Three Things We Learned From Virginia Tech’s Weekend
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When Virginia Tech snapped its two-game losing streak with the 34-24 win over GA Tech last weekend, we learned some new things about the Hokies. VA Tech jumped out to a big first-half lead before allowing the Yellow Jackets to climb back into the contest in the third quarter. Ultimately, Virginia Tech stretched the lead again and cruised in the fourth quarter to a much-needed victory.
Here are three things we learned from Virginia Tech’s weekend.
Three Things We Learned From Virginia Tech’s Weekend
The Rushing Defense Is Outstanding. The Passing Defense Not So Much
Virginia Tech’s defense has taken significant strides forward this season, but perhaps not in the way that most fans were expecting.
Coming into the year, the expectation was that the Hokies’ secondary would be the strength of the defense, anchoring the unit while the pass rush developed its youth. Through seven games, the opposite has been true. Virginia Tech’s rushing defense has been stout and the pass rush has been much better than anticipated.
The Hokies boast the nation’s 10th-best rushing defense, allowing opponents to rush for an average of just 87.4 yards per game. According to Game on Paper, Tech’s defense is seventh in the country in Havoc rate, which is a measure of how disruptive a defensive unit is against an opposing offense. The Hokies also rank 11th in the nation in sacks and second in the country in tackles for loss. By any measure, the defensive line and linebackers have collectively been among the nation’s best.
But despite all of the improvements made in the first two levels of the defense, the Hokies have struggled mightily in the secondary. Tech’s defensive backs have underwhelmed, struggling in coverage week-over-week.
Last Saturday continued the trend defensively for the Hokies. Virginia Tech allowed just 93 yards rushing on 21 carries to Georgia Tech, with 76 of those yards coming on two plays. If you remove those, Virginia Tech allowed a mere 17 yards on 19 carries. The Hokies also added three sacks and five tackles for loss.
But despite the effective pass rush and stout rushing defense, Georgia Tech’s Alberto Mendoza still put together his best passing effort of the season for the Yellow Jackets, throwing for a season-high 335 yards and two touchdowns, while completing 76.3% of his passes.
The Hokies will face better quarterbacks than Mendoza down the stretch of the season, which could prove problematic to a much-maligned secondary. But at this stage of the year, the defense likely is what it is. It’ll be tough sledding for opposing rushing attacks, but open season in the passing game.
The secondary is limiting Virginia Tech’s ceiling in year one under Franklin.
Virginia Tech’s Passing Game Continues to Pace The Offense as a Whole
Virginia Tech first-year starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer has been a revelation for a Hokies offense that has struggled mightily through the air for the better part of the last decade. Grunkemeyer completed 15 of his 22 passing attempts against Georgia Tech for 250 yards and three touchdowns, and also ran for another in the win. It was not Grunkemeyer’s best statistical game of the season, but it was certainly efficient enough to get the job done.
The passing game has been the best part of Virginia Tech’s offense all season long, with Grunkemeyer leading the ACC in passing yards and ranking in the top five nationally in that statistic as well. In total, the redshirt-sophomore has completed 72.9% of his passes for 1,984 yards and 15 touchdowns to two interceptions.
Grunkemeyer has been great, as have his top pass catchers. Tight end Luke Reynolds had a quiet day against Georgia Tech, but he’s an All-American candidate at the halfway mark of the season. Slot receiver Que’Sean Brown is an All-ACC candidate in his own right, and his best game of the year came against the Yellow Jackets. He caught six passes for 182 yards and a touchdown, and also tallied a field-flipping 63-yard punt return in the second half.
Virginia Tech’s passing offense has been better than anyone could have predicted. It’s a good thing that’s the case, because…
Virginia Tech’s Rushing Offense Continued Its Season of Mixed Results
The Hokies ran the ball well against Georgia Tech, notching 159 yards on 40 carries at an average of nearly four yards per clip. Jeffrey Overton Jr. led the way for the Hokies, with 14 carries for 85 yards in the win.
Virginia Tech’s running game was the most efficient it’s looked since the Maryland win over a month ago. The rushing performance against Boston College was deceiving due to a couple big fourth quarter carries by Overton, and the running game in the two losses to Pittsburgh and Cal left much to be desired.
Perhaps the decent performance on the ground against the Yellow Jackets will help the Virginia Tech rushing offense turn a corner, but it’ll likely be a mixed bag the rest of the way. The key will be to run the ball just well enough to keep defenses off balance and allow the Virginia Tech passing game to continue to operate at a near-elite level. Saturday night’s tilt against Clemson will be a tough test for the Hokies, who will look to take another stride forward on the ground.
Main Image: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images
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