud Foster – last season. But that wasn’t the case, as they posted their least-impressive numbers in some two decades under Foster.

Don’t rule out a bounce-back effort from Foster’s unit, though. He still has a bunch of talent on that side of the ball, with Ken Ekanem and Woody Baron starring in what should be a deep defensive line. The secondary struggled mightily last season and will now be without star Kendal Fuller. But with a full year of experience, trust in Foster to lead last year’s young group to take some sort of step up.

Writer’s Prediction: Tennessee has too much for the Virginia Tech defense, as the Vols come away 27-17 winners.

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