West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech: Preview, predictions, TV schedule and more

BLACKSBURG, VA - NOVEMBER 26: Head coach of the Virginia Tech Hokies Justin Fuente reacts to his ice bath following the victory against the Virginia Cavaliers at Lane Stadium on November 26, 2016 in Blacksburg, Virginia. Virginia Tech defeated Virginia 52-10. (Photo by Michael Shroyer/Getty Images) /

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BLACKSBURG, VA – NOVEMBER 12: Head coach of the Virginia Tech Hokies Justin Fuente looks on during the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Lane Stadium on November 12, 2016 in Blacksburg, Virginia. Georgia Tech defeated Virginia Tech 30-20. (Photo by Michael Shroyer/Getty Images) /

Keys for Virginia Tech

As the Hokies defense looks mostly set, the keys for Sunday’s opener will all be on the offensive side of the ball.

Following a strong showing in fall camp, Fuente gave the starting quarterback job to redshirt freshman Josh Jackson ahead of JUCO transfer AJ Bush and recruit Henden Hooker. Jackson, a three-star dual-threat prospect out of Michigan, was named the Ann Arbor News Player of the Year back in 2015 and is dangerous as a runner in the open field at 6-1, 215 pounds.

While coaches have praised Jackson’s consistency and there’s plenty of upside here, he will need help in his debut against Tony Gibson’s perplexing 3-3-5 defense. The Hokies lost a significant chunk of receiving production with the departures of Isaiah Ford, Bucky Hodges and Sam Rogers over the offseason, so Jackson will need somebody other than Cam Phillips to step up against a depleted Mountaineers secondary.

One target to watch is tight end Chris Cunningham, who caught four touchdowns in six games last season as a redshirt freshman. The good news for Jackson is that he should have decent protection behind Yosuha Nijman, Wyatt Teller and Eric Gallo, although Virginia Tech could be in trouble if any member of that trio gets injured.

With an outstanding back seven including game-wrecking brothers Tremaine and Terrell Edmunds, the key for the Virginia Tech defense will be transforming from a strong unit to an elite one. The defensive line is good if not quite as star-studded, although it will need one of its best efforts of the year taking on Crawford.

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