Virginia Tech Football: For the First Time, Defense Is Second To Offense

For the past decade, the success of the Virginia Tech football program has primarily come from a stingy, overpowering defense.

Defensive coordinator Bud Foster has made a name for himself and the Virginia Tech football team, collaborating with head coach Frank Beamer and establishing a defensive tradition.

For years, the Hokies have won games without offensive prowess, getting the job done on the defensive side and winning the battle for field position with great special teams, minimizing the work that needs to be done on the offensive side.

The 2010 season might be a bit different.

This year, the Hokies will present the Atlantic Coast Conference with an awfully difficult task when the offense takes the field.

With ACC Rookie of the Year Ryan Williams returning at running back, poised for a successful encore to his breakout freshman year and Darren Evans, the Hokies’ leading rusher in 2008, returning from injury, an extremely talented tandem backfield shifts the focus to offense for once.

Approaching the 2009 season, Evans was without a doubt Tech’s starting running back and was thought to be a crucial part in the Hokies’ success. When he tore his anterior cruciate ligament just before the season started, however, fans across the nation fell into a state of panic.

That panic was quickly erased when Williams seized his opportunity, jumping into the starting role and breaking Tech and ACC records alike.

Now, as the two return healthy, ready and able for the 2010 season, the Hokies have possibly the best one-two punch that exists in any college backfield.

With redshirt junior Evans, the Hokies have a true smash-mouth running back. He is almost impossible to take down on the first hit and is an excellent option in short yardage situations.

On the other hand, Williams isn’t exactly easy to bring down either. Just ask North Carolina State cornerback Earl Wolff, who Williams dragged 15 yards en route to a touchdown last season.

In addition to the ability to break tackles, Williams is exceptionally agile and quick, making him one of the best backs in the nation.

When you put those two together, you have the start of an offense that can not only eat up the clock and dominate the time of possession battle, but one that can also put up points in the blink of an eye.

What makes the Hokies running back situation so unique is that the talent doesn’t stop there.

Redshirt junior Josh Oglesby was moved to fullback this spring in an attempt to keep him more involved in an offense where carries could be limited. But when you consider the fact that Tech also has sophomore sensation David Wilson, who was the 2008-09 Gatorade Virginia Football Player of the Year in high school, you’ve got quite an issue.

In an ideal world, Tech would be able to redshirt Wilson and save a year of his eligibility while the backfield is so jammed with talent. Things don’t always go according to plan though, and Evans’ injury last season is a perfect example of that.

The one worry some fans have is that the offensive line will hinder the running game’s ability to dominate.

Those fans shouldn’t pay too much attention to the Hokies’ statistics in the spring game, as four of the six players unable to participate in the game were offensive linemen.

Beamer isn’t worrying, so neither should anyone else.

If the Hokies are able to run the ball as effectively as some expect, Williams and Evans won’t be the only ones who benefit. With a great running game, senior quarterback Tyrod Taylor could be looking at his best season ever.

With an established running game, the use of the play action pass and Taylor’s ability to scramble become even more valuable.

If the Hokies present opposing defenses with a stacked backfield including Williams and Evans at the same time, they won’t be easy to defend. In fact, that will be nearly impossible.

Imagine a middle linebacker’s thoughts as he stares down a Hokies’ offensive set that includes Taylor, multiple wide receivers and a backfield including Williams and Evans.

Who covers whom?

With two 1,200-plus-yard rushers on the field and a dual-threat quarterback like Taylor at the helm, it will be a tough call.

Teams playing against the Hokies will now defend against the run. If Taylor decides to play-fake and instead drops back to pass, defenses will more often be out of position than they ever have against the Hokies.

Ultimately, the offense will rely on the same principles that it always has and will try to run the ball down its opponents’ throats. The difference is that this year, the rushing attack will be more dominant than ever and it will be difficult for any team not to respect that.

While defense has ruled Blacksburg for years, offense, for once, has a chance to do so in 2010.

But for it to do so, the Hokies offense will test the question, “Is there such thing as too much talent?” As the date gets closer and closer to the Labor Day matchup against Boise State, Hokies fans everywhere pray that the answer is “no.”

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