In one of the most anticipated games of the 2016-17 college football season, the Tennessee Volunteers meet up with the Virginia Tech Hokies in a border war at Bristol Motor Speedway. “It’s kind of once in a lifetime”. The Volunteers had to overcome a 10-point deficit at halftime here.
Advertisement
After 27 years as head coach for Virginia Tech, Frank Beamer decided last season was going to be his final year coaching the Hokies.
It’s tough to tell much from just the first week, but Virginia Tech seems to be pretty well-equipped to compete here.
The only thing the players are sure of is that the unusual environment should create a memorable moment.
Members of the University of Tennessee grounds crew paint the “Battle at Bristol” logo on the football field at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn. That record was set on September 7, 2013, when the Wolverines beat Notre Dame 41-30.
“It’s going to be the battle of Bristol”, Virginia High School Principal Ronnie Collins said. “Obviously, we made some mistakes but we were able to overcome them and win the game”.
Fans are anxiously waiting to see the Tennessee Vols take on the Virginia Tech Hokies.
“Every week past year I thought we really worked at getting better every week up front”, DeBord said.
Local businesses in the Bristol Motor Speedway area are thrilled for the 150,000 fans and their pocketbooks! Virginia Tech may have their own knock-off Cam Newton and some good targets for him on offense, but the Vols have more.
Honestly, I think it means a lot. “It’s not necessarily the width from the field, it’s the length in the end-zone seats, I think that’s going to be the major issue”.
One of my favorite reads on Virginia Tech is The Key Play, and they were good enough to trade questions and answers with us this week. Tennessee struggled despite returning the nucleus of an offense that had averaged 35.2 points per game past year to rank third in the Southeastern Conference.
“It will be exciting”, Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs said. With most of the fans also farther away from the field than they normally would be Kirkland wonders if that could lead to less crowd noise than usual. But what gives me some comfort in that is the number of people who have never been here that we bring in that are with the football programs and as soon as they walk in, they go, ‘Oh, man, this is great. Dobbs says he’s feeling fine and will be ready to go Saturday, and Tennessee coach Butch Jones says the senior quarterback is “100 percent healthy”. Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara combined for 34 carries and 131 yards, an underwhelming 3.9 yards per carry.
Advertisement
FUMBLING CONCERNS: Both teams must take better care of the ball. The senior quarterback placed his throw in the flawless spot down the left sideline, just over the top of the Appalachian State defender and into the hands of an open receiver for his first touchdown pass of 2016. Virginia Tech had five fumbles against Liberty and lost four of them.
