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THE COLUMN: Virginia vs. Georgia Tech Complete Preview

Virginia looks for critical sixth win against Georgia Tech

THE DETAILS

TIME: 3:00 PM (EST)

DATE: November 4th, 2017

LOCATION: Scott Stadium - Charlottesville, VA

WHERE TO WATCH: Regional Sports Networks

DEPTH CHART


THE LOWDOWN.

by Paul Wiley

No rebuild is 100 percent smooth sailing. Just ask anyone who's tried to remodel a kitchen or renovate a master suite. After six very encouraging games, Bronco's boys have hit a snag. The word from the head man this week, echoed by Joe Reed and Micah Kiser, was that the Boston College beatdown left a hangover nasty enough to drag all the way to Heinz Field. And boy howdy did it show.

But the first step to recovery is recognizing you've got a problem. Old habits die hard, and a putrid recent history of losing can go from a habit to a whole damn culture. Sometimes the best way to get back on track is to stare down a tough obstacle instead of taking an easy one for granted. Will the looming Yellow Jackets bring some clarity of thought back to the McCue Center? Can the Cavaliers shake the doldrums and return to winning ways?


WE LIKE STATS.

Provided by Danny Neckel

The Good For UVA

Category UVA Category Navy
Category UVA Category Navy
Passing Defense 15th (179.6) Passing Offense 128th (83.8)
Turnovers Lost 41st (16) Turnovers Gained 109th (13)
3rd Down Offense 68th (39.8%) 3rd Down Defense 101st (43.5%)

The Not So Good For UVA

Category UVA Category Navy
Category UVA Category Navy
Team Sacks 50th (2.5) Sacks Allowed 6th (1)
Rushing Defense 81st (178.3) Rushing Offense 2nd (343)
Rushing Offense 125th (98.8) Rushing Defense 65th (164.9)

HOO’S WHO.

Bryce Hall
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Bryce Hall - CB

Last week, we saw second-year Bryce Hall being targeted often by Pittsburgh quarterback, Ben DiNucci. Even though the Panthers primarily killed the Hoos on the ground, it seemed like part of Pat Narduzzi’s plan to go after Hall. The young corner has started all eight of Virginia’s games this year and, last year, as a true freshman, Hall appeared in all 12 games. Him and Thornhill are the two main cornerbacks right now for the Wahoos and will critical parts of Virginia’s bowl hopes.

Andrew Brown
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Andrew Brown - DE

Andrew Brown, a fourth-year, was one of the bright spots for Virginia against the Panthers. He constantly applied pressure to Pitt’s quarterback and was a general nuisance for the Panther’s offensive line. On the day, he had one sack and three tackles for a loss. This week, Brown will be critical in trying to disrupt Georgia Tech’s option-style offense.

Andre Levrone
Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images

Andre Levrone - WR

Where have you gone Andre Levrone? While Virginia spreads the ball amongst receivers, Levrone has only had three receptions for 28 yards in the last three games. Against Connecticut and Boise State, the fourth-year had 127 and 141 receiving yards, respectively. While those may be outliers, Benkurt needs Levrone to help out Zaccheaus and Dowling.

TaQuon Marshall
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

TaQuon Marshall - QB

The first thing you need to know about TaQuon Marshall is that, on the year, he has 727 rushing yards and 488 passing yards. Marshall has thrived under Paul Johnson’s patented spread option offense, amassing 17 touchdowns (5 passing, 12 rushing) so far. However, this hasn’t necessarily translated to a sexy W-L record for Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are 4-3 but looks can be deceiving though as those losses were all against ranked teams.

KirVonte Benson
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

KirVonte Benson - RB

Sophomore, KirVonte Benson has been a workhorse for the Yellow Jackets. He has five touchdowns on the year and while that may not seem like a lot, Benson has 781 rushing yards to go with that. He has rushed for over 100 yards in five of Georgia Tech’s seven games and look for him to get handed the ball in a plethora of ways on Saturday.

Antonio Simmons
Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

Antonio Simmons - DE

Senior defensive lineman, Antonio Simmons, leads the Yellow Jackets in sacks this year with 4.5. Last year, Simmons didn’t start a game but, rather, was a key reserve. Even in that role, Simmons registered 32 tackles. This year, he has taken on a bigger role and will cause disruptions for the Hoos offense. With news that Benkert could be playing with a nagging shoulder injury, it’s critical that Simmons and others don’t get to Virginia’s quarterback.


PICK ‘EM.

Poll

Virginia Bowl Hopes?

This poll is closed

  • 41%
    Keep Calm
    (70 votes)
  • 58%
    Panic
    (100 votes)
170 votes total Vote Now

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THROWBACKZ.

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