In the overall big picture, just how much was there for James Franklin to take away from his team's season-opening 73-3 rout of VMI? Usually, in a game like that, the opportunities to pick things apart are few and far between for a veteran head coach.
However, when it comes to Franklin, he found some criticism for one position where he was able to send a subtle message.
James Franklin drops subtle message to Virginia Tech's quarterback room
Sometimes, in a game like the Hokies had on Saturday night at Lane Stadium, bad habits can happen. However, Franklin is looking to make sure that doesn't happen with his two quarterbacks, Ethan Grunkemeyer and Bryce Baker.
Grunkemeyer, a Penn State transfer, was 17-for-20 for 224 yards and two touchdowns against the undermanned Keydets. He averaged 11.2 yards per completion, playing into the third quarter. In the third quarter, he was relieved by Baker, a North Carolina transfer. The redshirt freshman went 10-for-12 for 127 yards and a touchdown. Combined, they went 27-for-32 for 351 yards and three touchdowns.
Still, there is room for improvement, according to Franklin. Both signal callers overthrew open wide receivers downfield on plays that were there. Franklin said that the Hokies need to execute in those situations later in the season against much better opponents.
"We've gotta hit those gimmies specifically on third and fourth down, so we can stay on the field and not put our defense in a challenging spot," said Franklin. "I think the quarterbacks want us to be aggressive in those situations, and the offense wants us to be aggressive in those situations that when we do it, then we've got to go out and execute."
Both quarterbacks have shown that they have the arm strength to throw the ball deep down the field. They also have playmakers on the outside who can go out and make plays, as well as tight ends who can make some big plays. However, if they are going to be called by offensive coordinator Ty Howle and Franklin, the execution needs to be better. Especially against opponents, where it's only going to get tougher.
That starts with Old Dominion this weekend, before the final 10 opponents will be Power 4 conference foes, beginning on Sept. 19 at Maryland. If Virginia Tech is going to have a successful first season under Franklin in Blacksburg, the quarterback play will need to be sharper. We'll see on Saturday against ODU if that'll be the case on the big plays down the field.
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