Virginia Tech fans were waiting intently for Labor Day’s matchup against Florida State with many questions that needed to be answered. How will the defense hold up with so many moving on last season? Would special teams have the same fire as in previous seasons? Lastly, will Josh Jackson have another breakout season? Two out of three of these questions were answered on that Monday night. The defense was just as powerful as ever, regardless of age, and special teams proved to be one of the best in the nation with a beautiful blocked punt at the endzone. However, one question remained; is Josh Jackson going to have another great season?
Last season many Hokie fans were skeptical that Virginia Tech could have another true-freshman quarterback who would come close to Michael Vick in 1999. The opening foe would be old rival West Virginia who was finding their way in a tough Big 12. Jackson would go 15/26 at and have 11 carries for 101 yards, and Hokie fans rejoiced over their new QB. They would then go on a four-game winning streak including a high scoring 64-17 win against East Carolina where Jackson threw 24/31 at 372 yards. Yet, the Virginia Tech was handed their first loss of the season from two-time College Football Playoff contender, Clemson, where Jackson was accurate at 29/44, but threw two costly interceptions. Before that critical game, Jackson had only thrown one pick, against Old Dominion. He would then go on to throw six more picks, including two in a hard loss to Miami in Blacksburg. After the very lackluster 10-0 win against Virginia to retain the Commonwealth Cup, they would go on to lose their bowl game in the Camping World Bowl to Mike Gundy’s mullet (Oklahoma State). Though Jackson finished with 22/41 for 248 yards while running for 50 yards, fans doubted how well Jackson would fair coming out of the off-season, losing players like Cam Phillips and Eric Kumah to the NFL Draft.
On Monday night, the time to play Florida State had come, and many questions would be answered. The defense came out swinging and held FSU back with four sacks and three interceptions. The special teams executed a perfect blocked punt in the endzone to give the Hokies one of their three touchdowns. Though Josh Jackson did not deliver a bad performance, there was still some to be desired. He threw 16/26 for 207 yards but struggling running with six carries for -18 yards. This was an issue from last season that has made its way into the season opener; Jackson struggles under the pressure of tough opponents.
His performance against Florida State showed some of the spark that he had last season, but he still appeared to struggle when the pocket collapsed. The first quarter proved that Jackson and the rest of the offense are explosive, scoring on the first drive and ending the quarter up 10-0 on FSU.
So, will we have the explosive and skillful Josh Jackson that everyone came to know, love, and opponents fear in the 2017 season? For a short answer, yes. But Jackson is going to have to go above and beyond to offset struggles of younger offensive players. Keep in mind that this defense, despite their amazing showing against FSU, could have some experience issues against tougher opponents. Virginia Tech’s season will ride on whether Jackson can perform against Notre Dame, who is seeking a bid to the College Football Playoff for the first time, and Miami, one of the lone teams standing in Tech’s way for the ACC Coastal division title. If Jackson comes out strong, Virginia Tech could be looking at a New Year Six bowl, or even a Playoff spot. If Jackson fails, not only his standing on the team could be at risk, but also Justin Fuente’s.
