Credit Where Credit is Due

As Virginia Tech loafed its way through a 25-20 loss to Cal a few weeks ago, I posted something to X that turned a few heads.

"I'm seeing signs of a poorly coached football team," I stated.

It's amazing how quickly things can change. Just a few weeks removed from a deflating road trip to Berkeley, James Franklin showed that he and his staff are more than just ace recruiters.

While the Tigers may not win as many games as they used to, Clemson still brings a talented roster to the field every weekend. Nearly half of Clemson's roster are four or five-star prospects, well above the level of most of their ACC counterparts. Dabo Swinney has recruited a very talented roster, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Clemson was the toughest test to date for Virginia Tech's offense, and it showed. The Hokies gained just 234 yards of offense — 54 fewer yards than Clemson — allowed six sacks, converted only five of their 15 third-down attempts, and found themselves staring down a three-point deficit late in the fourth quarter.

Virginia Tech's 20-16 win was far from pretty, but it was emblematic of a coaching staff capable of squeezing the absolute most of their roster.

James Franklin acknowledged as much in his postgame presser, saying the Hokies had to "manufacture" offense all night long.

If you watched the game, you saw it in real time. Virginia Tech couldn't generate a push at the line of scrimmage, and Hokie receivers didn't consistently win one-on-one matchups in the pass game.

Under fire with limited options in the passing game, Ethan Grunkemeyer and Ty Howle found a way to move the ball anyway. Tech repeatedly got their best players the ball in space, regardless of the method. Que'Sean Brown and Luke Reynolds got seven touches apiece — a 10-yard rush by Brown set up a fourth-and-1 at Clemson's 5-yard-line, which ended with Reynolds catching the game-winning touchdown pass.

Virginia Tech pushed Howard's Rock up the hill all night long, pushing through Clemson's resistance when it mattered most.

As the Hokies "manufactured" offense, they also played clean football. Virginia Tech protected the football for the second straight week and was flagged just five times, a far cry from earlier in the season.

Good coaches find ways to bridge gaps in talent through effective schemes and a focus on fundamentals and discipline. Tech showed all three of those in Death Valley.

James Franklin is more than an elite recruiter. Talent acquisition isn't his only skill.

The guy can flat-out coach. Franklin, and his staff, have mostly maximized their roster in Year 1, and the results are in the win-loss column. When you set the narratives aside and look at the data, it's clear that Franklin is among the better coaches in the country.

It's been a while since Virginia Tech had one of those. Now that they do, Hokie football has once again become a usually enjoyable experience. 

I'm seeing signs of a well-coached football team, and I couldn't be happier.