Virginia Tech Respects The Notre Dame Defense, Will Prepare For Three Quarterbacks
It’s another big opportunity for a big win against Notre Dame.
Same story, different week.
Virginia Tech (3-1), coming off a bye-week, wants to do what Cincinnati did last week; beat the Irish (4-1) to energize their season.
“We have an awesome opportunity here,” Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente said. “We have a sold-out crowd and I imagine a raucous crowd with an unbelievable opportunity for our football team.”
The Hokies have been tested already, beating North Carolina 17-10 at home to start the season. Both teams were ranked at the time, then they lost on the road to West Virginia on Sept. 18 by a 27-21 score.
Fuente thinks the game could be a defensive grind. Notre Dame has struggled with offensive consistency and it still hasn’t settled on a quarterback. Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said he won’t announce a starter before the game, which is at 7:30 EST at Lane Stadium.
“The thing I took away from the Cincinnati game with Notre Dame is that every inch, every piece of turf is going to be hard-fought for," Fuente noted. "It’s going to be really difficult. Four yards is a big deal. We have to be emotionally prepared for that sort of game. Certainly, this is the last of our non-conference games. We hit them all in a row. This is a unique opportunity for us.”
Fuente is 1-2 against the Irish. Tech beat Notre Dame 34-31 inside Notre Dame Stadium in 2016. The Irish got home field pay back in 2019, coming back to beat the Hokies 21-20 thanks to a last second scoring drive. The last and only time the two teams met inside Lane Stadium was 2018, and it ended with a 45-23 Notre Dame victory.
Fuente said playing against first-year defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman will be a tremendous challenge.
“They gave up a couple of big tackles and missed a tackle or two in the first game,” Fuente said. “They have played solid defense ever since. Their foundation is man-to-man coverage but they mix up their looks and move their fronts quite a bit. When you start to think about the diversity of looks you’re going to get and the quality of people you are going against, it’s quite a bit different I’d say than the last guy that was there. “
Fuente said he will prepare for all three Notre Dame quarterbacks. Jack Coan started last week, Tyler Buchner was in the game for two series’ and Drew Pyne played in the second half. The Irish scored its only points with Pyne playing in a 24-13 loss to Cincinnati.
“I would say, and this is my opinion, but 12 (Buchner) is obviously an athletic kid and can really run the ball,” Fuente said. “I see the offense changing the most when he’s in there. Seventeen (Coan) and 10 (Pyne) seem to be the more proficient passers. I would say the offense is similar with those two guys in there. It all adds a challenge for us. We have to be ready for everything we've seen without spending all day chasing ghosts. You have to be prepared for whichever direction the game goes.”
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