Sports Illustrated USA – August 12, 2019

(vip2019) #1

93


One reason
quarterback
Ryan Willis could
take a big step
forward: wide
receiver Tre
Turner, who gained
20.6 yards per catch
as a freshman. The
6' 2", 190-pound
former high school
standout at point
guard—he’s the
younger brother
of former North
Carolina basketball
player P.J. Hairston—
has tremendous
jumping ability and
breakaway speed; he
rushed for 101 yards
and a touchdown on
just eight carries.
Despite limited
playing time,
Turner tied for fifth
in the ACC with
seven receptions
of 30 yards or
more. Willis has an
underrated receiving
corps, with 6' 2",
222-pound Damon
Hazelton, a second-
team All-ACC pick;
and tight end Dalton
Keene—but neither
of them has Turner’s
ceiling.

X-FACTOR


THE BIG STORY When he took
over for Virginia Tech legend
Frank Beamer in 2016, coach Justin
Fuente was regarded as one of the
game’s top offensive minds, having
revitalized a dormant Memphis
program. But he has yet to revive
the Hokies, even on the offensive
side of the ball: Tech finished
outside the nation’s top 50 in
scoring for a third straight year in
2018, its first losing season since


  1. The turnaround starts with
    more consistency from QB Ryan
    Willis, who completed 58.6% of his
    passes in 2018.


CAN’T MISS The Hokies’
defense also took a big
step back last season—
ranking 98th in the
FBS—but there was one
bright spot: junior
LB Rayshard Ashby, who led Tech
with 105 tackles (tied for second in
the ACC). Ashby, who also had
91 / 2 tackles for a loss, is the
stabilizing presence on a young unit.

KEY QUESTION Can the Hokies
return to being a top unit in

yielded the most points of his
23-year tenure (31.0 per game)—but
it was also among his youngest.
Senior safety Reggie Floyd will lead
the inexperienced defense.

KEY MATCHUP


BIGGEST GAME


SI RANKING


AUG. 31


@ BOSTON COLLEGE


SEPT. 7


OLD DOMINION


SEPT. 14


FURMAN


SEPT. 27


DUKE


OCT. 5


@ MIAMI


OCT. 12


RHODE ISLAND


OCT. 19


NORTH CAROLINA


NOV. 2


@ NOTRE DAME (7)


NOV. 9


WAKE


FOREST


NOV. 16


@ GEORGIA


TECH


NOV. 23


PITTSBURGH


NOV. 29


@ VIRGINIA


THE RUNDOWN


3


6


9


12


15


7– 6 10 – 4 9 – 4 6 –7 8 – 4


WINS


Justin Fuente’s third
season was a step in the
wrong direction, but Virginia
Tech has the talent to turn
things around quickly.
Remember: Frank Beamer
went 11–21 over his first
YEAR 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019* three years in Blacksburg.
*SI PROJECTION

5 -YEAR TREND


7. 5


The Hokies face
plenty of questions,
but their schedule is extremely
favorable: If they get past
Boston College in the opener, they
could be 7–0 when they head to
South  Bend in November.

OVER OR UNDER


2019


SCHEDULE


Virginia Tech

FRO


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BBIN


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