Redshirt junior DeVon Edwards and the Blue Devils will go up against a Virginia Tech offense more comfortable throwing the ball than any of Duke’s previous opponents so far this season.

This past weekend was a bit out of the ordinary for Duke.

Having been away from their homes since the start of summer practice in early August, many Blue Devils went to see their families during the recent bye week, which followed a 44-3 win at Army and fall break. The break gave Duke a chance to rest and recuperate after facing a string of physical, run-first opponents during the past four weeks.

“The time off was great,” senior linebacker Dwayne Norman said. “It was great to be home in Florida. We’re college football players, but we’re regular people, too. So we like to go home…and relax for a little bit.”

But the No. 23 Blue Devils will return to business Saturday at 3:30 p.m when they face Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va. Like a year ago, Duke—which is tied for the lead in the ACC Coastal Division with Pittsburgh—enters its matchup with the Hokies in control of its own destiny.

“Our team is excited about the challenge,” Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said. “Blacksburg is a special place because they’ve made it one. It’s always a measuring stick for us to play against Virginia Tech. We got some really good work over that break.”

The Blue Devils (5-1, 2-0 in the ACC) want to rid themselves of the sour taste in their mouths from last year’s 17-16 loss to the Hokies, which cost them a chance to repeat as Coastal champions. It was an ugly performance for Cutcliffe’s squad, which committed three turnovers, hurt itself with eight penalties and missed two field goals.

As Duke moves into the heart of its ACC schedule, the Blue Devils will have to defend against more spread offenses. Although it ranks second in the nation, the Duke pass defense still has much to prove. Most of Duke’s opponents this season have featured offenses that rely mostly on the run.

Virginia Tech’s spread offense has had its ups and downs this year. But after suffering a fractured collarbone in the Hokies’ season opener against Ohio State and missing the next five games, starting quarterback Michael Brewer will be back in command Saturday. The redshirt senior completed 3-of-4 passes with a touchdown late in the Hokies’ 30-20 loss to Miami last weekend.

Duke defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ unit has been successful against the Hokies (3-4, 1-2) in the past. In 2013, Duke’s bend-don’t-break defense held Virginia Tech to 10 points despite surrendering 387 total yards of offense. Last year, the Blue Devils did not allow Brewer and the offense to find a rhythm, stopping the Hokies on 13 of their 15 third down attempts and registering six sacks.

“It will be fun. It’s just a chance to go out and make more plays,” redshirt junior ssafety DeVon Edwards said. “Now it’s kind of similar to going against our offense with things they do against the spread. That’s what we’ve practiced against all spring and all summer. We had to adjust that going into a couple games this season. [We look at] a lot of the things that they did against us…in the past year.”

Offensively, the Blue Devils will try to feed off of their 44-3 win against Army two weeks ago. After completing just 50 percent of his passes against Boston College, redshirt junior quarterback Thomas Sirk found his groove against the Black Knights. The Glen St. Mary, Fla., native completed 17 of his 27 passes with a touchdown and rushed for 53 yards.

Virginia Tech frequently loads the box to stop the run, leaving its talented secondary in one-on-one matchups on the outside. In order for Duke to score enough points to come out with a victory, its receivers must win their battles on the outside. Redshirt junior Anthony Nash has emerged as a consistent target for Sirk, reeling in a team-high five catches for 57 yards against Army. True freshman speedster T.J. Rahming sat out of the win against the Black Knights due to injury but is back practicing and should return Saturday.

The Blue Devils will add another receiver to the roster in the form of redshirt sophomore Terrance Alls, who returns to game action following a game suspension imposed in March. Alls was named the Co-Offensive Most Improved Player during Duke’s spring camp and should contribute as another weapon for Sirk on the outside.

“We’ve gotten better in every aspect,” Cutcliffe said. “Every position has worked hard. We were more consistent at Army. The bottom line of defense is keeping people out of your end zone. Virginia Tech does about as good a job as anybody I know. Hopefully we can create some big plays. Hopefully we can create some first downs.”

When the Blue Devils upset the Hokies two years ago in Blacksburg, they became bowl-eligible for a second consecutive season. A win Saturday would stretch that streak to four straight years.