1) What do you want/need to see in the first quarter on Thursday to bode well for a Virginia Tech win? – Nova Hokie 95

Chris Coleman: Since you can’t predict things like turnovers or special teams, I’ll be looking at the play up front.

First, can the Virginia Tech defensive front get penetration? CJ Donaldson is a load at 6-2, 240. Defensive backs and even linebackers struggle to tackle him when he gets running downhill in the open. It’s critical that the Hokies hit him before he works up a full head of steam, so the defensive line needs to get penetration and hit him at or around the line of scrimmage, preferably with multiple bodies.

If the Hokies can do that, then they can prevent his big gainers. It serves a dual-purpose as well in that it helps keep West Virginia in third-and-long situations. Tech has one of the best third down defenses in the country, and a big part of that is opponents are only averaging 1.52 yards per carry, which ranks No. 3 in the country*

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