Generating Pass Rush Critical for Virginia Tech's Defense in 2023
Generating Pass Rush Critical for Virginia Tech's Defense in 2023
Finding ways to pressure the quarterback is key for Virginia Tech's defense this coming season.
I don’t like being rushed. Chances are you don’t either. Rushing to do something causes mistakes. It’s natural.
That’s why some of the best defenses in football have disruptive pass rushers. And it’s why Virginia Tech needs to find a consistent pass rush this season, despite their experience elsewhere on defense.
Trivia time — how long has it been since Virginia Tech had a player register 10 or more sacks?
Answer? It’s been eight years — Ken Ekanem registered 10.5 sacks in 2014.
That’s an incredibly long time to go without a dominant pass rusher. The Hokies have had good defenses since then — the 2016 and 2017 units were especially good — but those defenses still had Ekanem, Tim Settle, Woody Baron and Tremaine Edmunds causing problems in the backfield.
Having disruptive players on the edge and in the interior wreaks havoc on offenses. And that’s part of the reason why Virginia Tech’s defenses have struggled in recent years.
Don’t believe me? See how the Hokies’ defensive rankings correlate with their totaled sacks and tackles for loss…
2016: 27th in scoring defense, 18th in total defense, 33rd in sacks, 6th in TFLs
2017: 4th in scoring defense, 13th in total defense, 33rd in sacks, 11th in TFLs
2018: 85th in scoring defense, 98th in total defense, 84th in sacks, 53rd in TFLs
2019: 46th in scoring defense, 42nd in total defense, 18th in sacks, 40th in TFLs
2020: 82nd in scoring defense, 103rd in total defense, 9th in sacks/game, 32nd in TFLs/game
2021: 54th in scoring defense, 78th in total defense, 80th in sacks, 85th in TFLs
2022: 54th in scoring defense, 58th in total defense, 96th in sacks, 65th in TFLs
More often than not, when the Hokies rush the quarterback and disrupt plays in the backfield, the defense thrives. When the Hokies struggle to do those things, the defense falters.
So who on this year’s roster can turn the tide on opposing quarterbacks?
The leading candidate is Florida transfer Antwaun Powell-Ryland, who registred more sacks than Norell Pollard, Cole Nelson, CJ McCray, Mario Kendricks and Josh Fuga last season in far fewer snaps.
Pro Football Focus graded Powell-Ryland at 82.1 in pass rushing in 2022, higher than any returning Hokies defensive lineman. At 6-foot-3 and 240-plus pounds, Powell-Ryland offers good size and athleticism off the edge and should step in right away as the Hokies’ best pass rusher.
He won’t be able to do it alone. Any one of the aforementioned returning players could do the Hokies a solid and start producing. Here are not-so-great stats for some of those returning players…
Norell Pollard: 43 games played, eight sacks, 14.5 TFLs
Josh Fuga: 30 games played, two sacks, 3.5 TFLs
Mario Kendricks: 35 games played, 5.5 sacks, 12.5 TFLs
While Virginia Tech has some legitimate experience on the defensive front, those guys simply haven’t produced all that much.
The Hokies need someone to be more than Just A Guy. Tech has a lot of talent in the secondary and some incredibly athletic linebackers, but all that can be rendered useless if the quarterback has four-to-five seconds to throw on each play.
Powell-Ryland can go a long way in generating a disruptive pass rush, but the veterans and returning players on the defensive line need to do their part too. If they elevate their production even just a little bit, the Hokies’ defense can create all sorts of problems for other quarterbacks.
No matter how good an offense might be, things get a lot tougher when you’re being rushed.