BLACKSBURG — Seven games into the season, Virginia Tech football stands one win away from claiming bowl eligibility. Ahead of the Hokies' Oct. 24 contest against Clemson, head coach James Franklin fielded questions from the media — here are the most noteworthy observations and quotes from his presser:
No. 1: Virginia Tech looks to address its second-half struggles.
After allowing just three first-half points, the Hokies surrendered 21 points after halftime, enabling Georgia Tech to cut the deficit to a touchdown. Their offense similarly struggled, producing only 102 yards in the final two quarters, including just 35 passing yards from quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer. Franklin acknowledged those shortcomings Monday, outlining potential changes to Virginia Tech's practice structure to better prepare the Hokies for second-half adjustments.
"We've done a good job of starting fast,," Franklin said. "We've got to be better in the third quarter on offense, defense and special teams."
Specifically, Franklin plans to move some of Virginia Tech's first-team-versus-first-team practice periods from the beginning of practice to later in the session. The goal is to simulate the challenges of executing against quality competition after an extended period of work.
"We're going to move some of those good on good periods to basically after halftime of practice, just to train ourselves," Franklin said.
Defensive communication is another area Franklin identified for improvement. With opposing offenses increasingly utilizing pre-snap motion, shifts and unconventional formations, Franklin emphasized the importance of ensuring all 11 defenders understand their assignments.
"If you got all 11 people on the same page, even if it's the wrong call, you still got a chance to be successful," Franklin said.
No. 2: Franklin praised defensive end Aycen Stevens for his emergence.
Few Hokies have experienced a more dramatic turnaround this season than Stevens.
After entering the year without a career sack, Stevens has emerged as one of college football's most productive pass rushers. He entered Monday ranked No. 2 in the nation in sacks. Franklin credited Stevens' development to his work ethic, coachability and physical improvements since the coaching staff arrived.
"He's bigger, he's stronger, he's faster," Franklin said. "He's also a very consistent guy."
No. 3: Two young Hokies shone in Saturday's win over the Yellow Jackets.
Virginia Tech's freshman class is beginning to make a more significant impact as the season progresses. Franklin specifically highlighted Terry Wiggins, who played 13 defensive snaps during Saturday's victory, along with offensive lineman Benjamin Eziuka, who logged 46 snaps at guard.
Wiggins' increased opportunities came partly because Virginia Tech needed to manage the workloads of several players dealing with minor physical issues. Eziuka impressed the coaching staff enough to earn additional playing time against a challenging defensive front.
"We had a rotation going, but as the game went on, he was playing well, so he ended up getting more reps and stayed in," Franklin said.
Freshman Davion Brown also earned praise for a one-handed reception on third-and-9, a play Franklin said he didn't fully appreciate until reviewing the film. Those contributions could become increasingly important as Virginia Tech prepares to face Clemson, a program Franklin praised for its talent and sustained success in his opening statement. The matchup also carries personal familiarity. Clemson defensive coordinator Tom Allen previously worked under Franklin, giving both coaches an understanding of the other's tendencies.
"We see some things that we understand that he likes to do, kind of understand his philosophy and how he goes about things," Franklin said.
For Virginia Tech, the challenge will be translating its recent progress into another complete performance against a solid conference opponent in Clemson.
"We've been resilient. We found different ways to win. We bounced back after a tough loss," Franklin said. "But we got to take another step this week."
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