The Hokies' defense says they'll be ready. Boise State will be the judge of just how ready they are.
When the top 10 teams collide Sept. 6 to cap the opening weekend of the college football season, Virginia Tech will trot out a high-powered offense but an inexperienced defense.
Only five starters return from last year's defense, which was ranked 12th nationally, the lowest for the Hokies since 2003. And one of those five, linebacker Barquell Rivers, won't play as he continues to recover from offseason surgery.
Naturally, many wonder if well-respected coordinator Bud Foster can have such an inexperienced unit on point against quarterback Kellen Moore and the Broncos, which return every starter from an unbeaten team.
None of those skeptics, though, reside on the Tech defense.
"We are young and everyone has a lot of questions about us, but we're very motivated as a unit. We have a lot of talent," whip linebacker Jerod Gouveia-Winslow said.
"We're motivated," defensive end Steven Friday said. "We're just going to have to make plays."
Friday's pass rushing skills will be critical. If he can beat a path to Moore and force him to hurry throws, it might help the back seven cover Boise State's talented receivers.
No one's expecting perfection or dominance from the Hokies' defense, but if they can keep the Broncos point total in the 20s, it might be enough for the team to post a huge opening night win.
.gif){kind=spacer}
.gif){kind=spacer}
.gif){kind=spacer}
Virginia Tech Hokies
