Arkansas State Red Wolves at No. 13 Virginia Tech Hokies (-24), Total 53.5 |
Arkansas State plays its second road game over the first three weeks of the season this Saturday. The Red Wolves picked up their first victory under head coach Hugh Freeze last week, knocking off Memphis 47-3 in the team’s home opener.
Obviously we are thrilled to get a win,” Freeze commented. “But we’ll keep it in perspective, it’s one win in a 12-game schedule.
The three points allowed last week were the fewest against an FBS opponent since 2005. Arkansas State ranks ninth nationally in tackles for loss, averaging nine behind the line of scrimmage a contest.
Arkansas State is 0-5 versus ACC opponents, but narrowly missed a victory against the NC State Wolfpack with a 38-31 double overtime setback in 2000. The team’s other four games against Virginia Tech and Miami were all decided by at least 27 points.
Offensively, the team was impressive versus Memphis, piling up 611 yards and is ranked 25th in the nation in total offense. The Red Wolves gained 236 yards on the ground, which were the most since Nov. 28, 2009.
Freeze served as the offensive coordinator a year ago, as the team averaged 30.0 points and 403.4 yards of offense.
Quarterback Ryan Aplin has thrown for 564 yards and completed 19 of 21 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns last week.
Bettors will find that the Red Wolves are 6-8 ATS as an underdog the last two-plus seasons and the ‘under’ is 9-5 in those contests in betting predictions.
Virginia Tech has won all three previous meetings in this series by a combined margin of 147-14. The Hokies tallied a dominating 63-7 victory over the Red Wolves in the last meeting in 2002.
Since the 1993 season, the program has registered an impressive 62-10 record in September, including a 23-5 mark over the past six-plus seasons.
Defensively, the team has intercepted at least one pass in nine straight, while the unit recorded five sacks in last week’s 17-10 road win over East Carolina as 17-point favorites. The Hokies have out-gained their two opponents by a combined 445-yard margin.
“It feels good to see our hard work pay off,” said Hokies linebacker Bruce Taylor. It’s a big turnaround from a 2010 season in which the defense ranked 52nd in the nation in yards allowed.
Running back David Wilson is the main weapon on the offensive end, rushing for 300 yards and three touchdowns in the first two games, averaging 7.1 yards per carry. He has helped ease the pressure off inexperienced quarterback Logan Thomas.
Virginia Tech has posted a 50-8-1 record versus non-conference teams at home since 1991. The program is 192-68-6 overall at the venue, including an astounding 118-31-1 mark under the direction of current head coach Frank Beamer.
college football betting fans will be interested in the Hokies being 18-8 ATS as a favorite, while the ‘under’ is 13-11 in that span.
