PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Depending on where you live in West Virginia, there is a rival game for you. Opening game, the eastern side of the state had Maryland. Over the next couple of years, the north gets Pitt and Penn State. Saturday, the south and east gets Virginia Tech.
It's the Black Diamond Trophy. And it's been over 6,000 days since the Mountaineers had their hands on it.
"I know our fan base are excited about this year," said West Virginia head coach Neal Brown. "We are educating our players about the rivalry. From a fan base standpoint the rivalry sticks out more than the players. Just because it hasn't been played on an annual basis since the 2000s."
The last meeting, a 31-24 Hokies win in 2017. Will Grier passed for 371 yards and three touchdowns. His final pass incomplete from the 15-yard line. WVU assistant Jeff Casteel coached in that game and Brown is having him talk to the team about the expected intensity for a home, noon kick, Gold Rush sellout on Hall of Fame Saturday.
Virginia Tech upset 10th ranked North Carolina to start the season holding one of the ACC Player of the Year favorites Sam Howell to 208 yards passing. That vaulted the Hokies into the top 20. They broke open a game with Middle Tennessee State to win 35-14 last Saturday.
Defensively, it's another high-level squad as Brown believes there are a couple of NFL players out there. Nine sacks in two games and allowing 106 yards a game on the ground.
"It's going to be a challenge," Brown said. "Their box doesn't change. They keep it simple for their linebackers. They play downhill. Their D-line is tough. They hold double teams really well. They use their hands really well. It will be a challenge for us."
Offensively, receiver Tre Turner has 8 catches for 131 yards. Running backs Jalen Holston and Raheem Blackshear each have touchdowns. The leader for Virginia Tech is the quarterback. Braxton Burmeister completed 61% of his passes for a pair of touchdowns and 311 yards. Add another 81 on the ground with a 5.1 average and a score.
"His ability with his feet makes them really hard to defend," Brown said complimenting his speed and arm strength. "Especially when they play in 12 personnel because you have extra gaps to defend. They do a good job mixing up who he's reading to. It's going to be a challenge for us on defense."
Challenge on offense, challenge on defense. Brown says as far as they are concerned, they continue to work to be more physical, especially up front.
"We have to demand," Brown said. "There are times I think we're better. We got to practice (harder). We did that last week a little better. We have to continue to do that."
"It's a big game because it's next game. It's a big game because it's a rivalry game. I think we will know a lot more about our football team based on how we play on Saturday."
