Why playing Clemson means James Franklin has to adjust Virginia Tech offense
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James Franklin said he is making some changes to Virginia Tech's offense because he knows a particular Clemson football staff member very well.
Virginia Tech's coach employed Tigers defensive coordinator Tom Allen as his defensive coordinator at Penn State in 2024. The Nittany Lions had one of the nation's best defenses that season, ranking seventh with 294.8 yards allowed per game.
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Franklin and Allen know each other's tendencies, and that's why Franklin said "tweaks" are coming to Virginia Tech's offense when the Hokies (5-2, 2-2 ACC) face Clemson (4-2, 2-1) on Oct. 24 (7 p.m., ESPN) at Memorial Stadium.
"We see some things that we understand that he likes to do, understand his philosophy and how he goes about things," Franklin said on Oct. 19. "He also knows that we know those things, right? So (we'll) probably have a few extra tweaks this week too. We know who Tom is, and the type of coach he is and the type of man he is, and I know he'll have them ready to play. I would say we're probably similar."
Franklin said Allen's Clemson defense features "some changes" compared to the defenses he's run in the past. While he didn't dive into what he thinks those changes are, he's prepared for a different Allen than the one he had on his staff two years ago.
"We won a bunch of games together," Franklin said. "I got a ton of respect for Tom, not just as a football coach, but if you guys know Tom, he's a really good man, as well as a very, very good football coach."
Franklin also had nice things to say about Clemson special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, whom he first met in 1997. Back then, Franklin was James Madison's wide receivers coach, and Bisaccia was in the third season of his first Tigers tenure as running backs and special teams coach.
"I've known Rich for a long time," Franklin said. "And (he) does a really good job.
"(Clemson is a) tremendous challenge. Bunch of athletes running all over the field, a lot of history, and we're looking forward to the opportunity."
What James Franklin said about Dabo Swinney
Franklin has yet to coach against Tigers coach Dabo Swinney. Clemson played the Penn State team Franklin coached in last season's Pinstripe Bowl, but Franklin was fired Oct. 12.
Still, Franklin said he's known Swinney "for a long time." Franklin said he and Swinney have spent years attending the same Nike-sponsored gatherings for college coaches, and that their respective wives (Kathleen Swinney and Fumi Franklin) are close friends.
"Got a lot of respect for what he's done in his career. Got a lot of respect for what he's done for Clemson and the ACC," Franklin said of Swinney. "This will be a challenge."
Nick Coppola covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA Today Network. Email him at [email protected], follow him on X @Nick_Coppola__ and like his Facebook page at Nick Coppola, Clemson Sports.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Why playing Clemson means James Franklin has to adjust Virginia Tech offense