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

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

Oct 26, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) is tackled by Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets linebacker Tah'j Butler (15) and defensive lineman Zeek Biggers (88) during the third quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

1. 3rd Down Efficiency

The Hokies found themselves in an uphill battle yesterday, especially on third down where they converted just 13% of their third-down attempts. This weekend, the Hokies will go against Syracuse's offense, which is a very high-powered offense, if they want to win this game, they can’t be inefficient on those third-down attempts. Syracuse is putting up 30.9 points per game and 469.9 total yards a game which means, if Virginia Tech plays like they did this week on third down Syracuse could make them pay and win this game.

2. The Run Game

This week, the Virginia Tech rushing attack wasn’t as potent as in games past, which could be costly for them in this matchup. The Hokies are averaging 195 rushing yards a game, and yesterday only ended up with 99 rushing yards, when Georgia Tech schemed a good defense to stop them from running all over them. A big question for this game is whether star running back Bhayshul Tuten can even play in this game, as he was spotted in a walking boot after the game concluded. Tuten’s rushing streak of nine straight games with a touchdown ended, and he was held under 100 yards for his third game this season.

3. Passing game needs to be more consistent

This year we have seen the Hokies offense come out slow or struggle with throwing the football and that was no different yesterday. The Virginia Tech offense managed only 134 passing yards and averages 181.5 yards per game this season. This will likely need to improve, as we saw yesterday, teams will focus on stopping the run and force the Hokies to rely on the passing game. You also can’t rely on your defense to hold opponents to just six points and consistently provide your offense with great field position, especially against a potent offense like Syracuse’s.

Additional Links:

Virginia Tech Football: 5 Big Takeaways From Virginia Tech's Win vs Georgia Tech

Virginia Tech Football: Three Keys To Victory For The Hokies Against Georgia Tech

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