Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 21, 2016 35 BY MATT JONES I t's a new era for Virginia Tech foot- ball, one with a high-powered of- fense and a re-energized defense. And it starts with new head coach Justin Fuente. Taking over for the legendary Frank Beamer — who retired after 29 seasons with the Hokies — Fuente has lifted the Hokies back into the national pic- ture after four straight subpar years. "Fuente has done two things very well, and they're inter-related," said Tim Sullivan, the publisher of Hokie- Haven.com. "He's done an outstand- ing job of honoring the past at Virginia Tech while still upgrading the offense in a big way. The traditions of defense and special teams are alive and well, and that's a credit to former head coach Frank Beamer — and Fuente's willingness to keep them priorities de- spite plenty of change on offense. "Fuente gives the No. 25 that Beamer wore as a Hokie to a different player each week to honor the man who turned the program into what it is today. Then you have the offense, which Fuente imported to replace an outdated and conservative scheme. Bringing those aspects together has resulted in a program that's already ahead of where fans expected it to be under Fuente." The Hokies began the season with a win over Liberty of the Football Championship Subdivision, and then lost 45-24 in embarrassing fashion to Tennessee. Tech then reeled off three straight wins over Boston College, East Carolina and North Carolina be- fore suffering a bad 31-17 loss on the road against Syracuse. Since then, Tech has rebounded with three good wins, including Thursday night victories over Mi- ami and Pittsburgh. The biggest part of the Hokies' offensive success has been junior quarterback Jerod Evans, a junior college transfer who can run and pass. He leads the team in rushing through nine games with 533 yards to sophomore running back Travon McMillian's 527. The 6-3, 238-pound Evans has thrown for 2,203 yards and 21 touchdowns this season while completing 61.7 percent of his 253 passes. "Evans is a hyper-accurate passer when he's comfortable in the pocket, is smart enough with the ball to not turn it over through the air, and has the athleticism to make plays with his feet, either by play design or when passes aren't there," Sullivan said. "That's a pretty good combination. Lately, the explosive plays through the air have been a little more infre- quent, with Evans nursing a minor ankle injury that has seen him show a little skittishness in the pocket. "However, when he gets solid pro- tection, his weapons allow him to be a difference-maker." Evans also has the weapons sur- rounding him to make his job easier. His three-headed receiving corps of juniors Isaiah Ford, Bucky Hodges and Cam Phillips has produced many highlight-reel catches this sea- son, particularly when Tech's run- ning game isn't producing. "Ford is your classic pro-style re- ceiver who can make plays all over the field," Sullivan said. "He's a cou- ple good performances away from being the Hokies' all-time leading pass catcher in just about every sig- nificant category, and is most likely bound for the NFL Draft at the con- clusion of his junior season. "Bucky Hodges is a former tight end who uses his 6-7 frame to be a serious jump-ball threat and is rounding into a more consistent pass catcher, too. He's also athletic enough to get some touches out of the backfield, something that's not often expected of players his height. "Phillips is a classic slot receiver, used frequently on end arounds and screens to the edge. He has the abil- ity to make plays downfield as well, but is more of a guy that the Hokies want to get the ball to in space to let him make plays." Fuente was also able to retain de- fensive coordinator Bud Foster when the change was made, a major piece of stability that has allowed the Hokies to thrive in year one of a new regime. "Foster's retention has been a huge factor in maintaining that consistency on the defensive side of the ball, and almost serves as another nod to Frank Beamer in a way," Sullivan said. "A link to the best aspects of the recent past helps fans and the team itself make the transition from Beamer to Fuente a little more seamlessly. "On top of that, Foster is of course one of the country's most-decorated defensive coordinators, and he has kept Virginia Tech's defense per- forming at a high level." GAME PREVIEW: VIRGINIA TECH Facts & Figures NOTRE DAME VS. VIRGINIA TECH Game Info Date: Nov. 19, 2016. Site: Notre Dame Stadium (80,795). Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. Television: NBC. Radio: This broadcast can be heard live on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (channel 129). Series Facts: This is the first all-time meeting between Virginia Tech and Notre Dame. Coaches: Virginia Tech — Justin Fuente (7-3, first season); Notre Dame — Brian Kelly (59-29, seventh season). Noting Virginia Tech: The Hokies made their debut in the College Football Playoff rankings at No. 19 on Nov. 8 … VT has already extended the longest active bowl streak in America to 24 straight … The Hokies are seeking an eight-win season for the first time since going 8-5 in 2013 … VT is averaging 444.4 total yards per game, just shy of the school record of 451.8 that was set in 1999 … The Hokies are on pace to score 453 points, which is within shouting distance of the single-season school record of 474 that was set in 2010 … Fuente played college foot- ball at Oklahoma and Murray State, transfer- ring from OU after Howard Schnellenberger was replaced by John Blake. RE-ENERGIZED The Hokies are back on the rise under a new regime Junior quarterback Jerod Evans threw for 2,203 yards and 21 touchdowns in Virginia Tech's first nine games, and was also the team's leading rusher with 533 yards and four scores. PHOTO COURTESY VIRGINIA TECH