Virginia Tech’s win over Florida State was encouraging for many reasons. Most importantly, it showed that it was indeed possible for the Hokies to replace the talent (and some coaching) they lost on the defensive side of the ball this past offseason. And it all centers around Bud Foster’s brilliance as a coach.
Foster’s hallmark during his time as one of the top defensive coordinators in the country has been pressure on the quarterback and disrupting an offense’s rhythm early in the down. The effectiveness of that style speaks for itself. He is not shy about sending five, six, or seven guys to get to the quarterback on passing downs, or allowing one of his powerful defensive linemen penetrate to shut the running game down.