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No. 4 Hokies look for sixth straight win in Atlanta

Blacksburg, VA — The fourth-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies (3-0, 5-1) take their hopes for a national championship on the road this weekend against ACC Coastal Division rival Georgia Tech (3-1, 5-1).

The Hokies have won five straight games since their season-opening loss to No. 2 Alabama and hope to make it six on Saturday in Atlanta. Virginia Tech leads the series against the Yellow Jackets, 4-2, and are 4-1 since joining the ACC.

Let’s take a look back at the short series between the two schools.

1990 – Two Techs Collide

The first meeting between the two Techs was on Nov. 10, 1990. The Hokies were 5-4 heading into their second-to-last game of the season. The undefeated Jackets were ranked No. 7 and the Hokies gave them all they could handle in Atlanta. Georgia Tech won the game, 6-3, and went on to finish 11-0-1 and earned a share of the National Championship with Colorado. The Hokies finished 6-5.

[Updated: I did not originally include the 2000 game that was never played, because, well, they never played it. But, I had some people tell me that I forgot it, which I didn't, but decided to throw it in anyway.]

2000 – The Game That Wasn’t

The infamous lightning game. Who could forget. It was supposed to be the season-opener for both teams. The Hokies were fresh off their 1999 undefeated (11-0) regular season and a trip to the National Championship game – a 29-46 loss to Florida State. Michael Vick was back for his second season as the starter and expectations were sky high. But, Mother Nature had other plans.

A severe lightning storm rolled through Blacksburg and struck ESPN analyst Lee Corso‘s rental car parked outside the stadium. Corso picked Georgia Tech to win the game just before his car was smote. The game was nevery made up and the Hokies went on to finish the season 11-1 and whipped No. 16 Clemson, 41-20, in the Gator Bowl.

2004 – New ACC Rivals

The teams didn’t meat again until the Hokies joined the ACC in 2004. Georgia Tech jumped out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead and led 20-12 with less than six minutes to play in the game. That’s when Virginia Tech exploded for three touchdowns in just four minutes and 32 seconds.

Trailing 20-12, Hokies’ quarterback Bryan Randall hit Eddie Royal for an 80-yard touchdown on first down. A two-point conversion tied the game at 20. The Hokies got the ball back a mere 90 seconds later and used a three-play drive to get into the endzone again. This time it was Randall to Josh Morgan for a 51-yard strike putting good Tech up 27-20.

Roland Minor sealed the come-from-behind victory with a 64-yard interception return for a touchdown, giving the Hokies a 34-20 win. Tech finished the season 10-3.

2005 – Going Coastal

No suspense here. This remains the only blowout of the short series between the two schools. The Hokies came in at 3-0 (2-0 ACC) and ranked No. 4. The Jackets were No. 15. The game was never close or in doubt as the Hokies jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead.

Defensive end Chris Ellis and linebacker Xavier Adibi both returned interceptions for touchdowns in the fourth quarter to put GT out of its misery. Hokies romped to a 51-7 win at Lane Stadium and went on to finish the season 11-2.

2006 – Tech Wins One

The only Virginia Tech loss to the Georgia Tech in ACC play came in 2006 in Blacksburg. The 24th-ranked Yellow Jackets beat the 11th-ranked Hokies 38-27, handing Virginia Tech its first loss of the season and dropping Frank Beamer’s team to No. 22.

VT lost its next game against Boston College, a loss that knocked the Hokies out of the top 25 completely. Tech rebounded to win its final six games, giving up a combined 19 points in the six wins, which included a pair of shutouts. The Hokies finished the 2006 regular season with a 10-2 record before losing a heart-breaker to Georgia in the Chick Fil A Bowl, 24-31.

The 2006 loss to the Ramblin’ Wreck marked the last time a Virginia Tech quarterback had thrown for more than 300 yards in a game – Sean Glennon threw for 339 yards. That changed this season when Tyrod Taylor threw for 327 yards against Duke in a 34-26 win in Durham.

2007 – The Infamous Missing Jerseys

Who doesn’t remember this game? It was a Thursday night, nationally televised ESPN game and when the coverage of the game began, we learned that four Virginia Tech jerseys had mysteriously vanished. Among them, both quarterbacks – Tyrod Taylor and Sean Glennon. The two had to wear old Georgia Tech practice jerseys with black marker used to write in their names and numbers.

It worked, though. The 6-2 Hokies fell behind 3-0 midway through the first quarter, but that’s all Georgia Tech would get. Virginia Tech scored the next 27 points in a dominating 27-3 win. Hokie fans everywhere started asking if Glennon, who completed 22 of 32 passes for 296 yards and two TDs, could wear the GT practice jersey the rest of the season. No dice, said the ACC.

