Virginia Tech doesn’t do anything against the Yellow Jackets that they haven’t seen before.
The key, according to former Tech quarterbacks coach Brian Bohannon, who is now the head coach at Kennesaw State, is that the Hokies do it very well.
When Bohannon was at Tech between 2008-12, the Hokies played a four-man front with three linebackers, something they will likely do again Saturday.
The two defensive tackles are charged with holding their ground to eliminate the dive play, a staple of the option offense, and prevent Tech’s offensive linemen from getting down field to block. The Hokies are dealing with injuries to both starters.
The two outside linebackers will start by lining up close behind the defensive ends in a stack formation. They will then move around between gaps before the snap. The movement prevents the quarterback and offensive linemen from setting the blocking scheme before the play starts.
“They don’t define what they are going to do at the snap, you have to read it as you go,” said former quarterback Tevin Washington, who was 0-2 as starter against Hokies.
The goal for that front four, which becomes a front six after the outside linebackers find their spots, is to free up the middle linebacker to find the ball and make the tackle. Two years ago, Jack Tyler had 17 tackles against the Jackets in an example of what happens when the scheme is successful. The starter for the Hokies this year will be senior Chase Williams, who is in his first year as a starter.
