Florida State at Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Before the 2020 Atlantic Coast Conference football season kicked off, Virginia Tech was picked to finish fourth, and the University of Louisville was picked one spot behind the Hokies in a vote by media members.

That’s not how this season has played out at the halfway point as Tech (3-2) and the Cards prepare to play for the first time in 15 seasons.

After dominating Florida State last week, Louisville (2-4) will try for its first two-game winning streak. If the Cards win Saturday, they will be in position to win out because they should be favored in its final four games.

1. Time: 4 p.m. Saturday, Cardinal Stadium.

2. Where to Watch/Listen: ACC Network (Wes Durham; Craig Swabek, Eric Wood); 790 WKRD (Paul Rogers, Roddy Jones, Jody Demling).

3. The Line: Virginia Tech favored by 3 1/2; Over/under (total points) 67 1/2.

4. The Analytics: Sagarin Predictor ratings favor Virginia Tech by 2.22; ESPN Football Power Index puts U of L’s win probability at 39.1%.

5. The Last Time: The teams have not played since Louisville joined the ACC in 2015. Their last game was the 2005 Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida. Virginia Tech won 35-24 in the controversial game where Tech quarterback Marcus Vick stomped on the left leg of U of L defensive lineman Elvis Dumervil. Hokies lead the series, 5-2.

6. The Records: Louisville 2-4 overall and 1-4 in the ACC after routing Florida State last week; Virginia Tech 3-2 overall and in the league. No common opponents. The Hokies are 1-2 on the road.

7. Player to Watch (Virginia Tech): Quarterback Hendon Hooker does not qualify for a passer ranking at CFBStats.com because he has only played in three games and attempted 61 passes. Hooker has completed 57.4% of his throws with four touchdowns and three interceptions. It is rushing where Hooker excels. In his last two games, Hooker ran for 164 yards against Boston College and 98 against Wake Forest. Hooker has averaged close to 7 yards per carry, making him a key component of the Hokies’ rushing attack, which leads the ACC at 291.6 yards per game.

8. Player to Watch (Louisville):  Louisville halfback Javian Hawkins moved to No. 1 in the ACC in rushing yards last Saturday. His 174-yard, three-touchdown performance against FSU improved Hawkins’ season total to 693 yards. That’s not only first in the ACC, it is third in the nation behind Sincere McCormick of Texas-San Antonio and Breece Hall of Iowa State. One thing Hawkins has not done this season is run for 100 yards in back-to-back games.

9. Sideline Storylines: Until its loss to Wake Forest last weekend, the Hokies were ranked 19th in the Associated Press' college football poll … Tech has dealt with more novel coronavirus issues than any ACC program. The Hokies were without 20 players for their first two games against North Carolina State and Duke (both wins) and 15 in a loss against North Carolina … Tech halfback Khalil Herbert had run for 100 yards or more in four consecutive games until Wake Forest limited him to 64 yards on 14 carries last Saturday … Tech coach Justin Fuente, who earns a reported $4 million per season, is ranked No. 33 at CoachesHotSeat.com … U of L limited Florida State quarterbacks to a 34% completion percentage last week, the best performance by the Cards defense since September 2016 … Tech will be the 13th and final league opponent Louisville has played since joining the ACC in 2015.

10. The Quote: From Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente on the Cards: "The (U of L) team speed stands out. Whether they're winning or losing, it seems like one guy after another who can really run. It's awfully impressive to watch; we'll have our hands full with that."

11. Social Media:

12. The Picks: Eric Crawford — U of L 31-28; John Lewis — U of L 24-21; Tom Lane — U of L 35-24; Aaron Matas — U of L 31-30; Rick Bozich — Virginia Tech — 31-24.

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