BLACKSBURG — Every so often in the first half Saturday, a cloud of smoke would drift above the field at Lane Stadium, the residue of fireworks that had exploded over the video scoreboard.
That’s been this Virginia Tech season so far. Good fun spiced by explosive moments. Dancing, cheers and comfortable early exits by fans. Bouncing for “Enter Sandman” and belting out “Friends in Low Places” in the rain as another overmatched opponent yearns for the clock to expire.
Yet the haze still hangs above these Hokies, through no real fault of their own. Tech’s 24-3 victory over Duke on Saturday was another expected outcome, another pitfall dodged, but it brings little in the way of clarity.
Clarity is coming. For this team, for this division, for this conference. It always does. And as they prepare to head to Miami this coming weekend, the 13th-ranked Hokies can say proudly that they’ve played their way into every possibility.
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Saturday’s game turned for good on a Duke personal-foul penalty late in the first half, which granted Tech just enough time to score a touchdown that pressed the lead to 17-3 at intermission. With the weather about to worsen and the Blue Devils already scuffling offensively, the penalty was more than silly. It was inexcusable.
And it’s exactly the kind of thing these Hokies haven’t done in 2017.
They’re not always the sharpest, not always as ruthless early in games as they could be, but they’re reliable. They rarely put the ball on the ground. Josh Jackson leads the nation’s freshman quarterbacks in passing yards and passing touchdowns, and his performance has vaulted the Hokies atop the ACC in passing efficiency.
The passing-efficiency stat is compiled esoterically, but the actual number isn’t as important as the name. Jackson is precociously efficient. His mistakes are forgivable, physical imperfections such as overthrowing an open receiver or being a split-second off on a timing route. He’s not trying to jam passes through the jaws of double coverage or lateraling the ball in a panic when the pocket collapses.
And that’s been more than enough to beat the Dukes and the Old Dominions and the West Virginias. It’s been enough to embarrass the Carolinas, both East and North. Against a set of eight opponents with a combined record of 30-35 (pending Clemson’s result against Georgia Tech), it’s been enough for Tech to start 7-1.
But is it enough to beat Miami on the road?
The answer is fuzzy, because this might not be all there is. There’s a sense that coach Justin Fuente hasn’t shown everything yet.
Consider that Jackson demonstrated in the opener that he can contribute a lot with his legs, rushing for 101 yards and a touchdown. Since then, his highest rushing output has been 29 yards against ODU on Sept. 23. And that makes sense. Why put him at risk if it’s not required?
Tech’s defense is playing fast. The Hokies had nine tackles for loss Saturday. They had a pick and a forced fumble, allowing just 183 total yards. This marked the fifth time Tech surrendered 10 points or fewer to its opponent this year — a track record that includes two shutouts.
By the time Saturday’s game ended, puddles had formed on a field that has state-of-the-art drainage. The unrelenting rain had driven away all but the die-hard fans. As the last of the fireworks were spent, male cheerleaders got a running start and slid across the grass. Tech players soon joined them before singing the fight song in front of the band.
From high in the press box, visibility wasn’t great. But this much we know: That was a winning team down there. A team that has done about as well as anyone could have reasonably hoped.
It’s a team that has positioned itself to emerge from the smoke, answer all the lingering questions and, perhaps, become something special.
Aaron McFarling
Aaron McFarling joined The Roanoke Times in 2000 and has been writing sports columns since 2004.
