Virginia Tech Football: Three Things The Hokies Must Fix Ahead of It's Matchup With Georgia Tech

Today we dive into three things the Hokies must fix before playing Georgia Tech next weekend

Oct 17, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies cornerback Miles Ellis (33) runs onto the field before paying against the Boston College Eagles at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

1. 3rd Down Efficiency

The Hokies struggled on third down in this game and it showed more in the second half. The Hokies are averaging 43% on third-down conversions for the season, and in this game, they had an average of 22% on third down. However, it is important to note that the Hokies will be going against a good Yellow Jacket defense on third down, only allowing a 31% completion percentage against opposing offenses. This will also be a good test against the Hokies offense as they struggle with throwing the football and Georgia Tech will likely force them into more throws as they are good at stopping the rush.

2. Penalties and Slow Start

The Hokies allowed penalties to take over this game and it was pretty evident in the second half. Virginia Tech in totality gave up nine penalties in the game which is not good and as a result, gave up 21 straight second-half points and part of it was due to penalties. This also ties into the problems they've been having with consistency from start to finish in games, as they've been seen to have slow starts in the first or even second half of games. Going against tougher and more disciplined opponents going forward will force them to be the same way or we will likely see these issues catch up with them.

3. Turnovers

Virginia Tech struggled with turnovers in this game, as the team had three total turnovers on offense. Two fumbles and an interception nearly cost the team especially since turnovers usually lead to easy points for the other team's offense. Georgia Tech is currently averaging 32.9 points per game, and only allows 103.7 rushing yards a game, this is something to take into account as these statistics go against the two things the Hokies struggled and succeeded with this game. The Hokies rely a lot on the run game averaging more rushing yards than passing yards with 209.3 rushing yards a game, and at times struggle with taking care of the football.

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