Confident Virginia Tech defense expects 'special' season

George Schroeder | USA TODAY Sports

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Dadi Nicolas knows what you think, which is why he wants to make sure you heard him correctly.

"I'm looking forward to Ohio State, and to the whole year," says Virginia Tech's senior defensive end. "This is gonna be a great year and a special year."

What makes him think it could be spec—?

"It's not 'could be,' " he says. "It's 'definitely.' "

Here's why, even if Nicolas' confidence seems strong, he has reason for it. The Hokies, who open the season against No. 1 Ohio State on Labor Day, appear to have the potential for another in a long line of dominant defenses.

Eight starters return, but that doesn't tell the entire story. Much of the preseason attention has focused on all-everything cornerback Kendall Fuller; the secondary is expected to be very good. But it starts, Nicolas will tell you, up front.

Nicolas, a preseason all-ACC choice whom defensive coordinator Bud Foster compares to former Tech great Corey Moore in terms of his "explosiveness," is one of four returning starters. The same group who chased J.T. Barrett in that upset last season, sacking him seven times, is back, a year older and more experienced.

But according to Foster and Hokies coach Frank Beamer, the key is that the line will go eight deep. It's why Nicolas predicts — and insists — the Hokies will have the nation's best defensive front. And if Foster and Beamer are more cautious, they seem confident, too.

"The other parts — having a coordinator like Bud Foster and having defensive coaches that have been there for a long time, all those elements are consistent," Beamer says. "They're gonna get coached well. But when we've had where we can keep people fresh on the defensive line, that's when we've been pretty good. Hopefully, that's gonna be the case here this year. We've got some good players — we've just got to go out there and play well."

***

We'll know plenty after the opener, and the Hokies understand what people expect to happen. Even without four suspended players including All-America defensive end Joey Bosa, top-ranked Ohio State will be favored to win.

Last season's 35-21 win in Columbus, Ohio, is largely written off to Ohio State's inexperience, and to the Hokies' surprise move from their traditional 4-2-5 defensive alignment to a five-man front without deep safety help.

Other defenses tried variations of the same scheme later in the season, but had less success. They didn't execute it as well (or have the players to do so). Or Ohio State's coaches were better at countering it. Or — and this might have been the biggest thing — J.T. Barrett, a young offensive line and others matured at a rapid rate into a powerful unit.

The bulk of those Buckeyes return, and they won't be caught by surprise. But this rematch will be played in Lane Stadium, at night. Beamer calls it "probably the most highly anticipated game ever at Virginia Tech — and we've had a lot of big games here."

And then there's the simple reality that Virginia Tech's defensive performance last season wasn't only about catching the Buckeyes and their inexperienced quarterback by surprise. Some of it was just that the Hokies know how to play defense.

Last season the Hokies had the No. 6 red zone defense in FBS, pairing that with the nation's No. 21 run defense and No. 14 pass efficiency defense. But this season they are looking for more.

Especially along the line, they're all back, and expecting to play even better. Nicolas and junior end Ken Ekanem combined for 18.5 sacks and 33 tackles for loss last season. Luther Maddy, who's started 33 games but missed most of last season after knee surgery, will rejoin Corey Marshall as one of the tougher tackle tandems around.

Foster calls the line "a good group", adding, "We can rotate some guys around, I believe, and not miss a beat."

"I know we have the potential to be the top defense in the nation, in every category," Maddy says. "Not just the defensive line, but a great defensive line gives you great defensive back play. Getting to the quarterback and giving 'em hell in the backfield, that (makes it) a lot easier job for the defensive backs. So our play and our effort will just make our defense great. We can definitely be the best in the nation."

And of the rematch with Ohio State, he adds: "We brought it to 'em last year. We want to bring it to 'em again this year. We've heard they've been talking a little trash, but we've got to stay low-key. We like being underdogs. We'll come out focused and ready to play."

***

As big as it is, it's simply one very early game. For evidence, there are the divergent paths by each team after the Hokies' win last season.

We all saw what the Buckeyes did. Even if it was the popular narrative, they weren't finished after the loss, instead climbing into the College Football Playoff, then winning the national championship. Maddy remembers watching them blow out Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game and marveling at their improvement from early September.

"I was like, 'Wow, these guys have gotten better,' " he says.

Virginia Tech, conversely, lost its next two games, and three in a row in midseason. The Hokies had to rally late to beat rival Virginia in the regular-season finale to get to a bowl game (where they beat Cincinnati). There were extenuating factors, including a frustrating run of injuries (Maddy, as one example, underwent surgery and missed the final nine games; he was granted a medical hardship waiver by the NCAA).

"We had a chance," Foster says. "We could have won 10 or 11 games last year. With injuries and things, it didn't work out, but that's part of the game. We haven't had that happen a whole lot to us."

Last season was another disappointing one in a recent string of them, and it led to questions about whether Beamer's program is in decline. Much of the slippage has been offensively, and as the Hokies opened preseason practices last week, those questions persisted. But led by a defense that could stack up well with some of its predecessors — and with any in the nation — there's plenty of optimism here.

"We know what we have here," Nicolas says. "Everyone else is just waiting (to see). It's gonna be a beautiful show, I think."

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