Virginia Tech Football: Consistency Must Develop

If you hadn’t watched any college football this season and simply took a look at the ACC standings to determine the success of the teams, the Virginia Tech Hokies would appear to be having another stellar season in which they win the traditional 10 games and compete for a bid to the Orange Bowl.

This season, however, has been anything but traditional for Frank Beamer’s squad, and heading into the remaining three games of the regular season, the team has much to improve on in order to finish with an ACC championship.

Let’s start with the head of the offense, first-year signal caller Logan Thomas. After entering the season with high expectations to bring a whole different dimension to the offense with his 6-foot-6, 254-pound frame, Thomas faced some early criticism for his decisions in key moments of games.

He opened up his season against four sub-par opponents and looked merely average in all four performances. He struggled in the passing game, completing just over 50% of his passes, and had a hard time deciding when to stay in the pocket and when to scramble for yardage.

In the team’s lone loss to Clemson at home, Thomas struggled heavily, throwing for only 125 yards and failing to lead his team to any touchdowns. The Hokies fell 23-3 in one of the most embarrassing losses in recent history at Lane Stadium.

He proceeded to follow that performance up with two phenomenal performances against Miami and Wake Forest, in which he accounted for nine total touchdowns and no interceptions. He even played well against Boston College in a sloppy win, but then looked very complacent in the sloppy performance against Duke, throwing two interceptions, one of which was in the end zone.

The offense as a whole has been so unpredictable that it is nearly impossible to predict games for this team. Fans simply never know what to expect, as the team has shown signs of brilliance at times, but looked absolutely dreadful at other times.

The defense began the year as the strong point of the team, as they were ranked amongst the best in the country. However, things have slowly gone downhill for the unit, as they continue to lose key players to injuries.

Defensive tackles Antoine Hopkins and Kwamaine Battle, linebacker Bruce Taylor and outside backer Jeron Gouveia-Winslow all have gone down with season-ending injuries this season in a unit that is thin in depth.

The injuries have forced defensive coordinator Bud Foster to play many true freshmen on the defensive side of the ball, and it has resulted in some ill-advised plays for the unit. As a whole though, they continue to impress. Without their strong performance against Duke, it is likely the team would have gone home with a major upset loss.

Moving forward, the team has to develop consistency and play at the level we have seen they are capable of. The schedule only gets tougher from here.

The three teams remaining on the Hokies' schedule have a combined record of 18-10. Georgia Tech, which is up next on the schedule, is coming off an upset victory over No. 5 Clemson. North Carolina and Virginia both have been impressive at times, and have the potential to pull out a victory.

Virginia Tech fans have become accustomed to winning 10 games each season, winning an ACC Championship, and moving forward to the Orange Bowl each January. In fact, many joke that the Orange Bowl becomes Blacksburg each January.

However, this year’s team is different. While the record looks similar and the results are still wins, it could easily change in the remaining weeks if more consistency isn’t developed.

There are three games remaining. While the team is on top of the Coastal Division currently, Georgia Tech has momentum and is nipping at their heels. It is likely that the November 10^th Thursday night matchup between the Yellow Jackets and the Hokies will determine the winner of the division.

The offense has shown us what they can do, as has the defense. Now it’s time to see them put both sides together and play their best football of the season in these remaining games.

It’s not going to be easy. It’s not going to be fun. But if they are able to execute, it will be another successful season in Blacksburg.