Virginia Tech vs Nebraska Football Odds

Written September 17, 2009 by Hector Garza

nebraska-virginia-tech-odds-091709 Are the #19 ranked Huskers for real this season? There will be no better test than this Saturday’s matchup against #13 Virginia Tech. Nebraska will travel to Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia for kickoff at 3:30 p.m. EDT on ABC. The Hokies have an impressive 31 game non-conference winning streak while playing at home, and the college football odds list them as 5 point favorites. With both offenses peaking for a total of 90 points last week, look for a heavy play on the over of the 50 point total.

The Huskers have enjoyed two home tune ups this year against lackluster Sun Belt Conference opponents. As expected, the offense has exploded under the leadership of QB Zac Lee. He’s passed for a total 553 yards and six td’s while throwing only 1 interception, completing almost 74% of his passes. Lee has done a great job distributing the ball, as 11 players caught a pass last week. Roy Helu Jr. anchors the running game and has surpassed the 100 yard mark in both contests this year, averaging 7.1 yards a carry.

All of those impressive offensive statistics don’t mean anything to the Hokies. Last year they ranked in the top ten nationally in total defense (279.4 yards/game) and scoring defense (16.7 ppg), and they stymied the Big Red’s run game for 55 rushing yards. They showed vulnerability in their opening loss against Alabama (498 yards) but bounced back nicely against Marshall yielding only 252 yards and 10 points. If you plan to bet on football this week, give a look at this $500 match bonus from BetUS.

Offensively, Virginia Tech exploded last week rolling up 605 yards in a dominating 52-10 win against the Thundering Herd. 444 yards came on the ground, with tailbacks Ryan Williams and David Wilson each gaining over 160 a piece. Double threat QB Tyrod Taylor chipped in an additional 58 yards and threw for 161, completing 9-16 passes. This rebound came after only gaining 155 yards against a stingy Alabama defense, 64 on the ground and 91 in the air.

Last year Tyrod Taylor gashed the Huskers for 171 yards passing and 87 on the ground. To win this year Nebraska knows they must contain him, and they’re looking for big plays out of star DT Ndamukong Suh. The Big Red have given up 12 points in two games this year, but Pelini says there’s still room for improvement. DE’s Pierre Allen and Barry Turner will both be looking for their first sacks of the year against a VT offense that has already given up eight. If the defense can reproduce the success Alabama had, they can easily pull the upset.

The Huskers are looking to avenge the 35-30 loss at home last year where the Hokies won the turnover battle and their special teams had a blocked punt. This year they’ve continued their success with a kickoff return going the distance in the opener and a punt return of 68 yards for a td last week. Experience wise, Virginia Tech also has the edge as this is the Big Red’s first game against a ranked opponent. The series is tied at 1-1, and this rubber match promises to be thriller, with Nebraska very capable of beating the spread.

Final Score Prediction: Virginia Tech 34, Nebraska 31

Garza’s Pick: Nebraska/VA Tech OVER 50

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