SMU's Rhett Lashlee Scouts 'Elite' Virginia Tech Ahead Of Monster ACC Showdown

The SMU Mustangs will welcome the 6-2 Virginia Tech Hokies to Gerald J. Ford Stadium on Friday night in what looms as a monster ACC showdown.

After the Mustangs were beaten at the buzzer last week by Syracuse, SMU has to get right back on the bike as Virginia Tech comes into this one in good form, and on a two-game winning streak.

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The Mustangs played well enough to win last week, but they kept the door ajar, and Syracuse walked through it with 17 seconds left.

They can't afford to let up at all this week.

And for head coach Rhett Lashlee, he knows his team is in for one hell of a fight on Friday night.

"They play hard, they're physical, they're very sound, they have an identity on offense," Lashlee said. "They're elite at getting sacks and tackles for loss. They're the best in the country of both. Fumbles, really, really good against the run. They don't give you easy things.

"Then they're really good on special teams. Their punt returns, number one in the country. Their kicker is really good, so they're just sound all around. They're really good. They play hard. They have an identity, and they're consistent."

Everywhere you look, Virginia tech have weapons.

Quarterback Ethan Grunkemyer has thrown for 2,140 yards, 17 TDs, and just two interceptions, with running backs Jeffrey Overton (639 yards, 4 TDs) and Marcellous Hawkins (337 yards, 4 TDs), and receiver Sean Brown (685 yards, 3 TDs) looming as key weapons for SMU to stop.

As far as defensive weapons, Aycen Stevens (10.5 TFLs, 8.0 sacks, Caleb Spencer (9.0 TFLs, 3.0 sacks), Mylachi Williams (9.0 TFLs, 4.5 sacks), and Cortez Harris (6.5 TFLs, 5.0 sacks) loom as destroyers for the offense.

So, it is clear that SMU has plenty to worry about on Friday night, and stopping the defensive tsunami that is coming will be key for Lashlee and his staff.

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Coming off a loss and needing to bounce back, SMU couldn't have picked a trickier team to go against.

Virginia Tech is good in every phase, and if the Mustangs are to walk away with their seventh win of the season, they would have earned it.