Justin Fuente will get Virginia Tech's offense up to speed
Justin Fuente delivers remarks during his introductory press conference as head coach, Nov. 30, 2015.
Zack Wajsgras / Collegiate Times
When Justin Fuente was hired as head coach for Virginia Tech, the first thing that many thought of was his offense.
“You can definitely get tired,” said sophomore linebacker Tremaine Edmunds about practicing against the offense that proved vital for Memphis University's success. Now many are wondering what to expect as Fuente brings this offense to Blacksburg.
Simply by looking at the rise in offensive ranks that Memphis has experienced before and after the arrival of Fuente, the impact that he has had with his offensive philosophy is apparent.
In both 2010 and 2011, the two years before Fuente arrived, Memphis was ranked 119th in terms of offensive efficiency, according to Football Outsiders. However, after Fuente took over, Memphis saw a rise in those offensive rankings every year he was there. The Tigers rose to 117th in 2012, 102nd in 2013, 78th in 2014 and 28th in Fuente’s final year.
Fuente’s fast-paced offense often used three or more receivers to space out the defense. This made the average receivers look good and the great receivers look even better, while giving the quarterback many options when passing.
In 2010 and 2011, Memphis did not have a single game in which the Tigers scored 20 or more points but saw six in Fuente’s first season. While it took some time, the team ultimately had seven games in 2014 and six in 2015 in which the Tigers scored 40 or more points.
Record-wise, the Tigers went 2-10 and 1-7 in conference play in the last year before Fuente arrived. The team proceeded to 4-8 and 3-9 in Fuente’s first two years, before the offense and team fully gelled in 2014. The Tigers went 10-3 that year and then 9-4 in Fuente's final year.
One key area to watch the Hokies improve under Fuente is at quarterback, where he has been known for his excellence at developing players. Taylor Reed threw for 1,690 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2011 for the Tigers, but Jacob Karam threw for 1,895 in Fuente’s first year. In Fuente's last season, Paxton Lynch threw for 3,776 yards and 28 scores. Lynch is now a top prospect for entering the draft.
Jerod Evans and Brenden Motley are currently splitting the first-team reps for the Hokies, and whoever wins the job should experience success.
The defense should improve as well. Not only did Memphis' offense improve under Fuente, the defense improved as well. After being 111th and 104th in 2010 and 2011 respectively, Memphis was 82nd in 2012, 69th in 2013 and up to 31st in 2014 before falling to 53rd this past season.
Tech’s defense should definitely benefit, simply from practicing against the new high-octane offense, since it has been known to struggle against up-tempo offense with mobile quarterbacks. Memphis also often forced its opponents to have to play from behind under Fuente, making the defensive play calling much easier.
Though it may take some time for Virginia Tech to adjust to Fuente's new philosophies, it should see an improvement on both sides of the ball, particularly on offense.