BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech Hokies rallied in the second half on Saturday to defeat Marshall 31-17, but they know that playing just one strong half won’t be enough against in-state rival Old Dominion.
ODU head coach Ricky Rahne acknowledged the challenge but is focused on finding any edge. “Obviously, you’re always looking for any advantage you can have and something that you can do to win the game,” Rahne said. Addressing Virginia Tech’s slow start, he added, “The slow start... I mean, it’s two weeks, so it’s a little bit harder to get a statistical analysis on a small sample size.”
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Old Dominion’s defense will look for every opportunity to limit the Hokies’ offense, especially on third down, where the Monarchs have been effective in holding opponents to a 42% conversion rate. For Virginia Tech, improving early downs will be key, as Hokies head coach Brent Pry noted.
“Yeah, honestly I think the biggest difference was we were off schedule in the first half—too many TFLs [tackles for loss], a couple early down incompletions where we were third-and-long,” Pry explained. “You look at our third down in the first half versus the second half—much more manageable in the second half.”
A big part of Virginia Tech’s success against Marshall came from the defensive line, led by standout Aeneas Peebles. He emphasized the preparation that went into that performance. “Going into this Marshall week was making sure we were making tackles and things of that nature, so we really emphasized making tackles in practice that week. I feel like it really showed up going into Marshall, so keeping that kind of energy going in practice and making sure we’re working out every day,” said Peebles.
Despite Old Dominion’s 0-2 start, the team has competed fiercely, going toe-to-toe with South Carolina in Week 1 and East Carolina in Week 2. The game against Virginia Tech offers a prime opportunity for them to find their stride.
“With all due respect to us to prove to ourselves, I want us to continue to prove that we’re a good football team to each other so we can continue to believe in that and have the trust of each other and things like that,” said Rahne.
As the Hokies prepare for this in-state matchup, Pry knows there’s added motivation. “It’s a school in-state, on the road, so there’s a lot at play there for us. A lot of motivation to have a great week and go well.”
Virginia Tech will travel to Old Dominion on Saturday to play at 6 p.m.