Virginia Tech escaped College Park with its first road win of the season 35-26 over Maryland, but James Franklin isn't interested in allowing the Hokies to spend much time celebrating it.
With Virginia Tech now turning its attention toward a second consecutive road game against Boston College; Franklin, tight end Ja'Ricous Hairston and safety Tyson Flowers met with the media to discuss the Hokies' 3-0 start, their growing group of offensive playmakers and the challenges awaiting them in Chestnut Hill.
Here are some of the biggest takeaways.
Franklin Wants More “Erasers” to Emerge
Throughout the offseason, Franklin repeatedly discussed the importance of finding “erasers” — players capable of overcoming mistakes or imperfect situations with individual plays.
Three games into the season, Franklin is beginning to see them emerge.
Que’Sean Brown and Luke Reynolds were two of the first names Franklin mentioned, while Ethan Grunkemeyer has also shown the ability to create when things break down around him.
“I think Grunk's mobility has shown his ability to be an eraser too when things aren't going well,” Franklin said. “Showing his mobility to be an eraser when the protection's not perfect, when you can still make it right.”
Franklin also pointed to Grunkemeyer’s supporting cast.
Que'Sean Brown made a difficult catch over the middle against Maryland knowing he was about to absorb contact, while Ayden Greene laid out to secure an off-target pass that Franklin believed otherwise could have resulted in an interception.
Those are precisely the types of plays Franklin has been looking for.
“We've shown some signs of that on offense,” Franklin said.
The Hokies haven't been limited to offensive “erasers,” either. Franklin believes Brown has provided that element as a punt returner, while punter Nathan Totten has impressed him through the opening three games.
Defensively, however, Franklin wants to see more.
Virginia Tech didn't make Maryland's quarterback uncomfortable enough, according to Franklin, and improving the Hokies' pass rush will require both more disciplined rush lanes and tighter coverage behind it.
“We got to be able to get pressure on the quarterback, sacks on the quarterback,” Franklin said. “That will help our coverage out. We didn't make the quarterback last week uncomfortable enough in the pocket.”
