Virginia Tech football takes recent lessons into Clemson
Virginia Tech coach James Franklin shakes a Georgia Tech player's hand after the Hokies' 34-24 win over the Yellow Jackets on Saturday in Blacksburg.
BLACKSBURG — There isn’t a one-size-fits-all fix to the things that Virginia Tech needed to learn to eliminate from its on-field product to avoid losing games it should win.
That’s why James Franklin and his staff have tried to emphasize one thing each week. For instance, eliminating pre-snap and post-whistle penalties was the focal point last week, and it led to one pre-snap penalty and no post-whistle penalties in the win over Georgia Tech.
It’s a process that has prevented overloading the players on a weekly basis and allowed the Hokies to take gradual steps in the right direction, which is what defensive end Aycen Stevens said the Hokies did this past week to build momentum heading into Saturday’s primetime showdown at Clemson on Saturday.
“As coaches, it’s important to remember, keep the main thing the main thing. And, typically, you get what you emphasize,” Franklin said Monday. “And I thought our coaches did a really good job this past week. It’s one thing to come in and talk about issues and things that you need to get fixed on Sunday. It’s another thing to have a plan throughout the entire week, every single day, to reinforce those things.
“And the reality is you can’t reinforce everything, right? So, what are your non-negotiables? What are the things that are most critical to us playing good defense? What are the things that are most critical to us playing good offense? Same thing on special teams. And then emphasize those things over and over and over again.”
The Hokies (5-2, 2-2 ACC) have played five consecutive games that have been decided by 10 points or less. They went 3-2 in that stretch with wins at Maryland, at Boston College and against Georgia Tech, and their setbacks to Pittsburgh and California were by a combined seven points.
Each game provided opportunities for Franklin to teach. Having young offensive linemen step into roles and contribute has been taught throughout the stretch. Playing the ball in the air has been emphasized in recent weeks, and that teaching tool directly tied into reducing the number of penalties that were called on the Hokies in recent weeks.
“I think we’re a resilient group,” Franklin said. “We’ve played a bunch of close games and tough games and have had to battle back and find ways to win. And I think that’s a good sign. This team has shown different ways to get wins that we have the ability to do that.”
This past week, the defense specifically focused on forcing turnovers. The Hokies recorded two takeaways (one fumble recovery and one interception) against Georgia Tech, and they also forced three more fumbles after not forcing a fumble in three straight games.
“It’s obviously a great feeling. Turnovers not only change the game, they change careers, too,” safety Quentin Reddish said. Reddish had an interception in the second quarter that set up John Love’s 39-yard field goal for a 24-3 lead. “They were on us all week about creating turnovers. Shots on goal, punching at the ball when you got a chance, and it showed up big time for us this past weekend.”
The Hokies and the Tigers (4-2, 2-1) have both committed 11 turnovers this season. Clemson has recorded one more takeaway than Virginia Tech (seven to six), and the Tigers recovered a fumble in last weekend’s 37-0 win over Charleston Southern.
That means the Hokies’ point of emphasis this week will continue to be on eliminating the pre-snap and post-whistle penalties in order to remain ahead of the chains on offense and allowing their defense to get off the field.
“When the margin of error is small, penalties and things like that can be challenging and make drives more difficult,” Franklin said.
The Hokies’ first trip to Clemson’s Memorial Stadium in 14 seasons will undoubtedly feature the most electric road atmosphere of the season. The Hokies had a sizable fan contingent at Maryland, and quite a few fans elected to watch from the concourse during the nor’easter at Boston College.
Limiting the number of penalties and finding ways to take away Clemson’s homefield advantage will be keys for the Hokies this week.
“I’m proud of our guys. We’ve been resilient with the ways to win. We’ve bounced back after a tough loss,” Franklin said. “I love the energy that we had in the building and I love the energy that we had in the locker room on Saturday and, again, I think we’re taking a lot of positive steps, but I think we’ve got to take another step this week. We’ve got to get better and we have to be ready for a very, very talented roster on the way at Clemson.”
Damien Sordelett (540) 981-3124
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Virginia Tech coach James Franklin revisits the win over Georgia Tech and looks ahead to the Hokies' road matchup at Clemson.
