No. 24 Hokies brace for No. 5 Notre Dame
Virginia Tech’s season has been hard to figure out, but this sounds true from coach Justin Fuente, whose team plays host to No. 6 Notre Dame this week.
“It will be the most complete and talented team that we’ve played to date,” Fuente said.
“They have all things clicking in different areas of the game and have recently made a quarterback change. The last two weeks they’ve been very explosive, averaging 47 points per game I think.
“Defensively, they’ve played really well the entire year with giving up less than 20 points a game. It’s going to be a tremendous challenge for our team. I know we will have a great atmosphere, but we’ve got to do a great job of preparing this young squad heading into this ballgame.”
Virginia Tech, after its stunning 49-35 upset loss at East Carolina on Sept. 22 — when the Hokies also lost starting quarterback Josh Jackson to injury — bounced back with a 31-14 victory over then-No. 22 Duke. Tech improved to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the ACC … and jumped to No. 24 in the AP poll.
“When we hit the practice field (last) Tuesday, we hit it running like a hungry football team,” Fuente said. “The challenge — and it’s really a big challenge for young football teams — is to try to maintain that level of intensity and attention to detail week in and week out.
The big question is whether quarterback Ryan Willis can maintain the level of success he showed at Duke in his first start for the Hokies in relief of Jackson, who is out with a broken leg.
Willis completed 17 of 27 passes for 332 yards and three touchdowns against a Duke team that had allowed only two touchdowns through air in its first four games.
Willis was ready for his chance after sitting out the 2017 season at Virginia Tech following his transfer from Kansas, where he threw for 2,530 yards and 12 touchdowns in two seasons.
So, while he hasn’t seen a lot of time in a Hokies uniform, his experience will come in handy against a Notre Dame defense that has held four of five opponents under 20 points.
“We’ve been watching him practice for going on two years now, so we see him every day and know he has some talent,” Fuente said of Willis. “He’s a competitor. He has some toughness and likes the game. He was really having fun out there. It certainly wasn’t too big for him.”
Lane Stadium will be rocking Saturday, not just because of the big game but because Virginia Tech will be unveiling a statue of legendary former head coach Frank Beamer.