Virginia Tech Football: Three Things Virginia Tech Must Fix Ahead Of It's Matchup With Clemson

Today we will dive into three things Virginia Tech must fix before playing Clemson next week.

Nov 2, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies offensive lineman Xavier Chaplin (65) looks after quarterback Collin Schlee (3) who was shaken up on a play against the Syracuse Orange in the fourth quarter at JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

1. Time Management/Clutch Time Efficiency

As of today, Brent Pry has fallen to 1-11 in one-score games. After starting the second half up 21-3, the Hokies went on to give up a 35-10 run that continued the season's lingering losses of close games that should have been in the team's favor. The time management aspect of things became noticeable. When the team was about to push the score up before halftime, being up 21-3, things looked about the same as the team's other losses this season.

2. 3rd Down Efficiency

The Hokies have struggled on third down in certain games this season, and the last game was no different. The defense allowed Syracuse to complete 46% of its third-down attempts. This week, the Hokies will be going up against 19th-ranked Clemson, another very high-powered offensive team that averages 39.4 points per game and 45.9% completion percentage on third down. If the Hokies want to win this game, they must make changes to the third-down play calling, which is part of the reason they lost to Syracuse.

3. Defensive Consistency

Defensive consistency has been a problem this season for the Hokies against higher-tier teams. While we all understand that playing against good teams will make for a tough outing, it still is very concerning that against good teams this season when the games are close, you struggle to close the deal which was the case for this game. The Hokies went into halftime with a 21-3 lead and it seemed like they were in full control of the game until the third-quarter woes happened yet again, the Hokies allowed Syracuse to go on a 21-nothing run to start the second half and they never looked back.

Additional Links:

Virginia Tech Football: 5 Big Takeaways From Virginia Tech's loss vs Syracuse

Virginia Tech Football: Hokies Reveal Uniform Combination For Matchup With Syracuse

Virginia Tech vs Syracuse: Three Players to Watch on The Syracuse Offense