The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Tuesday that Virginia Tech football student-athletes Andrew Motuapuaka and Cam Phillips will join head coach Justin Fuente at the 2017 ACC Football Kickoff on July 14 at the Westin Charlotte located in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Fuente earned consensus ACC Coach of the Year honors in 2016, guiding the Hokies to a 10-4 record and the ACC Coastal Division title in his initial season in Blacksburg.
Dating back to the 1999 season when Frank Beamer coached Virginia Tech to its first-ever 11-win season and a berth in the national championship game, only Oklahoma (14) has registered more seasons with double-digit victories than Virginia Tech (12).
Motuapuaka (6-0, 233) led the Hokies with 114 tackles (52 solo) in 2016, while posting 5.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. The redshirt senior from Virginia Beach, Virginia intercepted three passes, including one in the ACC Championship Game versus Clemson. He also added five quarterback hurries and seven passes defensed, in addition to two fumble recoveries, one of which he took back 70 yards for a touchdown. He has played in 37 career games for Tech (29 starts).
Phillips (6-0, 199) is the ACC’s leading active receiver entering 2016, owning 165 career receptions for 2,063 yards. The senior from Laurel, Maryland also owns 10 career touchdown catches. His 76 receptions in 2016 were the second-highest single-season total in Tech history, while his 983 receiving yards ranked third in team annals.
Phillips needs 46 catches in 2017 to bypass the Tech career mark currently held by Isaiah Ford (210) and is 905 yards away from bypassing Ford’s career receiving yardage record of 2,967.
2017 Virginia Tech Football Schedule
September
- Sept. 2 – vs. West Virginia (FedExField – Landover, Maryland)
- Sept. 9 – Delaware
- Sept. 16 – at East Carolina
- Sept. 23 – Old Dominion (White Effect – Military Appreciation/HOF Weekend)
- Sept. 30 – Clemson* (Maroon Effect)
October
- Oct. 7 – at Boston College*
- Oct. 14 – OPEN
- Oct. 21 – North Carolina* (Homecoming/Orange Effect)
- Oct. 28 – Duke*
November
- Nov. 4 – at Miami*
- Nov. 11 – at Georgia Tech*
- Nov. 18 – Pittsburgh*
- Nov. 24 – at Virginia*
*ACC Games
— Courtesy of VT Athletics
