Three Things Virginia Tech Must Fix Ahead of It's Matchup With Rutgers

After a convincing win last week against ODU the Hokies have things to fix for their matchup wit Rutgers

Sep 7, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies wide receiver Da'Quan Felton (9) celebrates with his teammates after making a touchdown catch during the fourth quarter against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

1. Consistency On Offense And Defense

In the first quarter against Old Dominion, the Hokies came out fast and scored back-to-back touchdowns in a game where it looked like they had the ultimate control. After this quarter, the Hokies' offense went scoreless and only managed to pick up 80 yards of total offense in the second quarter which can be a problem going against Rutgers, who is putting up over 40 points a game. The Hokies' defense went from holding ODU to 17 yards of offense in the first quarter to giving up 176 rushing yards in the second quarter.

2. Stop The Run

The Hokie defense has struggled with stopping the run this season, and the last game was no different as they gave up 243 rushing yards against Old Dominion. This was a key component of the previous three opponents that Virginia Tech has faced giving up an average of 190 rushing yards per game and in the matchup against Rutgers, you would have to believe the run will be featured a lot. As Rutgers is averaging 309 rushing yards a game and last week ran for 285 rush yards, which leads to the belief that stopping the run will be a major emphasis for the Hokie defense this week.

3. Open Up The Pass Game More

The passing game for Virginia Tech last week, was one of the more down spots outside of a few big plays here and there. The main plays of interest here were the 46-yard breakaway reception from Jaylin Lane and the 25-yard touchdown reception he had in the first quarter. Outside of these plays, the passing game didn't have much going on as Kyron Drones passed for under 200 yards for the second time since the Vanderbilt game, for one passing touchdown, and an interception on the day, with a 57% pass completion percentage.