Virginia Tech’s defense has made a habit of living in the backfield, but the next step is turning that heat into more game-changing plays.
Through the first two weeks, the Hokies’ pass rush delivered exactly what you’d expect from an aggressive front: sacks, tackles for loss and a handful of takeaways, including three fumble recoveries against Old Dominion in the second game of the season. Even with that pressure showing up on a weekly basis, the defense knows there’s still another gear to find when it comes to forcing turnovers.
That was the central message this week as Virginia Tech prepared for Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. matchup at California on ACC Network. The Hokies have six sacks over the last three games against Maryland, Boston College and Pittsburgh, and they’ve recorded one interception this season. But the defense believes the formula for more takeaways is already there - it just has to be sharpened.
“You’ve got to keep hunting turnovers. Like, you’ve got to do it in practice.
Because if you do it in practice, then it comes in the game,” defensive line coach Sean Spencer said. “And obviously the ones that get thrown to you, you’ve got to catch.
And the ones that are left on the field, you’ve got to get them. So you’ve got to take the ball away when you can and you’ve got to recover it.
You can’t leave it on the table.”
The Hokies are 4-0 and have created several chances to add to their takeaway total. Linebacker Keon Wyly nearly secured an interception on a tight red-zone throw by Maryland quarterback Malik Washington in the Hokies’ win on Sept.
- Defensive end Cortez Harris was within reach when Boston College quarterback Mason McKenzie bobbled the snap and had to fall on the ball on the Eagles’ second play from scrimmage, and safety Quentin Reddish nearly came away with a one-handed interception in the second quarter of that game.
All of those opportunities came within inches of becoming takeaways.
“It’s just about being able to finish,” Harris said. “Think of it like getting pressures.
You don’t want to just get pressures. You want to get the sack.
That half a step, that half a second is all it takes to create a disruptive pass into an interception or a bobble of the ball into a fumble.”
The defensive line has done its part in getting to the quarterback. Harris and fellow defensive ends Aycen Stevens and Mykeli Williams have combined for 13.5 of the Hokies’ 16 sacks and 31 tackles for a loss. Stevens and Williams have forced fumbles on back-to-back sacks.
Spencer said the emphasis is on being intentional every snap, whether the defense is stripping the ball, punching at it or practicing how to react when an opportunity opens up.
“Being intentional about doing it, whether it’s stripping the football, whether it’s practicing the reach and poke on the sack or the tomahawk,” Spencer said. “… But just emphasizing it all the time and hopefully it shows up in the game.”
Spencer also keeps coaching the finer points of ball disruption when his defenders are closing in.
“Coach Spencer, he always harps on if the quarterback got the ball up like this right here, don’t try to tomahawk it,” Harris said as he extended his right arm above his head like it were in a throwing motion and then closed his right hand to resemble the ball. “Poke it.
It’s right there in front of you. Don’t try to tomahawk and waste time.
We might throw it before you come down. Then, if you can’t see the ball, you make sure you tomahawk over him when you sack him.
As a defensive end, that’s obviously our point of emphasis right there for turnovers.”
Virginia Tech has one interception this season, and it came when Thomas Williams made a diving catch on an errant throw against Old Dominion. Tech has come close to finishing off others, and the staff believes the takeaway production can rise if the defense keeps trusting its pressure.
“I feel like it starts in practice. This week, Coach really kind of made it a point of emphasis that we have to attack the ball and punch at the ball, and even in practice test our limits,” nickelback Isaiah Brown-Murray said.
“We’ve just got to make the plays in the game. When an opportunity comes our way, we’ve got to make the play.”
Virginia Tech’s ability to force turnovers is expected to be a major factor Saturday against Golden Bears quarterback Jaron-Somerville, who hosts a passing game coordinator Pat McCann called the plays instead of offensive coordinator Jordan Somerville at halftime of last week’s game at Oregon State. Frankly, the Tech coaching staff saw the difference in how plays were called when watching last Saturday’s game, and he understands McCann, Somerville and former Hawaii and Washington State coach Nick Rolovich all could factor into the scheme the Golden Bears run on Saturday.
“We’ve got to be ready for anything. I’m not sitting in their room.
I don’t know,” Franklin said. “We’ve got to be ready for anything.”
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