Syracuse vs. Virginia Tech: TV listings, time, odds, history, & more

Teams: Syracuse Orange (2-4, 0-2) vs. No. 17 Virginia Tech Hokies (4-1, 2-0)

Day & Time: Saturday, October 15, 2016, 3:45 p.m.

Field: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY

Line: -20, Virginia Tech (opened at -16.5)

TV: ESPNU

Radio: Syracuse IMG Network, WAER 88.3, Sirius 93/XM 193

VT Blog: Gobbler Country

Rivalry: 9-8, Syracuse

Current Streak: 1, Virginia Tech

First Meeting: In 1964, Floyd Little rushed for a touchdown but it was a touchdown pass from Rich King to Harris Elliot with a minute left that gave Syracuse a 20‐15 victory over Virginia Tech. The NY Times reached out to Sugar Bowl officials who said “We are still interested in Syracuse, but we have no further comment at this time.” Man, those were the days.

Last Meeting: DeAngelo Hall became the first player in VT history to return two punts for touchdowns in one game as the No. 4 Hokies destroyed the Orangement 51-7 in their final Big East meeting. Watch the whole game here (for some reason).

Head Coaches: SU: Dino Babers (1st Year, 2-4), VT: Justin Fuente (1st Year, 4-1)

Coach Bio: If you’re old enough, you might remember when Fuente was the starting quarterback at Oklahoma in 1996 and 1997. He eventually lost the gig midway through the ‘97 season and transferred to Murray State. After a brief stint with the Oklahoma Wranglers of the Arena Football League, he began his coaching career. Starting at Illinois State he worked his way up to TCU where he became co-OC. That led to him taking the Memphis Tigers head coaching spot where he compiled 26-23 record that included a 10-win season and a 9-win season. He came to Virginia Tech this past offseason to replace longtime head coach Frank Beamer.

Last Year: In Beamer’s final season, the Hokies finished 7–6 (4–4). They were invited to the Independence Bowl where they defeated Tulsa in a 55-52 barn burner.

Last Game: The Hokies took it to North Carolina in the rain and wind, thoroughly beating the Heels 34-3 and reaffirming their spot at the top of the ACC Coastal.

"Fear Me, I've Killed Hundreds of Timelords": Quarterback Jerod Evans seems to be doing very well, thank you. He’s 76-of-120 for 1,045 yards, 15 touchdowns, and just one interception on the year so far. His favorite target is Isaiah Ford, who has 376 yards on 24 receptions with four touchdowns. Six different VT receivers have scores and all of them have at least two.

If Syracuse Wins: We will have probably ruined whatever plans the ACC Coastal Division had for itself, which is almost as good as a Pinstripe Bowl victory.

If Syracuse Loses: 2-5 with Clemson and Florida State still left to play would imply that the odds we’re able to play in said Pinstripe Bowl, or any bowl, would be slimmer tha Gary Johnson’s chances of being President (TOPICAL!!!).

Fun Fact: Justin Fuente was one of two Oklahoma Sooners quarterbacks when they defeated Donovan McNabb’s Syracuse squad in 1997’s epic 36-34 showdown.