 At the conclusion of the regular season, the Virginia Tech defense was one of the best in the country. It was No. 4 in scoring defense (allowing 12.9 points per game), No. 11 in rushing defense (allowing 102.2 yards per game), and No. 7 in total defense (284.9 yards per game). The Hokies had 23 interceptions during the regular season, second-most in the country and behind only USC's 24 interceptions. The Hokies also found success on special teams defense. In total, Tech blocked ten kicks during the regular season: six punts, two field-goal attempts and two point-after tries. Tech's defense also scored 52 points: eight touchdowns, a safety and a two-point runback of an intercepted conversion pass.
