After having some struggles last week at Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech's defense kicked things in gear this week holding Marshall under 300 yards of offense including under 80 yards in the first half, plus seven 3 and outs on Marshall's first 10 possessions. Their improved Week 2 play was crucial to the Hokies taking care of business in a 31-14 victory over the Thundering Herd.
So let's dive into my defensive takeaways from Virginia Tech's 31-14 victory over Marshall.
1. Mose Phillips' Development is Encouraging
Pierson Prioleau has received some criticism and questions about how of a coach and a recruiter he is. Well his position group has produced a four-star recruit in the 2024 class and a top 2025 in-state safety to quell some of those concerns. Additionally, the development of Mose Phillips should start to quell the questions about his ability to coach up his safeties.
Phillips was a liability on the field for most of last season playing with a reckless abandonment that could produce some great moments but also lacked control and the type of football instincts that you need to succeed. The fact that he was a freshman showed often last season in his struggles.
This season, Phillips is looking like someone who learned some hard lessons as a freshman and then put them into practice to take his game up multiple levels this offseason. Phillips has gone from liability to not only being a solid starter, but also a playmaker who seems to be in the right spot at the right time a whole lot more this season through two games.
