After nine wins last season, can Virginia Tech get over the hump and make it back to the ACC Championship game in 2018?
Virginia Tech went 9-4 (5-3 in the ACC) last season under second-year head coach Justin Fuente. The 2017 Hokies started 4-0 before losing to No. 2 Clemson in Blacksburg, then won three straight including a 59-7 drubbing of ACC rival North Carolina. Their second and third losses came in back to back November road games against No. 9 Miami and unranked Georgia Tech.
The Hokies closed the season by beating Pittsburgh at home then shutting out in-state rival Virginia to win 10-0. Their second place finish in the ACC Coastal Division brought an invitation to the Camping World Bowl in Orlando where they faced No. 19 Oklahoma State. It was a close game as Virginia Tech battled back in the second half, but they were unable to keep pace with the Cowboys offense led by quarterback Mason Rudolph. They lost by a final score of 30-21.
Bud Foster has been with the program since 1987 and has been the team’s defensive coordinator since 1995. The only way anyone stays around as long as Foster has is by being very good on an extremely consistent basis. Foster has been and 2017 was no exception.
The Hokies had a top-five scoring defense and only gave up 30 points or more twice in 13 games. Foster has his work cut out in 2018 as he’ll have to replace eight starters, including linebacker Mook Reynolds and Adonis Alexander who was unexpectedly dismissed this offseason.
Offensively, after struggling in 2017, the Hokies will be much more experienced and should have much more continuity this season. Quarterback Josh Jackson, who started every game last year as a freshman, should be more comfortable his sophomore year. The team’s top two running backs and several talented receivers will be back too.
Virginia Tech does not have Clemson on the regular-season schedule, fortunately. They hope to see them in the ACC Championship game again in December like they did in 2016.
Virginia Tech schedule
- Mon, Sept. 3 at Florida State
- Sat, Sept. 8 vs. William & Mary
- Sat, Sept. 15 vs. East Carolina
- Sat, Sept. 22 at Old Dominion
- Sat, Sept. 29 at Duke
- Sat, Oct. 6 vs. Notre Dame
- Sat, Oct. 13 at North Carolina
- Thu, Oct. 25 vs. Georgia Tech
- Sat, Nov. 3 vs. Boston College
- Sat, Nov. 10 at Pitt
- Sat, Nov. 17 vs. Miami
- Fri, Nov. 23 vs. Virginia
Best-case scenario: 10-2
They may not play Clemson this season but the addition of Notre Dame and Florida State to the rest of their ACC opponents makes for another difficult schedule. Their three toughest matchups are spread throughout the season with the first coming against Florida State on Monday night (Labor Day weekend).
Florida State is definitely a winnable game but the Seminoles, under first-year head coach Willie Taggart, will be extremely motivated to bounce back after a 3-5 ACC record last year. And they’re still Florida State so they’ll be loaded with athletes as always.
Virginia Tech hosts Notre Dame the first weekend in October then they close the season out against Miami before playing Virginia Thanksgiving week as they always do. Virginia will be good this year, but a long-shot to win more than one or two of these. I think they can get by Florida State but will have trouble more with Notre Dame and Miami.
Worst-case scenario: 7-5
In addition to Florida State, Notre Dame and Miami, the Hokies have road games against Duke and North Carolina and host Georgia Tech and Boston College. Virginia Tech lost to Georgia Tech, a game they shouldn’t have, last year the week after a big game so they know first-hand what can happen in the ACC if any game is overlooked.
They could lose the three big games mentioned then fall to another opponent or two between those four other ACC games, especially on the road.
Most likely outcome: 9-3
Before he got to Virginia Tech, Justin Fuente made a name for himself coaching at Memphis. He took a team that had won three games in 2010 and 2011 combined and led them to 10 wins by 2014, his third season. After a few years to recruit and an established quarterback who knew his system, Memphis took off under his leadership. This, his third season at Virginia Tech, looks similar. Josh Jackson and the offense should take another step this year, giving the Hokies a much higher ceiling than the past two years.
If the defense comes together, like they usually do under Bud Foster, Virginia Tech should win all but three games, with one against Notre Dame coming outside the conference. If the Hurricanes stumble earlier in the season or Virginia Tech tops them in November, the Hokies could very easily represent the Coastal Division of the ACC in the Conference Title game.