Bowl eligibility is on the line for both rivals Saturday night as Virginia and host Virginia Tech finish the regular season in Blacksburg, Va.
Both teams are 5-6 overall and 3-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The visiting Cavaliers have lost two in a row and five of their last six, while the Hokies are on a three-game losing streak.
Virginia is trying to get to a bowl game for the first time under third-year head coach Tony Elliott. Virginia Tech won the Military Bowl last season and is seeking its second postseason berth with third-year coach Brent Pry.
The Hokies have won the last three editions of the Commonwealth Clash and have not lost to the Cavaliers at home since 1998. Virginia Tech is 3-2 at home this season and Virginia is 3-2 on the road.
Virginia Tech is coming off a 31-28 defeat at Duke, its fifth loss by seven or fewer points this season. By comparison, Virginia’s last four losses were by a combined 91 points.
“It’s super frustrating,” Hokies wide receiver Ali Jennings said of the Hokies’ 0-5 record in one-score games. “A lot of times we are the better team, but we shoot ourselves in the foot.”
Virginia Tech had twice as many first downs as Duke (24-12) and three times the rushing yards (190-64) but couldn’t catch up after falling into a 31-17 hole. The Hokies had three chances to tie or take the lead in the final eight minutes but came up empty.
Collin Schlee started at quarterback for the injured Kyron Drones (knee), but Schlee exited with a first-half injury and was replaced by freshman William “Pop” Watson III.
Drones, who threw three touchdown passes in last season’s 55-17 rout of Virginia, is considered day-to-day heading into Saturday’s finale.
The Cavaliers fell 33-7 at home last weekend to then-No. 13 SMU. They trailed 26-0 before getting on the board with Anthony Colandrea’s TD pass to Malachi Fields with 4:16 remaining.
Virginia also has a cloudy QB picture, with some calling for Tony Muskett to replace Colandrea (13 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions this season).
“We gotta figure out who gives us the best shot, but at the end of the day, whoever’s your quarterback, he’s got to have help from his supporting cast all the way around,” Elliott said.