Trevor's Column: Offense Gives Hope Going Forward

Well, it wasn't exactly a blowout that everybody in the universe said it would be. Take away two special teams touchdowns by Alabama, the score would have been much closer and more indicative of the game than the final score.

Bud Foster's defense has simply been outstanding. While the injuries and attrition may have depleted aroster of some depth, they did not shy away from hitting, tackling, and making life miserable for A.J. McCarron, registering a total of four sacks. Kyle Fuller simply had the game of his life tonight. Fuller made sure his presence was felt early and often, blanketing Alabama's best wide receiver Amari Cooper. Jack Tyler, who is becoming a force to be reckoned with, has become a solid anchor in the middle linebacker role. Tariq Edwards, who has battled all career-long with injuries, looked like his old self after shaking off some rust.  Kendall Fuller is a rising star and should become an MVP before long. Brandon Facyson was quiet, but he should form an outstanding tandem with Kendall Fuller once Kyle Fuller exhausts his eligibility.

Special teams, unfortunately, has continued to be plagued by poor tackling and giving up angles. If Frank Beamer, long-time special teams coach, doesn't get this fixed, expect for fans to continue to call for change in that area.

The biggest story, however, has been the offense. Let's talk about the dropped passes. Coles and Knowles, by my estimation, who received about 90% of the targets, dropped far too many passes that killed promising drives. Poor Aaron Moorehead, the Hokies' wide receivers coach, has got to be developing ulcers after seeing those dropped passes. Moorehead is going to have to make some tough decisions going forward. Knowles is not a reliable receiver in spite of having the speed of a roadrunner. D.J. Coles, playing the role of a H-back and wide receiver, had a mixed game, but was responsible for the interception that was returned for touchdown.

The offensive line, long a weak link in Blacksburg, was solid across the board. They only gave up one sack the entire game, against a defense that returned nine starters, and was solid in pass protection. More importantly, the run blocking was outstanding. The offensive line, with David Wang as the center, made terrific push all night long, and the offensive linemen kept fighting until the whistle, a departure from last season's woeful offensive line unit.

Trey Edmunds is going to be a stud. Edmunds exploded out of the backfield for a 77-yard touchdown run that stunned the Alabama's crowd. I nicknamed Edmunds Judge Dredd a while back, and tonight, he showed the world why he is a star in the making. Edmunds should be either flirting with or breaking David Wilson's single-season rushing record by the time the season is over if he keeps this up.

The most important thing going forward, Hokies, is for the team to use the loss to Alabama as a springboard going forward. They have shown they can play against one of the premier teams in America. The rest of the ACC better take note, because the Hokies are coming, and they are coming HARD.

Trevor's Game MVP

Defensive: Kyle Fuller.

Offensive: Trey Edmunds.