There are some decisions that college football coaches face each week that are big ones. There are some that are tough and some that are rather easy. For Virginia Tech coach James Franklim, there was one against Clemson on Saturday night in Death Valley that was, well, rather easy for the first-year head coach.
After taking a 10-3 lead into halftime on Saturday night, the Hokies once again were outscored in the third quarter in yet another ACC game and trailed 16-10 in the fourth quarter. A John Love field goal cut the deficit to 16-13 in the final stanza, and then Franklin was faced with a decision that was either going to win the game or lose it.
James Franklin explains crucial decision against Clemson
Virginia Tech struggled all night moving the ball against a stout Tigers offense. They were able to run it effectively, which shouldn't come as a surprise, and quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer was sacked six times.
However, the Hokies moved the ball to the Clemson 5-yard line and faced a 4th-and-1 with just under two minutes remaining. Franklin was faced with a decision: kick the game-tying field goal or go for a first down or touchdown. The veteran coach picked the latter, and it worked out.
Grunkemeyer dropped back and lofted a pass to the back of the end zone for tight end Luke Reynolds, who was wide open. Love's extra point made it 20-16 for Virginia Tech with 1:44 left. The Hokies' defense forced a turnover on downs on the ensuing Tigers possession. After the gaem, Franklin explained the decision to go for the first down, or touchdown, rather than tying the game with a field goal.
"It's fourth-and-1, and we weren't able to run the ball," Franklin said. "We really struggled with their front in the run game and in protection... Just felt like fourth-and-1 is as good of a situation that we were going to get. And then we called a play that we've had a lot of success with."
It was a gutsy decision, but one that Franklin needed to make. What made it even better is that his team executed the play, and it turned into the game-winning touchdown. As good as Clemson's defense was in the game, it was certainly a decision by them not to cover Reynolds, the best Hokies playmaker on the field, on the play.
Franklin is turning things around in Blacksburg and doing it quickly. What is a way to turn things around even faster? How about making the decision that Franklin made to go for it on fourth down and winning the game? That's the type of decision that is program-changing, and this feels like a win we'll look back on down the line and say, "Remember that fourth-down decision James Franklin made at Clemson to win the game?''
Now, this is a signature win that Franklin and Virginia Tech have been looking for, and to get it out of the way in October is icing on the cake.
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