Virginia Tech has a big non-conference game against Penn State on Saturday. Here are a few factoids, stats and notes to preview the game.

*A win against PSU would give the Hokies three non-conference victories this season over power conference teams. The last time they accomplished that feat in the regular season was in 1994-95 when they beat Nebraska, West Virginia, Tennessee and Clemson as members of the Metro Conference. Tech beat Iowa, Seton Hall and Illinois in 2006-07, but the Illinois win came in the NCAA tournament.

*Tech’s longest win streak in Seth Greenberg’s seven seasons is five (three times, most recently 2008-09). The Hokies can match that against Penn State.

*Tech is 7-1, its best start since opening the 1995-96 season 12-1.

*If the Hokies can get past the Nittany Lions, they might have a shot at matching 12-1. They close out 2009 at home against Charleston Southern, UMBC and Longwood. If they win out, that puts them at 11-1 when they go down to Cancun, Mexico, to play Seton Hall on Jan. 2.

*Hokies junior guard Malcolm Delaney leads all ACC players with a 20.9 scoring average. He is the only Tech player with more than five 3-point field goals. He has made 17 of 56 attempts from behind the arc. The rest of Tech’s team is 18 for 63. Ben Boggs is 5 for 6.

*Penn State won the 2009 NIT championship. It is 22-1 in its last 23 home non-conference games.

*Tech’s only loss came to Temple on Nov. 21. Penn State also lost to Temple this season, 45-42 on Dec. 5. PSU’s other two losses came to UNC Wilmington and Tulane.

*The Nittany Lions have won nine straight at home, and they’ve won three straight against ACC teams (VT in 2007, Georgia Tech in 2008 and Virginia this season). Guard Talor Battle scored a career high 32 points against the Cavaliers on Nov. 30.