UT prepared for tricky Virginia Tech defense

UT prepares for New Year’s Eve and a Chick-fil-A Bowl date with Virginia Tech (TV: ESPN, 7:30 p.m.), it might take a combination of everything its faced this year to deal with coordinator Bud Foster and his Hokies defense.
“The defense fits all the formations, that’s what is unique to them,” Vols offensive coordinator Jim Chaney said. “They don’t have to change their defensive personnel if you go with a grouping of three wide receivers, they have the right people on the field.
“This team is a little unique in what they do, and Bud’s been doing it for a long time with a lot of success. We’ve got to be very detailed in what we try to do, because they’ll make you look like a fool if you’re not ready to roll.”
For the most part, the Vols (7-5, 4-4 SEC) have been the team making people look silly over the second half of the season with a vastly improved passing attack and reliable running game. But the Hokies (9-3, 6-2 ACC) won’t make it easy for them to move the ball either way.
Tennessee’s Jonathan Crompton exploded down the stretch to finish with 26 touchdown passes, and Virginia Tech will counter the quarterback with a defense ranked sixth nationally against the pass. Running back Montario Hardesty piled up more than 1,300 yards without fumbling, but the Hokies rank No. 15 in the country in turnover margin and haven’t given up more than 13 points in any of their last four games.
UT has certainly faced its share of stout defenses this season, and it will likely have to lean heavily on that collective experience Thursday.
“They’re very sound and they play really hard — that’s probably their trademark and people that do that have a chance to play good,” UT defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin said. “(Foster’s) not really a Cover-Two guy, they’re more of a nine-man front and their corners play back inside. They kind of have a scheme of their own, and it’s really a good scheme. I know they do a really good job.
“Every scheme is different, every coordinator is different, every coach is different, but it’s kind of about what your fundamentals are and what you believe in. Bud Foster, hopefully we’ll be able to move the ball and this and that, but he’ll be able to adjust because he knows his defense and his players know it.”
The Vols are well versed in it by now as well after spending the month practicing for it and watching it on film, and they’ve come up with any number of ways to try to attack it.
Chaney was obviously in no hurry to reveal what those might be, but the coaches on the other sideline have experience too. Foster and Co. have seen just about everything as well.
“We’ll try to do some things to create some mismatches and such, but I believe he’s seen about everything that’s going to take place,” Chaney said. “It’s going to come down to execution, because I do believe that he’ll know how to adjust to everything we’re trying to do.
“It’s going to come down to players making plays.”