Virginia Tech offense makes strides, but defense needs to execute after Furman

BLACKSBURG, Va. – The bye week for Virginia Tech couldn't have come at a better time after its narrow win over Furman on Saturday, 24-17. 

One positive takeaway from the game was on offense, and the versatility the team has in using wide receivers like Tre Turner to run the ball. 

It's a move the Hokies can fine-tune in the week off.

"I would say I'm a pretty hard runner," Turner said. "I try to get positive yards every time and eventually I want to score. I think of the end zone every time I'm running."

Teammate James Mitchell agreed. 

"He's a dynamic athlete, a dynamic player," Mitchell said. "When you put the ball in his hands anything can happen."

It was clear Saturday that the Hokie offense had made strides, but it was the defensive side of the ball that raised questions. 

"It just comes down to execution, especially for this defense," defensive lineman Eli Adams said. "Just execution. We have a lot of guys with a lot of talent, across the board. Just got to execute and stay focused on the game plan."

"As a team, we improved, we made plays, we didn't really miss as [many] sacks in the backfield as we did against ODU (Old Dominion)," defensive lineman Emmanuel Belmar said. "Every week [we're] just trying to improve, so on this bye week, we should pick up on some things."

The Hokies will face Duke next at home on Sept. 27.