Wake Forest Review: Hokies Manipulate Deac Offense

Hokies, Virginia Tech, Chris Marve
Chris Marve probably had his best game as defensive coordinator on Saturday. (Ivan Morozov)

That was a pleasant surprise. The Hokies earned their most complete win of the Pry tenure and looked good in nearly every facet of the game.

Defense Clamps Down

By formation, call and technique, the Hokies wanted Wake Forest to throw the ball. And it worked, as the Deacs finished up with a pass/run ratio of about 5:2 and were moving that way even before the Hokies built their lead.

When playing a package/option offense—whether the offense is reading one man or the entire front—the defense has one big advantage: it can determine where the ball goes. Option plays react to the defense, so if the defense knows the reads, it can force a pass when it wants to, or make sure the less-dangerous runner is the ball carrier, etc.

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