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Fuente prepared for a time bomb in Clemson

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Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has built a juggernaut.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has built a juggernaut. (USA TODAY Sports Images)
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When Virginia Tech and Clemson kick off at 8 p.m. Saturday evening, it will be the culmination of a day - if not a week - of celebration for the VT community. College Gameday will broadcast live from campus at 9 a.m., and the primetime, under-the-lights atmosphere should be rocking in Lane Stadium.

All that is fantastic for the university at large. However, Hokies head coach Justin Fuente insists that the team's focus must be on the game, and not the surrounding hype.

"Obviously a fun week this week, in terms of all of the things going on outside of the football game with College GameDay coming here," he admitted. "I’m sure Virginia Tech will do a fantastic job welcoming them and provide a great environment. Great opportunity to show off our community and our school. Our responsibility is the game and preparing for a very talented Clemson football team, defending national champions.

“I think it’s great [Gameday is] coming to our school, I think it's great exposure for our community and for Virginia Tech. I think it’s neat that they’re back, it’s been a little while since they’ve been here but what affect it’ll have on our team: none, we’ll be at the hotel in Roanoke. We’ve got to get prepared for the game and It’s a late kickoff and we’re going to handle all day Saturday without playing until late at night."

The Tigers are indeed the defending national champions. Despite losing six NFL Draft picks and several other seniors off last year's team, Clemson seems to have reloaded, as well. With blowout wins - including over ranked Auburn and Louisville teams - in each of their first four games, they've shown that the goal is to repeat atop the world of college football.

Like it did last year, it all starts defensively for CU, particularly along the defensive front.

"I think the first thing that stands out is their talent level on the defensive line: it’s pretty exceptional," Fuente said. "Attacking, they’re not a sit back and just try to keep the ball in front of you defense. It’s been my limited experience with [defensive coordinator Brent Venables] that they’ve been an attacking defense for some time. They force turnovers, try to get in the backfield, penetrate on the defensive line. It’s not a read and react kind of situation. It’s a pin your ears back and try and create havoc.

"They are well-coached and disciplined and all of those sorts of things, but you don’t have the success that they have without those sorts of things. The size and power jumps out at you. They’ve got almost an embarrassment of riches over there on the defensive line and I know some of the guys over there that they’ve recruited and they’re not on the two deep roster. I mean they are just really talented.

"There’s an element of an attacking style, there is an element of fundamentals and power and they do a great job scheme wise. You don’t want to get behind the chains on these guys they’ll scheme you up from a blitz standpoint and a pure rush standpoint and dropping guys into coverage."

Clemson has reloaded up front despite Carlos Watkins coming in as a fourth-round pick. They're also managing quite well on offense, despite having to replace two-time Heisman Trophy finalist Deshaun Watson at the quarterback position. Junior Kelly Bryant has stepped right in and kept the team humming. While he's not the statistical marvel that Watson proved to be, the Tigers may not need it this year.

"I don’t know the young man, but I think it’s neat that we’ve got a kid that waited his turn," Fuente said of Bryant. "He was behind a fantastic player [Watson] and practiced I’m assuming every day, continued to develop his craft. Was behind maybe the best quarterback in college football for a couple years there and now has his chance to play and shine and today's instant gratification society we don’t see that enough in my opinion. I think it speaks volumes about him and now he’s getting his chance.

"The thing that I notice about him, while he is an accomplished passer he obviously understands what they’re doing. It seems to me while it’s his first year playing I think he has quite a few reps under his belt and he’s a big physical presence out there. I mean this is a big strong runner and 220 pound athlete back there. When he does want to run the ball falls forward, and can pose a tremendous problem for us."

Overall, Clemson has too much firepower on both side of the ball for Virginia Tech to play poorly at all Saturday evening. VT has moved in fits and starts offensively through some stretches of the first four games, and the defense - while solid on a down-to-down basis - has shown a tendency to give up a big play here and there.

The Hokies will have to eliminate all mistakes from their repertoire to be in a position to emerge victorious in the primetime contest. Playing Clemson is like the starring role in The Hurt Locker: one mistake, and the whole thing can explode.

"If you make a mistake they’re going to make you pay," Fuente said. "There have been some things here and there on defense and some things on special teams and some things offensively that if we make those mistakes - really you don’t even have to make a mistake you can take one step in the wrong direction or hesitate for half a step. When you’re playing the talent that we’re going up to it’s like defusing a bomb. Just one small snip of the wire that’s incorrect and boom you blow your hands off, that’s just how talented and good they are. Making sure that we’re on point with everything we’re doing, crystal clear in our directives and our assignment being able to play well because everything will be difficult."

"When you’re playing the talent that we’re going up to it’s like defusing a bomb. Just one small snip of the wire that’s incorrect and boom you blow your hands off"
— Justin Fuente

It's clear that Virginia Tech is facing its toughest test of the season to date. It's clear that this game has far more implications than just another win on the schedule. It's clear that Justin Fuente and his coaching staff won't bring any of that up to their team.

The goal is to go 1-0 on Saturday, and focusing on what Clemson did last year - including in the ACC Championship Game, a nail-biting win over the Hokies - doesn't advance toward that aim.

"I know it's highly-ranked and a big stage and all of those sorts of things, but I see it as our first conference game against the defending National Champions at our place," Fuente said. "We’re in our second year here we’ve had one recruiting class. Coach [Dabo] Swinney is in his eighth or ninth year or something like that and obviously, they’ve been very accomplished, not just the last couple years but the last several years. It’ll be a great opportunity to play a great football team, other than that’s about the context I see with it.

"We won’t talk about [last year's title game]. I think everybody handles those things differently on an individual basis. Last year my message to our team was that was last year’s team, last year’s Virginia Tech team vs last year’s Clemson team. This is a completely different situation. We’ve got guys that played in that game that are no longer here and so do they. So we won’t use it as a reference point for this week."

What the Hokies will do is try to get one of the biggest wins in Fuente's tenure - and perhaps set themselves up as a favorite not only to win the ACC< but perhaps to compete in the College Football Playoff.

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