After spending plenty of years near the top of the ACC since joining in 2004, Virginia Tech has had two seasons that are considered subpar by their standards, finishing 7-6 and 8-5 in 2012 and 2013 respectively. They suffered from inconsistency on offense, specifically from the Logan Thomas at quarterback position. As a player who was so highly touted heading into the 2012 season, Thomas never flourished like many expected him to.
The Maroon and Orange Game was run differently than last year. In 2013, the offensive and defensive starters were on the same team, and the second-string players started the game with a 14 handicap. This year, the Hokies decided to break up the roster, putting starters on both teams. While the game was uneventful overall, there were some questions that needed to be answered.
1. Entering 2014, Thomas has graduated, but the Hokies may have more questions at the position when Thomas was there. He was reliable, starting 40 straight games. Heading into summer, there is no clear starter for the Hokies, with Brenden Motley and Mark Leal not excelling in the Spring Game, and Texas Tech transfer, Michael Brewer, joining the team in May. If the Hokies intend to take a step forward, they will need to find consistency at quarterback.
2. The quarterback position isn’t the only situation that needs to be sorted out on offense; the receivers will need to take a huge step forward in 2014. Last season, the unit was very young, featuring Demitri Knowles, D.J. Coles, and Willie Byrn and struggled to make plays, dropping the ball way too often. However, they are legitimate playmakers, and offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler showed in the Spring Game that he’s going to find a way to get the ball in their hands, often running plays where the receivers would take handoffs, or be included in option plays.
One player who stood out to be a legitimate option in the passing game was tight end, Bucky Hodges, who has great measurables (6’6”, 243) and flashed good hands and ability to find open spaces to give his quarterback a reliable target.
3. On the defensive side of the ball, the Hokies lost seven starters from last season’s team, including Kyle Fuller, James Gayle and Jack Tyler. However, they still have a cohesive unit and will continue to wreak havoc on opposing offenses while Bud Foster is still in town. Kendall Fuller, the 2013 ACC Freshman of the Year, will step into the top cornerback role, replacing his brother, and defensive linemen Luther Maddy and Dadi Nicholas will continue to eat space and create pressure.