Checking up on Virginia Tech

Clemson doesn't get enough credit for the utter destruction it brought on Virginia Tech last year.

Not that people don't remember the two annihilations, but it does seem that they're minimized as a result of what happened in South Florida and Columbia.

The Hokies seldom lose in Blacksburg, let alone get blown off the field. Clemson went up there and won by 20.

The Hokies seldom lose in the ACC title game, let alone get blown off the field. Clemson went to Charlotte and won by 28.

Yes, Clemson came tumbling back down to earth by losing four of last season's last six games. Yes, the fact that Clemson was blown out in all four of its defeats does leave a sour taste.

But this next part is impressive no matter how you look at it: Virginia Tech was the undisputed king of the ACC heading into last season, and Clemson absolutely curb-stomped that king on two occasions when almost no one was predicting the Tigers to win, let alone win handily.

The Hokies' trip to Clemson this season will be a fun matchup. How often has Frank Beamer had his brains beaten in three times in a row by the same team?

To get you caught up on the 2012 Hokies, Paul Myerberg of Pre-Snap Read does an excellent job.

His summary:

Virginia Tech is going to win another 10 games, another Coastal division title, make another run to the B.C.S., make things happen on offense and make things miserable for opponents on defense. Hey, this is life in Blacksburg: V.T. just goes to work every fall, suffers one or two losses during the regular season and ends the year firmly inside the top 20 nationally. Betting on anything other than another successful season isn’t just foolish; it’s stupid. Virginia Tech is going to feature one of the very best defenses in the country, one that will be too much to handle along the front seven for the overwhelming number of teams on this schedule. It’s a night-and-day story in terms of depth, especially at defensive tackle. The Hokies will stop the run, get pressure on the quarterback, force turnovers – as they have for years.

The offense has some issues, but they’re survivable. Now, these issues will test V.T. at times, perhaps meaning the difference between a close win and a close loss. Still, the lack of experience is not going to cause the Hokies to drop from the top of the Coastal division into the middle of the pack. In a perfect world, the offensive line gels in time for this running game to hit its stride in September; if so, the Hokies have the quarterback – and a great quarterback and that – and the receiver corps to give this offense tremendous balance. But it’s a question mark: Virginia Tech’s line is raw, especially at tackle, and two of the top three running backs are freshmen.

The lack of experience on offense is going to keep V.T. from being the best team in the A.C.C., but it’s not going to prevent the Hokies from winning another 10 games and the Coastal division. This is the division’s best team, from top to bottom and everywhere in between, and one of the A.C.C.’s best two teams, joining Florida State. The defense is loaded; the offense has some issues but an all-American at quarterback and a handful of talented receivers. The Hokies aren’t perfect – they’re just really good, potentially great, as they’ve been for a generation. Wake me up when this isn’t the case.

This Hokies beat writer provides some of the latest storylines in Blacksburg.

Some of the more notable:

* The Hokies moved at a good pace on offense, something they’ve tried to emphasize in the offseason. That means less huddling and less time between plays.

“It keeps the defense off balance,” Logan Thomas said. “And the more the defense is having to think, the better it is for us, especially when we know what we’re doing.”

* Some receivers had good days, particularly with D.J. Coles (knee) and Demitri Knowles (neck sprain) out of action. Asante had four catches for 79 yards and a 40-yard touchdown up the sideline (although Stinespring was perturbed be a couple drops). Corey Fuller had three catches for 68 yards and a 30-yard touchdown from Thomas. "Those guys stepped up a little bit," Stinespring said.

* Bruce Taylor might have alleviated some concerns about coming back from a Lisfranc injury. He made a nice leaping interception on a pass by Leal on the opening drive. "That was a nice play," Foster said. "It's nice to see him back. He can be a leader of the defense for us. And he is a leader. It's good to have your play-maker back out there making a play. And when he's demanding and playing hard and practicing hard, he's going to elevate all the other guys around him."

* Linebacker Tariq Edwards was at practice today and on crutches. He had a procedure last week to remove a screw in his knee that was causing discomfort. I can't imagine him being ready in time for the Georgia Tech opener. Beamer seemed to agree. "I think we just have to go ahead and get our preparation going," he said.

More on Hokies running back J.C. Coleman here.

LW