Virginia Tech football: Bye Week Slightly Warm Takes

Virginia Tech Hokies fans should be feeling pretty good right now. Entering the bye week, the Hokies are 5-1, and heading into the meat of the A.C.C. schedule. I wanted to give some takes on what we’ve seen so far, and what we can expect to see the second half of the season.

Josh Jackson is better than I thought.

The kid has the right stuff. He took to the big stage immediately, beating a talented West Virginia team. He protects the football. That can’t be said enough for a freshman quarterback. He makes the smart decision almost all the time. He throws it away when he needs to. He hasn’t shown me the ability to fit it into tight spaces, but that will come with time. Justin Fuente and staff has done a great job putting him into comfortable situations, and Jackson will continue to excel.

Virginia Tech could lose three games in the second half.

There are three games remaining on the slate that Virginia Tech could easily lose. The Miami Hurricanes are in the infant stages of a monster type program. They have looked impressive early, and the Hokies will face the ‘Canes on the road. The Mark Richt influence is evident, and that match up will likely decide the coastal. Georgia Tech is a nightmare for the defense. The Hokies won’t have the benefit of a bye week to prepare, and I’m not sure the Hokies have the discipline to stop that running game. This next sentence is hard to write. Watch out for Virginia. Give it to Bronco Mendenhall. I was one of the many doubters, but that school up north has things moving in the right direction. Traveling to Charlottesville is never fun, and the ‘Hoos have all the motivation in the world.

Coleman Fox may have a big second half.

The former Salem Spartan has found a niche in the Fuente offense. He has great speed, and has shown flashes of being a gamebreaker. He is still young, but it seems each week he is getting more and more touches. The folks on twitter were loving this kid, and if he can show the hands out of the backfield, look out. The backfield is already crowded, but Virginia Tech should look at ways to get the ball in this kid’s hands.