Virginia Tech offense scoring 37.8 per game during 10-game surge
The Virginia Tech offense has evolved into the dynamic, weapon-laden, multi-faceted juggernaut that many envisioned in the preseason.
But it took two painful losses, a lingering hamstring injury to standout running back Ryan Williams, personnel adjustments and some soul searching from the Tech brain trust to get the Hokies’ offense to perhaps where it should have been all along.
Saturday when Virginia Tech (10-2) faces Florida State (9-3) in the ACC Championship game, the Hokies’ better-late-than-never offense arrives in Charlotte in high gear and anxious to kick into overdrive.
“We still haven’t played our best game yet,” quarterback Tyrod Taylor said. “I think Saturday can be a week we can make that statement.”
| ACC CHAMPIONSHIP |
| No. 12 Virginia Tech vs. No. 20 FSU |
| When » Saturday, 7:45 p.m. |
| Where » Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C. |
| TV/Radio » ESPN/106.7 FM |
| Under first-year coach Jimbo Fisher, FSU (9-3) returns to the ACC Championship game for the first time since beating Tech in the inaugural in 2005. The teams did not meet in the regular season. |
Tech has won 10 straight games and averaged 37.8 points in the process, seemingly unleashing a new wrinkle each week. All this comes from a unit notorious for its lack of creativity under Frank Beamer and nine-year offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring.
The heat was on when Tech lost its first two games. In a 33-30 loss to Boise State, the Hokies averaged just 2.9 yards per carry despite a backfield that included a mobile quarterback (Taylor) and the last two ACC rookies of the year — Darren Evans and Williams.
Six days later, Tech fell to FCS James Madison 21-16, a team it had outscored 245-44 in six previous meetings.
The Hokies were paralyzed in the red zone and the offensive line was under fire.
“We knew we had too many talented backs not to be producing,” junior guard Jaymes Brooks said. “It was motivation for us to get them running, get them out there going.”
With their wealth of offensive talent, the Tech coaches realized they were trying to do too much on offense. They also concluded that they needed to inject some fun.
Against N.C. State, 275-pound tackle Andrew Lanier lined up as a wideout and tight end Andre Smith moved to Lanier’s slot, catching a tackle-eligible touchdown pass.
Against Wake Forest, backup quarterback Logan Thomas, the 6-foot-6, 245-pound heir apparent to Taylor, lined up at wideout and caught a jump-ball touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone.
“We’ve had success with those plays,” Stinespring said. “Jailbreak screen off the weakside, that’s a fun play … a little more option, some of the things Auburn is doing with their quarterback.”
