Year after year, Bud Foster and his staff field one of the best defenses in
college football. The scheme and structure stay the same with certain wrinkles
added each year to take advantage of certain strengths in personnel. This
season, one of those wrinkles is a new look nickel package.
The nickel has been around the game for many years and every team has some
version of it in its arsenal. It's a personnel package that substitutes a
fifth defensive back for one of the defensive linemen or linebackers. Over the
years, we have seen it utilized by the Hokies at various times, some years more
than others. And some years not at all.