After finishing the first half of the season 5-1, Duke will look to stay hot coming off its bye week against Virginia Tech Saturday at 3:30p.m. The Blue Devils enter the contest tied atop the ACC Coastal division and will look to beat the Hokies for the second time in three years. Virginia Tech has lost three of its last four contests and a defeat Saturday could put their postseason dreams at risk. Every week throughout the football season, we will break down a player on each team who could be the difference-maker in the upcoming contest:
Duke: defensive tackle A.J. Wolf
The redshirt junior defensive lineman will be tasked with clogging up any possible running lanes for Virginia Tech’s dynamic backfield threat Travon McMillan. The freshman has averaged nearly eight yards per rush in his last two games against Miami and N.C. State. The recent emergence of McMillan means that Wolf will have to be a presence for the Blue Devils if they hope to win this difficult conference matchup on the road.
In his last two conference games, Wolf has performed at a high level, recording eight tackles against Georgia Tech and five against Boston College. With senior starting defensive end Kyler Brown ruled out for the contest, the Greenwich, Conn., native will have to compensate for the Blue Devils on the defensive line. Along with Carlos Wray, Wolf will have to get an initial push on Virginia Tech’s formidable interior line and prevent McMillan and the Hokie offense from controlling the game.
Virginia Tech: quarterback Michael Brewer
After providing a late game spark for Virginia Tech in last week’s defeat at Miami, Brewer will start his first game for the Hokies since he broke his collarbone in Virginia Tech’s season-opening loss to top-ranked Ohio State. Before his injury, Brewer fared well against the Buckeye secondary—going 11-of-16 for 156 yards and two touchdowns —and leading his team to a 17-14 halftime lead.
The Lake Travis, Texas native will have his hands full with a stout Blue Devils defense this Saturday. Brewer must provide an alternative to the run game for Virginia Tech against a tough Duke defense that has allowed an average of less than eight points per game this season. If the Hokies wish to get its first win against a ranked opponent this season, it will need a strong showing from Brewer in his return to the starting lineup in front of a raucous home crowd at Lane Stadium.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.
Jacob Weiss is a Trinity senior. His column, "not jumping to any conclusions," runs on alternate Fridays.