Tech won the game. First and foremost the 15th ranked Hokies whipped the 22nd ranked Clemson Tigers, 41-23. It was certainly not the game Hokie fans expected. While most hoped for a win, I think any Tech fan that tells you they thought Beamer and the boys would hang 41 on the Tigers in Death Valley is lying.

Tech pounced all over the Tigers with great … no, check that … otherworldly special teams play. Tech’s punt and kickoff return teams gained 280 yards for the game including a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Macho Harris and an 82-yard punt return for a touchdown by Eddie Royal. Royal also had a 75-yard return for a TD called back because of a block in the back penalty. Bud Foster’s defense got the scoring started early in the first quarter with an interception returned for a score by D.J. Parker.

The offense was again a major disappointment and while I didn’t think it was possible, I think it actually got worse. The offense gained a paltry 219 yards - 118 of which came via the feet of freshman quarterback Tyrod Taylor, a.k.a. T-Mobile. I followed the TSL message boards and the Bryan Stinespring supporters that have vehemently defended the embattled OC for the last several years appeared to be A.W.O.L. Six games into the 2007 season and the offense isn’t improving. No gelling. No coming together. No signs of life.

T-Mobile accounted for more than half of Tech total offense with 118 yards rushing. He completed 7 of 14 for just 65 yards. The offense had the ball 13 times and went 3-and-out on five of those drives and another drive resulted in a safety for Clemson.

Tech’s defense was on the field for more than 32 minutes of the game and despite being completely gassed by the fourth quarter, they held on and gutted it out to preserve the win. Six of Tech’s drives took up less than two minutes. The longest offensive series for the Hokies was a six-play drive to begin the 3rd quarter that lasted 3:49.

So … who among us still thinks that the offense is starting to come together? If so, I would love to know what makes you so optimistic about the future of Tech’s offense.

I know what you are thinking … well, not really, but for the sake of this article, I am going to assume I know what you are thinking. You are thinking that I am all doom and gloom and that I can’t find anything positive to focus on. Not so fast my judgmental friends!

There is plenty to be excited about. First, the return of Beamerball! For the first time in Frank Beamer’s tenure as a head coach at Virginia Tech, the Hokies scored on both a punt return and a kickoff return. Add to that the interception returned for a score and you are talking about Beamerball at its absolute best.

The defense gave up a lot of yards (380), but while they bent at times, they didn’t break. Clemson was forced to go to the air because Tech’s run stopping held the Tigers to eight yards rushing. Clemson QB Cullen Harper attempted … seriously … 66 passes, a school record! He completed 38 of those 66 attempts for 372 yards. But it wasn’t like they were dissecting Bud’s defense. Tech gave up some big pass plays, but when it mattered, they held their ground and preserved the win. Oh, and they also managed a pair of interceptions, including a pick six.

Another reason to be optimistic is the fact that Tech players kept their heads in the game, even under a lot of pressure (which this game had a lot of) they didn’t commit any stupid personal foul penalties. There were plenty of opportunities because this was an extremely physical game featuring a plethora of hard hits (see the highlight video on my video page - coming soon!).

One last reason to feel optimistic … Tyrod Taylor has another start under his belt. He has another game tape to break down, learn from and improve. He has started his first game against a ranked ACC opponent. He took some nasty shots and got back up. He made chicken salad out of chicken … well, you get the point. Every game is a learning experience for T-Mobile and in this game, he did just enough to help the defense and special teams win the game. There is no doubt that T-Mobile will improve every game … unfortunately, I fear that he will improve at an exponentially greater rate than the rest of the offense. Again … I am not blaming the players; I am blaming the offensive game plan which has lacked creativity, flexibility and originality. Something has to give, but will it?