After Georgia Tech’s triple-option offense victimized the Blue Devils, Duke will go back to defending a traditional spread offense this week. But its task will not be any easier against a high-octane Virginia Tech offense that has the No. 23 Hokies atop the Coastal Division entering the final month of the regular season.
First-year head coach Justin Fuente has demonstrated that the system that made Memphis one of the nation’s most potent offenses works just as well in the ACC. Led by quarterback Jerod Evans, Virginia Tech has put up 36.3 points per contest and took control of the division with a dominant 34-3 win at then-No. 17 North Carolina Oct. 8 in a driving rainstorm.
The Hokies, who average 450.9 yards per contest, are coming off a 39-36 win at Pittsburgh in which Evans racked up 406 passing yards, and they will hope to win their final three conference games starting Saturday afternoon at Wallace Wade Stadium to get back to the ACC championship game for the first time since 2011.
“I can’t say enough about Coach Fuente and the job that he’s doing with the staff,” Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said. “Virginia Tech is really difficult to defend.”
After a preseason quarterback battle between Evans and last season’s backup Brenden Motley, Evans won the job and has not looked back since. The Trinity Valley Community College transfer has powered the team to a 6-2 record—including 4-1 in league play—and currently leads the ACC in passer rating ahead of Heisman Trophy frontrunner and Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson and Clemson star quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Taking care of the ball has been vital to Evans’ success in his first season in Blacksburg—the junior has thrown 21 touchdowns against just two interceptions and cleared the 2,000-passing yard mark for the season last week.
But what makes the Dallas native even more lethal is his ability to extend plays with his legs like Yellow Jacket quarterback Justin Thomas’s, who gashed Duke for more than 450 total yards last week. Evans ranks second on the team just behind dangerous running back Travon McMillian with 56.3 rushing yards per game, and if the Blue Devils lose containment of the 6-foot-4, 238-pound signal-caller, they could be in for another long day of giving up explosive plays.
“[Evans is] playing at a high level,” Cutcliffe said. “He can run it, he can throw it [and] he’s got a really strong arm.”
Evans has one of the best receiving corps in the ACC, with three players averaging more than 58 receiving yards per contest, giving opposing defenses fits. First-team All-ACC wideout Isaiah Ford headlines the trio, bringing 648 receiving yards and six touchdowns into the contest. But if opposing defenses slant too much to Ford’s side of the field, Evans also has reliable options in wideout Cam Phillips and All-American tight end Bucky Hodges—both of whom average at least 15 yards per catch.
The Blue Devils are very familiar with the 6-foot-7, 245-pound Hodges, who caught three touchdowns in Duke’s thrilling 45-43 quadruple-overtime victory at Virginia Tech last season. Hodges’ size and precise route-running across the middle of the field make him a matchup nightmare, particularly when the Hokies get in the red zone.
“When you have Bucky Hodges and Isaiah Ford, those two are enough to keep you up all night,” Cutcliffe said. “I think I spent one night sleepless on Hodges and one night sleepless on Ford.”
When Duke has the ball, it will look to build on its 35-point effort at Georgia Tech against a much-improved Virginia Tech defense that ranks 23rd nationally in scoring defense. The Hokies were inconsistent defensively last year en route to a 6-6 regular season, but linebackers Andrew Motuapuaka and Tremaine Edmunds have made Virginia Tech one of the top run defenses in the ACC. The duo has combined for 120 total tackles, and Edmunds leads the team with 12 tackles for loss.
The Hokies allow 113.1 yards per game on the ground, meaning the Blue Devils will need a big game from junior Shaun Wilson with redshirt senior Jela Duncan now done for the year after tearing his Achilles tendon at Georgia Tech.
“They’re fundamentally sound. They have their schemes really solid,” redshirt junior center Austin Davis said. “Their defense is always very, very disciplined. That’s what makes them so good. They all play with a certain amount of passion and discipline, and it helps when they have that type of talent.”
Virginia Tech is nearly as tough against the pass, as it has three defensive backs—safeties Terrell Edmunds and Mook Reynolds along with cornerback Greg Stroman—who have combined for eight interceptions on the year. The Hokies barely allow 200 passing yards per game, but did show weaknesses in double-digit losses to Syracuse and Tennessee earlier this season when both teams were able to generate big plays to keep Bud Foster’s unit off balance.
Virginia Tech’s long-time defensive coordinator, Foster is known for having opportunistic units that rattle opposing quarterbacks, providing another test for Blue Devil quarterback Daniel Jones. The redshirt freshman struggled with turnovers early in the season but has only thrown one interception in his last three games, meaning another strong performance that keeps Evans and the Virginia Tech offense off the field could put Duke in position to pull the upset.
“There’s no doubt that they’re a very talented and well-coached defense,” Jones said. “They’re a good team, and we’re excited for them.”
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