Notre Dame Football: Key Defensive Matchups vs. Virginia Tech

After a statement win over rival Stanford, Notre Dame football its eyes on the College Football Playoff. The Irish have a tough test this week as they travel to Blacksburg for a primetime matchup against Virginia Tech.

The Notre Dame football team will travel to Blacksburg, VA this weekend to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies. The Hokies are 3-1 and ranked 24th in the latest AP Poll. This season they have had a game cancelled due to hurricane Florence, and they were on the losing end of one of the greatest upsets in college football history. Suffice it to say, they have not had a normal season thus far.

The upset I am referring to is a week four loss to Old Dominion, which, According to ESPN, was the largest upset in the 14-year history of FPI projections. Potentially worse than losing that one game was the fact their starting quarterback, Josh Jackson, left the game with a fractured fibula and could miss the remainder of the 2018 season. After Jackson went down, junior transfer Ryan Willis took over at quarterback.

The Virginia Tech offense ranks 26th in offensive efficiency through the first five weeks of the season. They have been relatively balanced on offense, though they have had more success in the passing game. We will find out soon enough whether or not that trend will continue with Willis at quarterback. One thing that will certainly help the transition is the plethora of weapons that the Hokies have on offense.

Here are some key players and matchups to keep an eye on this Saturday.