The Hokies hit the road for the first time this year with Purdue on tap Saturday, but they’ll do so without inside linebacker Andrew Motuapuaka, who could miss up to four weeks with a sprained MCL.
Virginia Tech had no problem getting their first win of the season as they zoomed past Furman, 42-3 on Saturday. His 1-yard score in the third quarter was his first touchdown since 2013. Sophomore walk-on Sean Huelskamp crammed in for Motuapuaka towards Furman after the damage. After transferring to Tech in 2013, Hansen, a former defensive tackle for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, made the switch to offense in the 2014 preseason and started the last three games of a campaign that saw the team finish 7-6, 3-5 in the ACC. A lot of the damage came on three touchdowns of 50-plus yards, a statistic that likely nauseates defensive coordinator Bud Foster.
Freshman Carson Lydon, who enrolled in January to participate in spring practices, was expected to redshirt this season.
As happy as he was with Motley’s first begin, together with performances by a number of of Tech’s younger offensive gamers within the win towards Furman, Frank Beamer is aware of there are potential pitfalls on the street that do not exist at residence. In receiving, De Yancey had two receptions for 68 yards while Carmeron Posey added 64 yards and one touchdown in two catches.
“I think it’s a work in progress right now”, Beamer said. “You start seeing your reads better”.
But the Hokies have brought freshman quarterbacks on road trips in the past, even if they’re redshirting, to helpthem experience signaling in plays in hostile atmospheres.
They finished with 583 yards of offense, their best since 2010 and most under offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler, who took over in 2012. “There’s no concerns”.
“Dwayne has got a good future”, Beamer said.
On Monday night (Sept. 7), Virginia Tech sophomore Eric Gallo will step onto perhaps one of the biggest stages a kid from Lower Bucks County could imagine on the first day of his second varsity season for an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) football power. “It’s hard to think in there, but that’s the point”.
“As the game goes on, you do get more comfortable”, Motley said. He looked calmer in the pocket as he went through his progressions, a noticeable change from a week ago against a ferocious Ohio State front. He is a smart player and the Hokies’ most experienced Mike linebacker for sure.
“You have to put together mentally”, stated Tech extensive receiver Isaiah Ford. “It’s not high school anymore”. “At nighttime, you’re exhausted and you want to sleep but you really got to dig into the film and dig into the playbook”.