Most of the table-setting is done, and three games into the season, we’ve got a good idea of what Virginia Tech football has to offer. Next up is a string of five games that will challenge the Hokies every time out and tell us a lot about not just this team, but the future of the program.

On second thought, it’s lame and inaccurate to say that these next five games are a referendum on the future of the program. The Hokies could post a losing record in those five games, but 2-3 years from now, with the same core of players, be much more competitive.

I’m not thrilled that Tech “only” beat Wofford by 20 points, but I’m also not bothered too much by it. 15-20 years ago, the Hokies had so much talent that the punt returner (be it DeAngelo Hall or Eddie Royal) would have outscored Wofford by himself, but these days, Virginia Tech isn’t as explosive up and down the roster.

Metrics like first downs (29-12), yardage (475-199), and time of possession (34:58 – 25:02) favored the Hokies heavily, but the score didn’t. What kept it close is that Virginia Tech only ventured into the red zone twice (and scored just one TD from outside the red zone) and didn’t force any turnovers. Blowouts happen when you make big plays, force turnovers, and finish drives, and the Hokies didn’t do those things.

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