Virginia Tech Hokies
Overall Rank: #36
#6 ACC
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By Virginia Tech standards, 2013 was a subpar year on the football field. The Hokies had a stagnant offense that kept letting their defense down. With a hyped and well-seasoned quarterback in Logan Thomas, the Hokies fell short of expectations of going to a BCS bowl. They are without the do-everything Thomas this coming season and Coach Frank Beamer is going to keep a close eye on the quarterback position. He is going to have to find a viable starter to help improve the offensive numbers from last season. He returns some nice pieces to a young team. With a defense like the one Bud Foster runs, any team would be in a great position to win and that will be a huge strength yet again this season.
2013 Record: 8-5, 5-3
2013 Bowl: Sun Bowl vs. UCLA (L 12-42)
Coach: Frank Beamer (224-109-2 at Virginia Tech, 266-132-4 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Scott Loeffler
Defensive Coordinator: Bud Foster
Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Trey Edmunds, RB, 675
Passing: Mark Leal, QB, 155 yards
Receiving: Willie Byrn, WR, 660 yards
Tackles: Kyshoen Jarrett, S, 71
Sacks: Luther Maddy, DT, 6.5
Interceptions: Kendall Fuller, CB, 6
Other Key Returnees: WR Demitri Knowles, RB J.C. Coleman, CB Brandon Facyson
Key Losses: QB Logan Thomas, CB Kyle Fuller, LB Jack Tyler
Strengths:
Virginia Tech generally has strong defenses. Last year was no exception. Had it not been for Florida State, the eventual national champion, Virginia Tech would have been top dog in the ACC in almost every defensive category. It looks like 2014 will probably be another great season for that unit as well. Losing Kyle Fuller, a first round draft pick, will hurt. Still, there is a lot of young and experienced talent that bodes well for Bud Foster’s group. The biggest asset of the Hokie defense is the ability to get after the quarterback. They lose a couple of stout tacklers along with linebacker Jack Tyler, but they return Kyshoen Jarrett, a safety who gets after the ball. More importantly, Luther Maddy returns. The big man racked up 6.5 sacks and can wreak havoc on offensive linemen. Also, do not underestimate the impact Bud Foster will have on less seasoned players. When a coach has been in a position for 28 years, he must be successful on some level. He has a strong reputation for a reason.
Weaknesses:
Last year was not representative of Virginia Tech’s ability to perform on offense. Quarterback Logan Thomas received all sorts of preseason accolades only to underwhelm during the season. He was hampered at times with some injuries. There were some games where the offense sputtered a bit. His touchdown-to-interception ratio left a lot to be desired. In any case, now the Hokies do not have an experienced quarterback leading the offense when they have gotten so used to having a veteran under center. Beamer will have to determine the best option for the team. At least there are quite a few running backs returning to the stable to help jump start the offense. Despite their poor running game last season, the backs have a foundation playing ACC football and should improve their performances this season. They will need to. It was one of the worst units in the country last year.
The Bottom Line:
Virginia Tech will rely on its defense in 2014 like it has done so many times in the past. Despite a few departures, there is no reason to believe that they will not continue to be dominant. Replacing Thomas is going to be an issue. It is never easy to replace a three year starter. But Tech always recruits well at quarterback and has some guys that have been in the program for a few years. Hopefully, the system continuity will make a difference for the up-and-coming players. Tech will have a hard time winning the ACC this season with the transition going on, but if their offense plays better, they certainly have a shot at ten wins.
Projected Bowl: Independence Bowl
2013 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 119.8 (109th in nation, 13th in conference)
Passing Offense: 236.2 (61, 9)
Total Offense: 356.0 (101, 13)
Scoring Offense: 22.5 (99, 12)
Rushing Defense: 110.9 (10, 1)
Pass Defense: 101.16 (5, 2)
Total Defense: 283.6 (4, 2)
Scoring Defense: 19.3 (11, 2)
Turnover Margin: 0.5 (24, 2)
Sacks: 3.00 (7, 1)
Sacks Allowed: 2.54 (96, 11)
Madness 2014 Recruit Rankings:
#148 Raymon Minor
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