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96th Commonwealth Cup Prediction: Virginia Cavaliers at Virginia Tech Hokies

By Tim Thomas

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Nov 30, 2013; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies linebacker Tariq Edwards (24) holds the Commonwealth Cup while celebrating with teammates after their game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium. The Hokies won 16-6. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The Virginia Tech Hokies have had a wild 2014 season which starterd out promising but has fallen apart with the Hokies at 3-6 in their last nine games. This season has been very frustrating for fans but their is hope that Virginia Tech will be able to win tonight’s game and extend their bowl streak to 22 straight.

To do that, the Virginia Tech Hokies will have to take down their biggest rival, the Virginia Cavaliers, in a showdown for the 96th Commonwealth Cup. Virginia Tech also wants to preserve their reign of dominance in Virginia and extend their winning streak over the Cavaliers to 11.

Here are our predictions for the 96th Commonwealth Cup.

Dwight Lester

Well Hokie fans, this season is finally coming to an end.  The Hokies have been erratic and very hard to watch this year at times.  The offense has been horrible.  The defense is stout as always but the record is not reflective of how good the defense has been.  The last game of the year needs to be a win for the Hokies to be bowl bound.

It just so happens this must win games comes against a hated rival in UVA.  The Cavaliers come in to the Commonwealth Cup on a 10-game losing streak to the Hokies.  Will this be the year the Cavs break through or will it be 11 years in a row?  The game is a lot more even or in some cases more tilted towards UVA than Hokie fans would like but the truth hurts.

The Hokies will need to be light years better than their performance last week.  In order to do this, the Hokies will need to be better on offense.  The talent is there so it is up to the players to play with more consistency.

Expect the offense to be more wide open and fluid as offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler is coaching for his job most likely.  I’d also look for the leash on Michael Brewer to be extremely short.  Brenden Motley is becoming a larger part of the offense and I look for this trend to continue.

The importance of the Commonwealth Cup is magnified by the fact that the Hokies and the Wahoos need this game to be bowl eligible.  The Hokies have dominated in years past but I don’t look for this game to be a blow out by any means.  The Hokies have to fight and claw for this win 27-24.  A hard fought win against a rival and I’m sure the fans and the players wouldn’t have it any other way.

Nov 22, 2014; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons quarterback John Wolford (10) gets sacked by Virginia Tech Hokies defensive tackle Nigel Williams (95) during the first quarter at BB&T Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Vitulli

The Battle for the Commonwealth Cup has arrived with Virginia Tech at a crossroads.  They have endured their worst season in ACC play since joining the league and enter the contest one win shy of bowl eligibility.  At this point, even if they win to become eligible, it is not even guaranteed that they will be selected for a bowl game due to so many other ACC teams and Notre Dame having already secured bowl eligibility.

Nonetheless, a loss could signal the end of the Frank Beamer era at Virginia Tech.  The winningest active coach in NCAA history might be shown the door after one of the worst seasons in decades.  This follows a series of down years as well.  Meanwhile, UVA hasn’t won the Commonwealth Cup in 11 years.  Could this be the year the cup returns to Charlottesville?

No, the Cup will stay in Blacksburg.  Despite all the failures that the Hokies have endured this season, they have continued to play hard and show promise for the future.  With Coach Beamer’s future potentially at stake along with the school’s 22 consecutive year bowl streak on the line, I foresee an inspired effort on both sides of the ball.

This will be the game where things finally come together for the Hokies.  There is no bigger rivalry game for Virginians than this annual matchup and the Hokies will be pumped up and blow the Cavaliers out of the water.

The Hokies will still struggle offensively at times in this games but they will be buoyed by a pair of defensive touchdowns to win this one handedly.  VT 20 UVA 9

Tim Thomas

This is the game that many fans marked on their calenders since this date was announced before the season. This is the game where state bragging rights are really decided and fans of both schools are hopeful their team comes out on top. The Commonwealth Cup is the state championship of college football in Virginia.

The Hokies have beaten the arch rival Cavaliers in 10-straight games in what was Decade of Dominance by Virginia Tech. However, Virginia Tech wants to extend this winning streak into a second decade but the Cavaliers will hope that the streak ends tonight.

Neither offense has been very good this season and this game has the makings of a low-scoring, defensive game. Expect a lot of sacks in this game with five of the top 10 players in sacks in the ACC led by Dadi Nicolas for the Hokies and Henry Coley for the Cavaliers.

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Michael Brewer had arguably the worst game of his season against Wake Forest but will play a little better this week at home. The Hokies will get the job done on special teams with Greg Stroman leading the charge for Virginia Tech to win the field position battle.

Joey Slye is going to play a big role in this game making some field goals in what will be another ugly game. The Hokies will extend their bowl streak and beat Virginia for the 11th straight time but it will be a close one 13-10.

Next: Keys to the Game for VT Against UVA

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