Designing a game plan to stop the Hokies offense must be a nightmare. Scott Loeffler's unit has shown so many different formations, personnel groupings, and schemes that it's impossible for a defensive coordinator to know what's going to happen on any given play. A tight end, fullback, and running back all come in to the game? The Hokies can line up with five wide, or in a diamond pistol formation, or under center. Loeffler said he wanted to run a multiple offense, well there's no doubt that he's established multiple ways to move the ball. He's also played a crucial role in helping Frank Beamer add five more wins to his already impressive career total.

Everyone knows that Frank Beamer (and Loeffler and Grimes) want to run the ball. For the past decade every defensive coordinator that rolled into Blacksburg to oppose Tech had one goal, stop the run at whatever cost. Almost any success Virginia Tech has had rushing the ball this season has been from a spread formation, so it shouldn't be a surprise that UNC focused on stopping the run from the pistol and shotgun early. What was a little surprising though was the game plan Loeffler had to defeat that tactic.

I am breaking tradition by posting this in advance of Virginia losing to Duke, but the Hoos loss to Ball State accelerated my timeline.

I am officially committed to VIRGINIA TECH ! #Hokies— Ricky Lake ! (@RickGoGetEmWalk) October 6, 2013

Ricky Walker made a verbal pledge to the Hokies today during his official visit to Virginia Tech. Walker is a 6-2, 275 pound defensive tackle from Bethel High in Hampton, Virginia (where James Gayle played his high school ball), and both Rivals.com and 247Sports rank him a 4-star prospect. In 10 games last season he had 70 tackles, 11 sacks, and earned first-team all-Peninsula District and all-Eastern Region as a two-way player (DT and guard).

I really enjoy D.J. Coles making celebrity touchdown catches. He shows up on the red carpet, baby.

#Hokies WR DJ Coles now has 11 catches this year. 5 have been for TDs. #cherrypicker— Hokies Journal (@HokiesJournal) October 5, 2013

Let's hug, and high five, here.

By French (#TeamPie), Mason (recently bought an iPhone 4s), Joe (#TeamCake), and joelestra (number cruncher)

Virginia Tech Hokies (4-1, 1-0) against North Carolina Tar Heels (1-3, 0-1)

Time: 12:30 PM
Date: Saturday, October 5, 2013
Place: Blacksburg, Virginia
Stadium: Lane Stadium (65,632)
TV: ACC Network
Radio: Virginia Tech IMG
Spread: Virginia Tech -7.5
Weather: 55-80, Clear

The Skinny

Virginia Tech is 7-2 against North Carolina in ACC games. The Hokies suffered that second loss last season. In 2012, the Tar Heels won at home 48-34. UNC out rushed Tech by nearly 300 yards (339 to 40). This week Frank Beamer has repeatedly used the word "pounded" to describe what the Heels did to his Hokies last season.

Statistics

Well, needless to say the computers were wrong last week! Let's hope they're not wrong this week though, as they are universally in agreement that VT should win this game:

The Dave Shinskie Division

(Dregs of the conference)

14. Wake Forest (2-3, LW: L 56-7 @ Clemson): So Lane Kiffin gets fired, Paul Pasqualoni gets fired and Jim Grobe remains one of the safest coaches in the sport. The best part? He still has two years left on that ten year deal, meaning that Wake fans get to watch a team in decline for two whole presidential terms! Seriously though, talking about sadness, there was apparently a poll on a Wake Forest message board asking if Wake fans would take moving to FCS in football if it meant reaching the NCAA Tournament each year. I cannot tell you the result of the poll, however, because you are required to log onto the board and I don't want my computer to start showing me self-help advertisements.

Frank Beamer said before the season started that he wanted the program that he made nationally relevant to regain its reputation as a tough team. After an offseason of staff changes and a spring and summer of intense practices, it's clear through five games that the team Beamer runs out on the field every week is as tough as any in the country.

For the Hokies to go out and win this game is very impressive, and to win it by holding Georgia Tech to 129 rushing yards is downright ridiculous. That's an absurd number. Even more absurd is the short week the Hokies had to get ready for this brutal matchup. Four days? That's just not enough time. Not enough time to get prepared for the most unique offense Tech will face all season, not enough time to get everyone healthy again after a surprisingly tough game against Marshall, not enough time for Logan Thomas to even take a single practice snap.

Not many people were picking the Hokies to win this matchup. Why would they? The offense has looked less than inspiring as it worked it's way through an identity crisis and the defense was set up for failure by facing Paul Johnson on a short week. This Frank Beamer team is too tough to ever be counted out though, and the players all rallied around two solid game plans by their coaches and fought their way to a well-deserved victory.

It's always a treat breaking down film of Georgia Tech's triple option and getting into the mind of Paul Johnson. We won't be doing that here.

Highlights:

1. LUNCH PAIL DOMINATION

The narrative will vary from writer to writer this week, but the Hokies physically dominated the favored Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in front of a packed house at historic Bobby Dodd stadium. Virginia Tech's defense manhandled Georgia Tech's o-line and completely screwed up the distinct rhythm of Johnson's flexbone option offense. Logan Thomas had his best game of the season throwing accurate short to medium passes and moving the sticks with a punishing running game in between the tackles. The score may have been close, but the reality was that Georgia Tech was never really competitive in this football game. Bud Foster's scheme, coupled with his most talented defensive team in years dominated, and Logan Thomas shut up some naysayers with confident execution in the passing game.

Something Old and Something New from Bud Foster

As previously discussed, Foster has taught a variety of different alignments and techniques to stop Paul Johnson's offense over the years. The common themes in his approach have been 1) to defend the Yellow Jacket passing game with some form of cover 2 defense and 2) focus on taking away the dive and the pitch in the triple option and force the quarterback to be the leading ball carrier.

Foster's philosophy for the 2013 matchup followed his successful formula. Vad Lee lead the team with 18 carries and despite several nice gains, he took a beating. If the Hokie defense was in a base look, the defensive end would crash inside. The unblocked defender (usually the outside linebacker to the play side) took the pitch man, and the quarterback was forced to keep the ball. Usually, the quarterback gains anywhere from 3 to 6 yards, but the keeper rarely produces a big play because the middle linebacker and both safeties are there to bracket the quarterback on all sides. Let's watch as the defense defends a counter option with this basic approach.