collegiatetimes.com
August 28, 2018
COLLEGIATETIMES
An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
Sen. Tim Kaine and Corey Stewart answer questions at Senate Forum
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Hokies head to Tallahassee for first time since the Beamer era The Hokies look to secure their first win in Tallahassee since Nov. 16, 1974. DILLON CAMPBELL assistant sports editor
For the first time since legendary coaches Frank Beamer and Bobby Bowden graced the sidelines, the No. 20 Virginia Tech Hokies head to Doak Campbell Stadium for a primetime Labor Day matchup with the No. 19 Florida State Seminoles. A sea of 79,560 fans await them, salivating to tomahawk chop for every Florida State third down conversion, touchdown and everything in between. Although Justin Fuente was linked to the Florida State head coaching vacancy after Jimbo Fisher’s departure to Texas A&M, he quickly shut down those rumors,
saying he was “incredibly happy” at Virginia Tech. The Seminoles eventually hired Willie Taggart, who coached the Oregon Ducks last season, as Fisher’s replacement. Fuente and Taggart each lead electrifying offensive attacks into Tallahassee as their teams are spearheaded by the quarterback play of Josh Jackson and Deondre Francois, respectively. Jackson is coming off a successful freshman campaign when he threw for 2,991 yards, 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions, as well as rushing for 324 yards and six touchdowns, leading the Hokies to a 9–4 record and the Camping World FSU / page 5
Hokies continue to look for leadership in defense With eight starters gone from the defense from last season, Bud Foster will need to get the best out of this unproven squad. ROBBY FLETCHER
assistant sports editor
With Virginia Tech’s primetime Labor Day matchup against Florida State just a week away, it’s interesting to see just how many questions this young defense still has unanswered with the season so close in sight. It looks like it’ll be a massive challenge for defensive coordinator Bud Foster to replace some of the best athletes he’s had in his 23 seasons as the defensive coordinator in Blacksburg. The “next man up” mentality this team has had to embrace this offseason will no doubt be the defining characteristic this young team has as they look to prove their worth beyond their No. 20 ranking in the AP Top 25 poll. Here are three players ready to take the
reins this season and attempt to catapult this promising Hokie defense into the elite levels of the ACC.
Devon Hunter Most people are well-acquainted with the promise and jaw-dropping talent Devon Hunter exhibits when he walks onto the field. The 6-foot, 225-pound defender from Chesapeake was Virginia Tech’s most prized recruit coming into the season last year, as well as our only five-star recruit. Though he was mostly stuck to special teams duties last season, he’ll find that his role on defense is to be greatly expanded as he’s set to switch from his natural strong safety position to that of the WHIP after Mook Reynolds’ dismissal from the team. Hunter exhibits the size, strength and speed capable of
committing to the new linebacker/safety hybrid position and he’ll no doubt flourish in his new role on the team. The hype surrounding Hunter surely makes it hard to not buy into him as Tech’s next great star on defense, but we’ll have to also live with some of the rough edges that come with a player adapting to an entirely new position. Still, Hunter looks capable of being the heart and soul of this young defense for the next few years.
Dylan Rivers Yet another prized recruit that came from Tech’s 2017 class, Dylan Rivers is currently entrenched in an intense three-player battle for the Mike linebacker position that former captain Andrew Motuapuaka once owned. Duking it out with freshman Dax Hollifield as
well as sophomore Rayshard Ashby, Rivers has stood out as a potential leader akin to Motuapuaka this offseason. Though it’s looking like Rivers will take control of the Mike position while Ashby takes the backer spot, it’s still been a very close battle between three very talented young linebackers and Coach Fuente has definitely taken notice. “I have been pleased with those guys. I know Bud’s been pleased and he’s pushed them hard and they’ve needed it because they have some big shoes to fill,” Fuente said in a recent press conference. One area in particular that the 6-foot-1, 232-pound Rivers excels the most is in defending the run. It’s evident in watching Rivers play that his ability to decipher a play pre-snap and
react to it quickly is his most valuable trait. He’s solid at tracking the ball from sideline-to-sideline and is sure to be a favorite among the Hokie faithful.
Bryce Watts The Tech secondary has just not been able to catch a break this offseason, with the early loss of JUCOtransfer Jeremy Webb to an Achilles injury being added to the departure of mainstays Adonis Alexander, Brandon Facyson and Greg Stroman to the NFL. Now, Tech will have to work with what they’ve got in a very young and unproven group headlined by sophomore Bryce Watts. It certainly helps that redshirt-freshman Caleb Farley was officially moved to cornerback to help provide depth at the position, but
it’s been Watts and sophomore Jovonn Quillen who have taken the majority of first-team reps. The two sophomores carry the most experience at the position, and will have some major shoes to fill this season. Watts appeared in all 13 games last season, recording five tackles and one pass breakup. He’ll certainly be tested a lot early in the season, especially against a Florida State offense led by senior wide receiver Nyqwan Murray, who recorded a team-high 604 receiving yards last season for the Seminoles. Fortunately for us, Watts learned from some of the best cornerbacks Bud Foster has seen at Virginia Tech.
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Get back on track with helpful semester habits It’s rarely fun getting re-organized after summer, but sooner is better than later. Simplify your studious lifestyle with these tips. MADY MOORE
lifestyles staff writer
Summer has officially come to a close. This summer, like any other summer, was a much-needed break from the daily grind, and I must say it was nice to receive only five emails in a day. With the semester starting, that means our study routines, sleep schedules and mindsets must adjust before we step foot on campus. In order for us to snap out of our summer mode, we must start our semester routines early, and I am going to offer some tips that have always helped me adjust to a new school year. Read and write daily Reading posts on social media does not count. By reading I mean cracking
open a good old hardcover or paperback of your choice and read it as if you were reading it for a class, or reading an article from a quality news source. Reading consistently as the semester starts makes it less of a drag when your first reading assignments roll in for the semester, and it becomes more of a habit rather than a task when you read regularly. Writing is also important to help your mind adjust to getting back into the semester groove. We take down notes consistently in class, and when your mind has had a long break without taking notes or writing anything down, your hands can feel like noodles when you begin to take notes during the first week of classes. To avoid noodle fingers and
OPINION: CURRENT DRUG LAWS FLAWED Legalization provides a better alternative.
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to ensure that you can keep up with what is going on in class, writing things down or typing on a daily basis can certainly help. This can be done in the form of contributing to a blog, writing a journal or writing a to-do list every day. I get it, I sound like everyone’s third grade teacher reminding you of your summer reading list, but it’s worth it to note that good reading and writing skills are essential to doing well in college classes. Ch eck you r em a i l regularly First off, if you do not check your email at least 10 times a day like I do, I assume that you live under a rock. Emails are crucial to our lives here at Virginia Tech, and we get emails that require
immediate action and ones that we certainly cannot miss. We receive emails about our e-bills, on-campus housing, if applicable, and financial aid awards that require immediate action. This habit is a good one to keep year round because emails do not cease when classes are not in session, and checking emails daily reminds us of how important it is that we do not miss emails from professors. Check that email at least twice a day — in the morning and at night — but there’s no reason to be like me and check it 15 times a day. Get your sleep schedule intact Adjusting your sleep HABITS / page 5
GRANDE RETURNS WITH ‘SWEETENER’ Read our take on her response to Manchester.
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