Virginia Tech’s offense continues to struggle

Pause if you’ve heard this one before: The Virginia Tech football team’s offense is struggling.

This is the seemingly annual refrain from Blacksburg, where the Hokies (3-4, 1-2 ACC) are in line to average less than 400 yards per game for the fourth consecutive season and less than 30 points a contest for the fifth year in a row.

That wouldn’t be a problem if offenses chugged along as they did in the 1960s. This year, a team rolling up 400 yards every week would ranks 68th out of 127 teams nationally in total offense. A 30-points-per-game clip would check in at No. 66.

In other words, average, which is precisely the description the Hokies are trying to fight off in the twilight years of coach Frank Beamer’s career. Since 2012, the program is an unremarkable 25-21.

Virginia Tech, which plays host to Duke (5-1, 2-0) on Saturday, can claim some extenuating circumstances this season. Starting quarterback Michael Brewer suffered a broken collarbone on Labor Day against Ohio State and was not cleared until last week. He relieved Brenden Motley in the third quarter of a turnover-riddled 30-20 loss at Miami and seems likely to start this week.

The return of Brewer should invigorate the passing game. Wideout Isaiah Ford, who caught three touchdowns two weeks ago against N.C. State, figures to become a steadier force with a more capable passer running the offense.

Yet the troubling thing about the Hokies’ offense is one of their biggest answers was there all along and was simply being underutilized until last week. Redshirt freshman Travon McMillian is averaging 7.1 yards a rush, yet last week’s 16-carry, 99-yard showing was the first time he received more than 11 attempts in a game.

Consider this: In offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler’s three seasons with the Hokies, the next best per attempt average for a back who logged at least five carries a game was Shai McKenzie at 5.1 yards a rush last year. That comes with an asterisk; McKenzie missed the second half of the season due to injury. Next up was J.C. Coleman’s 5.0 yards a run last year.

Yes, McMillian’s that much better than anyone else the Hokies have plugged into Loeffler’s offense, and he is averaging a mere 8.4 carries this season. That’s not a good look for a playcaller whose offense is ranked 88th in total yardage.

The narrative that overshadows all others at Virginia Tech is the end-game of Beamer’s career, and understandably so. There are plenty of bigger, wider issues that factor into that, but in the short-term, the Hokies could do better simply by taking advantage of what they already have on hand.

Trivia

N.C. State has lost six in a row and eight of nine at Wake Forest, with the only victory a 17-14 triumph in 2001. Who accounted for the Wolfpack’s two touchdowns in that game?

Jackets’ streak in peril

Georgia Tech has finished at .500 or better in ACC play for 20 consecutive seasons, a league record. That run, though, is finally on the verge of ending – and far sooner into this season than anyone would have guessed.

The Yellow Jackets (2-5, 0-4) have dropped five in a row, the latest a 31-28 decision to Pittsburgh when Panthers kicker Chris Blewitt drilled a 56-yard field goal with 1:11 to play last week. Next up for Georgia Tech is Florida State (6-0, 4-0), which will attempt to tie its own record with its 29th consecutive victory over an ACC team.

One major culprit for the Yellow Jackets is a severe regression on third downs. Georgia Tech led the country in third down efficiency with a 57.9 percent conversion rate last year. But the Yellow Jackets have stumbled to 32.9 percent this season, tied for 114th nationally.

Then there’s the schedule, which wasn’t Georgia Tech’s ally even before North Carolina and Pittsburgh got off to strong starts. Toss in setbacks to Clemson, Duke and Notre Dame, and the combined record of the five teams to beat the Yellow Jackets is 27-4.

Answer

Philip Rivers threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Joe Gray and rushed for a 1-yard score to account for the only touchdowns in N.C. State’s only victory in its last nine trips to Winston-Salem.

This story was originally published October 20, 2015 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Virginia Tech’s offense continues to struggle."