Hokies start fast
Virginia Tech posts win vs. West Virginia in opener, as new quarterback hits stride
Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster’s first word from the podium summarized the mood perfectly. “Whew!”
His defense had just made a last-second stop of No. 20 West Virginia to prevail 31-24 at FedExField.
The first meeting between former Big East rivals since 2005 went as expected. The game was full of passion, momentum swings and drama until the final snap.
The 22rd-ranked Hokies, though, gained more than a victory and bragging rights against their neighbor. They also might have found a quarterback to lead the program and possibly change the power structure in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Those are lofty expectations for redshirt freshman Josh Jackson. But he earned them with his performance against the Mountaineers.
His passing numbers — 15for-26 for 235 yards and a touchdown — don’t tell the entire story. In the second half, Jackson led three TD drives, each time putting the Hokies in front after West Virginia had tied the score.
He also displayed an unexpected bonus by establishing himself as a running threat, a skill that had been downplayed before his first snap.
Though not exactly previous Virginia Tech greats Michael Vick or Tyrod Taylor, Jackson had 101 yards on the ground, with 86 coming in the second half. His 46-yard scamper to the West Virginia 2 set up the go-ahead touchdown with six minutes remaining.
It was a complete effort in the kind of environment that can overwhelm inexperienced players. The showing also came a year early for Jackson, who won a competition to start after Jerod Evans unexpectedly declared for the NFL draft.
“I thought he did a really good job,” Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente said. “He’s been a guy that has done what we have asked him to do on a consistent basis. He played really well tonight on a big stage against a tough hard-nosed football team. I was awfully proud. More than proud. I was happy for him. He’s worked awfully, really hard. He found a way to be really efficient tonight.”
The son of former longtime Michigan assistant Fred Jackson took his success in stride.
“I think I handled things really well,” Jackson said. “I felt really calm with it.
“It was a great environment, great first game, but now we have to turn the page and get ready for our next home game.”
Fuente cautioned there was plenty of room for growth as Jackson settles into the role, especially
now that he has established high expectations. “The challenge for him will be, we have had several weeks to prepare for the West Virginia defense,” Fuente said. “Now he’s going to have to do it in six days (against Delaware). That will be another step for him, adjusting to the game plan and getting as comfortable as he was with the game plan this week.
“I don’t think (Sunday’s game) can do anything but help.”
In the afterglow, there was one surprising red flag raised for the Hokies.
Foster’s defense that has been the backbone of the program since its emergence 20 years ago bent often. There was a lack of pressure on the quarterback, and the secondary — expected to be one of the best in the country — gave up 371 passing yards as part of a 592yard output by the Mountaineers.
Foster, however, was pleased that his unit responded when needed the most. After Jackson overcame a first-and-30 situation and drove the Hokies into field goal range, Joel Slye missed a chance to ice the game with less than two minutes left.
The defense had to go back on the field one last time. West Virginia was able to get to the Hokies 15-yard line before a final pass into the end zone went incomplete.
“In the end, we played well enough to win the football game,” Foster said. “Was it clean? No. Can we get a lot better? Yeah, but it was a good win against a good program.”
Thankfully, there is time to fix the problems.
After Delaware are East Carolina and Old Dominion, providing opportunities in manageable games to continue Jackson’s development and get all the defensive concerns ironed out.
Clemson then comes to Blacksburg on the last weekend of September in a rematch of last year’s ACC title game nearly won by the Hokies.
A win against the defending national champions wouldn’t just have conference implications. It would have Virginia Tech thinking about a possible path to the College Football Playoff.
Jackson’s emergence gives the Hokies legitimate optimism, especially if Sunday was just the start.