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| Clive Walford(Photo Credit: Miami Herald) |
Written By: Nathan Skinner
Canes Rising Contributor
The 'Canes are on the ropes. A season that was supposed to be a breakout campaign, has instead turned into one in which the coaching staff is under fire, and fans abandoning the program. Thursday's game against Virginia Tech is a must win, not only to save this season, but to save the Golden tenure.
Keys To Victory
1. Duke Johnson & Joe Yearby--The Hokies should be getting a steady dose of Duke and Joe. Virginia Tech has struggled to stop the run all season, and that will most likely continue Thursday night. Pittsburgh was able to run at will against the Hokies, even though Bud Foster knew that the Panthers are limited in the passing game. Johnson and Yearby are two of the best backs the Hokies will face this season, and a successful running game will take pressure off of Brad Kaaya.
2. Brad Kaaya--Kaaya, while talented is still a young player. He is at his best when he's allowed to grow within the gameplan. Let Duke Johnson carry the load early, and then allow Kaaya to punish the Hokies once Bud Foster attempts to counter. Playaction passes should be available, with Clive Walford being a big, athletic target.
3. Stop the Hokie running game-- The Hokies aren't an overly physical team, and limiting them should be relatively easy task. The 'Canes have struggled to stop the run all year, but there's no reason why the 'Canes can't stop a limited VT rushing attack. Don't allow the Hokies to be multidimensional, force them to be predictable.
4. Force Michael Brewer to make quick decisions--Brewer is a quarterback that struggles to make reads. He has 11 interceptions on the season, and most of those were due to him making awful decisions. It's on Mark D'Onofrio to force Brewer's hand by frequently blitzing, using players like Tyriq McCord and Thurston Armbrister to collapse the pocket. It's time for D'Onofrio to TRUST his players and allow them to make plays. Giving Brewer time to sit in an uncluttered pocket is a recipe for disaster.
5. No Turnovers/Special Teams Errors--Virginia Tech lacks the top end talent of Miami, and most likely will need a couple of non offensive scores to keep pace with the 'Canes. Therefore, it's imperative that the 'Canes not turn the ball over, not give up big plays in the kicking game. Virginia Tech has relied on these plays to beat the 'Canes in the past, it cannot happen Thursday. Last season, the 'Canes had two turnovers on punt returns, leading to points for the Hokies.
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