Three keys for Virginia Tech
Three keys for Virginia Tech
1. Tyrod Taylor's scrambling . Yeah, this is a key every game for the Hokies. But Taylor's fleet feet hurt Nebraska last season when the Hokies won 35-30 in Lincoln. Not counting sacks, Taylor ran 13 times for 91 yards. "One of the things that was glaring and obvious on the tape is when we were in pressure situations, when we were blitzing, that we didn't fill up all of our rush lanes as well as we would have liked," said Nebraska defensive ends coach John Papuchis, a 2001 Tech graduate.2. A steady offensive line . Tech's line needs to do a better job of protecting Taylor, who has been sacked eight times in the first two games. Nebraska's defensive front four, led by senior tackle Ndamukong Suh, will not make this easy. Suh, one of the nation's best at his position, had 7½ sacks last season.
3. Allowing fewer big plays. In Tech's win last week over Marshall, the Thundering Herd had a 61-yard touchdown run and a 60-yard pass. Other than that, Marshall gained 2.2 yards per play. Big plays stung the Hokies more in their season-opening loss to Alabama, which had five plays of 33 yards or longer. Defensive coordinator Bud Foster knows Tech needs to eliminate these plays if it wants to have a top-10 defense for the sixth consecutive season.
Advertisement
Post a Comment(Requires free registration)
- Please avoid offensive, vulgar, or hateful language.
- Respect others.
- Use the "Flag Comment" link when necessary.
- See the Terms and Conditions for details.
Advertisement