\

Box Score | Highlights

Blacksburg, VA – Some way, some how, the Virginia Tech Hokies are headed back to the ACC Championship game for the third time in the four years the game has been played. The 2008 edition of the ACCCG will feature a rematch from the ’07 game – Boston College and the Hokies. The Hokies are back in the title game depite an overall record of 8-4 and 5-3 in the ACC. It was that kind of year for the ACC – not a single team had fewer than three conference losses.

What many considered would be a defensive battle looked like it would be an offensive slugfest after both teams marched down the field on their opening drives. UVA opened the scoring with a Vic Hall 40-yard run for a touchdown. The drive took just 3:03 and left the sold out crowd deflated. But, they quickly recovered and were given a reason to cheer again.

Tech’s offense took the field led by sophomore QB Tyrod Taylor. The Hokies proceeded to march down the field with an impressive 13-play, 65-yard drive that ate up 6:24 of clock. Taylor capped the drive with a three-yard TD pass to a wide open Jarrett Boykin (Fr.) to tie the game at 7-7. And the fans were right back in the game. It was just the second TD catch by a Tech wide receiver on the season.

The Hoos would strike again late in the second quarter and again it was Vic Hall. The junior had a career game. This time, he broke loose to the right and scampered untouched 16 yards for the touchdown putting the Cavs up 14-7. Hall, a highly recruited “athlete” out of high school was also a standout QB, but played mostly as a defensive back for Al Groh during his first three years. After today’s game in which Hall rushed for two touchdowns and 109 yards, many Hoos are wondering why Hall never played QB during his career in Hooville. Let the “what if” game begin for the BooHoos. Hey, he’ll be back next year.

Bud Foster, Tech’s defensive coordinator and resident defensive genius (for now), admitted after the game that Hall presented some unexpected challenges for his No. 8-ranked squad, but he made adjustments at the half and held the Thomas Jeffersons scoreless in the second half. All they needed was for Tech’s offense to step up and put some points on the board. Easier said than done considering Tech missed a 22-yard field goal (basically an extra point) and failed (AGAIN) to score on a 4th and goal (second half). I’m continuously amazed at home many points Frank Beamer leaves on the field by trying to go for it when Tech’s 4th down conversion percentage is abysmal and has been all season. Oh, and let’s not forget the impressive drive at the end of the first half that ended with a Glennon pass being picked off in the end zone. The Hokies left – at a minimum – three field goals on the field in the first half.

Regardless, the Hokies came out of the gate firing on all cylinders in the 3rd quarter. Tech had the ball to start the second half and facing a 3rd and 7, Taylor – on a designed QB draw – sprinted through a gaping hole on the left side before making six (I counted) Cavalier defenders miss as he ripped off a 73-yard run down to the Cavs’ 9-yard line. After a 5-yard gain by Darren Evan set up a 2nd and goal from the four, Greg Boone came in at QB and rumbled for a 4-yard touchdown to even the game at 14.

Tech added a 28-yard field goal by Dustin Keys with 6:37 left in the 4th quarter and Bud’s defense did the rest, although it wasn’t as easy as he would have liked. UVA’s Hall looked like he would gash the Hokies again after he blasted through the Hokies defense for 39-yard gain down to Tech’s 24. At the very least, it looked like UVA would tie the game with a FG, but Foster’s lunchpail gang had other ideas.

Dorian Porch, starting for the injured Davon Morgan, picked off a Marc Verica pass in the endzone and returned it to the Hokies 40 yard line with 2:15 left. Tech’s offense was only able to run 37 seconds off the clock between going three and out and as Groh used all three of his timeouts to stop the clock.

The Cavs got the ball back with 1:38 left on their own 13. Bud’s defense stepped up and played its best series of the game. After two incomplete passes, including a drop by Cedric Peerman, Verica completed a pass, but only picked up a yard leaving UVA with 4th and 9 and now timeouts. On a delayed blitz, senior Purnell Sturdivant sliced through the line untouched and tracked down Verica from behind for the game-clinching sack that resulted in an 8-yard loss.

Glennon came in and took two knees to run out the clock giving the Hokies the Coastal Division title and sending the seniors out on a winning note. To make the day even more festive, The Hokies have now won nine of the last 10 games against their instate rivals. The lone loss came in 2003. Outside of that, Tech has dominate the rivalry during the last decade.

Other notes:

• Wide receiver Danny Coale set a new freshman record for receptions in a season with 32, breaking Eddie Royal’s record of 28 set in 2004. Coale aslo had a career day with five catches for 66 yards.
• Another freshman, running back Darren Evans, also set a new rookie record for rushing yards in a season. Evans has 998 yards this season, breaking Kevin Jones’ 2001 record of 951.
• And Tyrod Taylor also made Hokie history with his fourth 100+ yard rushing game (he has 137 today), which tied him with Michael Vick for most career 100+ yard games by a QB. Vick and Taylor each have four 100+ yard games under their belt and with two years of eligibility left for Taylor, he seems a lock to break Bob Schweikert’s record of six.

Popularity: 6% [?]

I didn’t have a tape recorder, so these “quotes” are more paraphrases, but you’ll get the point. Nothing earth shattering, but he does address a few key topics that most Hokie fans are curious about following the Nebraska win.

On Tyrod’s Ankle:

Yeah, actually it was his knee, but they feel like he’s going to be OK. He was trying to stay in bounds, but go in an awkward position, but yeah, I think he’s going to be okay.

On Losing Davon Morgan for the Season:

I really hate to see him go down. He’s such a good person for this team, not just his play, but off the field. He’s positive. Every day is a good day. He comes around, I feel better. When he’s around the team, they feel better. But he’s schedule to have surgery and he’ll be back next year.

On Morgan’s Replacement, Dorian Porch:

He made a big play at the end of the [Nebraska] game. He’s got the qualifications; physically, he’s very good. I think he’s going to do well.

On the Important of the Nebraska Road Win:

You don’t go into a stadium like that with an undefeated team, playing a tough, emotional team like we played unless we have some toughness ourselves. Two or three times we thought we had the game in good shape and then suddenly we weren’t in good shape. Everybody hung in there and kept playing. The onside kick, great play by [Greg] Boone and [Cam] Martin, great block by Martin. You don’t win in Nebraska, in that environment, unless you have some tough-minded kids … and we got ‘em.

On the Improvement of the Team from the Season-Opening Loss:

I like to think that we’re a little like Joe Torre [LA Dodgers Manager]. he went through some tough things this year but he was always the same. I like to think we’re like that as a coaching staff; not panicking, not pressing, let’s just get better. And our players have played hard. We don’t always play well, but they always play hard.

I like this football team. i like the kids. I like how we play. You don’t see us getting a lot of crazy penalties. You don’t see a lot of trash talking out there.

Popularity: 1% [?]

There is finally some good news on the injury front! Tyrod Taylor sounds like he’s going to be just fine. Tyrod practiced yesterday and today so you can re-pack the car for Saturday as Frank Beamer and Mike O’Cain both think he will play in the spring game this weekend.

Also in the article by Randy King of the Roanoke Times is mention of a player that has really impressed me (and obviously the coaches too) this spring: Mr. Dorian Porch. While I suspected that he was going to play his way into the starting rover role this spring, I didn’t realize he was almost drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second round out of high school. It appears the Hokie nation owes Mrs. Porch a big “thank you” as she talked Dorian out of the draft because she wanted him to get an education.

Keep up with the Hokies here and at VT.Fanfoc.us!

Popularity: 1% [?]