Virginia Tech Football: Three keys of the game versus Middle Tennessee

1. Avoiding turning the ball over on offense

The goal for all teams in the sport of football is to avoid costly turnovers. The Virginia Tech Hokies have lost key games in recent history due to costly and disastrous turnovers. Last season, the Hokies were +0.2 in turnovers by fumbles as they averaged 0.7 turnovers by fumbles a game. Quarterback Braxton Burmeister only threw one interception throughout the season as Hedon Hooker threw five.

Last week against the Tar Heels, the Hokies gave up two turnovers with those being an interception from Burmeister and a fumble from running back Keshawn King. The Hokies were fortunate that the turnovers didn’t ultimately cost Virginia Tech against North Carolina.

The Blue Raiders forced four turnovers from the offense of the Monmouth Hawks. One of those turnovers was an interception returned for a 44-yard touchdown from Blue Raiders sophomore cornerback Teldrick Ross.

The Hokies will need to continue to be aggressive on the offensive side of the ball, but they will need to do so without turning the ball over. Burmeister can be more aggressive in the passing game, but he does not have to force the ball into tough contested coverages. The Hokies will also have to their rushing offense be more concerned with ball security for extra yards.

This is a Hokies offense that can be a legitimate threat in the passing and rushing game, but the potential rate of turnovers could stall their offensive productivity. Controlling the productivity of the offense while avoiding turnovers can be addressed in this game against Middle Tennessee.