The Hokies finished the season 11-3, including another heartbreaking loss to Kansas in the Orange Bowl, 24-21.

Watch highlights of the 2007 game.

2008 – The Costly Personal Foul

The Yellow Jackets came into Blacksburg last season with their new triple option offense that was going to wreak havoc on defensive coordinators. It was only the third game of the season for both teams, so the Hokies didn’t have much game film of the new Paul Johnson offense.

And truth be told, the Yellow Jackets probably should have won this game, but they didn’t. They put up 387 yards to the Hokies’ 247, but fumbled the ball twice and threw an interception. The Hokies didn’t turn the ball over at all.

Georgia Tech was playing better for the most part, but the Hokies were the more disciplined team that day. The Jackets committed eight penalties for 61 yards, none more costly than the 15-yard personal foul call in the fourth quarter, with the game tied at 17.

On third down and 7 from Tech’s 23, Tyrod Taylor sprinted toward his own sideline, well short of the first down marker. The Hokies were going to have to punt, but out of nowhere came Georgia Tech’s Cooper Taylor with a late hit on Tyrod. The penalty gave the Hokies an automatic first down and 15 more yards, which they used to march down the field and kick the game-winning field goal.

Watch highlights of the 2008 game.

That brings us to this year’s game. The Jackets are much improved and have perfected the triple option. They lead ACC teams in total offense and rushing offense and have two running backs, as well as a quarterback, who can bust open a big play at any moment.

What the Jackets lack is solid defense. Last week, they gave up 44 points to a bad Florida State team. If they don’t make significant improvements from last week to this week, it may not make any difference how many points their offense can put up.

The Virginia Tech offense has reeled off three straight impressive performances. In wins against No. 9 Miami, Duke and Boston College, the Hokies are averaging 38 points and 429 yards a game (219 rushing / 210 passing).

Georgia Tech is a running team, plain and simple. They are dead last in passing offense in the ACC and the only team in the conference to have fewer than 100 pass attempts (75). However, when they do pass, they are highly efficient. In fact, they lead the ACC in passing efficiency with a rating of 169. The Hokies are second with a rating of 164.

If Frank Beamer and the Hokies are going to win this game, defensive coordinator Bud Foster must figure out how to stop the triple option and still be prepared to defend the pass. Should the Hokies’s offense come out and play like they have in the last three games, I think the Hokies win this game, especially if Georgia Tech’s defense can’t get its act together.

Kickoff: 6 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Announcers: Mark Jones (play-by-play), Bob Davie (color analyst)

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There’s a cool site that lets you create your own Hokie trading card for free. I made one of me and my son with a picture of us at last year’s Georgia Tech game. Make yours at www.vt.edu/all-americans.

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This is great news! I love when the Hokies play in their maroon jerseys. I think they look so much more intimidating. Below is the official announcement from HokieSports.com:

Organizers of the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff announced today that Virginia Tech will wear maroon jerseys and Alabama will wear white when the two teams play in the Georgia Dome, Sept. 5, at 8 p.m. In conjunction with this announcement, the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff committee is asking all Virginia Tech fans to wear maroon shirts and Alabama fans to wear white for this game.

For more information on the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff and all the events surrounding the game, log on to www.hokiesports.com/football/kickoff09.

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Highlights | Box Score

Wow. Was that ugly or what? The defense played out of this world and stifled Duke all night long, holding the Blue Devils to three points and only 136 yards of offense. Tech won 14-3 to improve to 7-4 overall and 4-3 in the ACC.

Tech’s offense actually moved the ball well at times, but five turnovers in the first half killed any offensive rhythm Tech was attempting to establish. Tech racked up a respectable 334 yards with a pretty balanced attack – 187 passing, 223 rushing. Darren Evan got his second 100+ yard game of his career with 111 yards on 24 carries.

Tyrod Taylor started the game, but the offense’s inability to score (and not turn it over) led to Tyrod getting replaced by Sean Glennon, who entered the game to cheers and applause. The fans were desperate for some offense.

The Hokies finally got on the board in the final minute of the first half as Glennon connected over the middle with true freshman Jarrett Boykin for a 19-yard touchdown. It was the first touchdown reception by a Hokie wide receiver this season.Boykin statistically had the best game of any Hokie WR this season with 4 catches, 67 yards and a touchdown.

I’ll write more tomorrow after I’ve thawed out and the cold medicine wears off. This may have been ugly, but they played their guts out tonight. Til tomorrow, a win is a win and we are one win away from a shot at the ACC Title game.

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From HokieSports.com:

BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech Athletics Department has announced that the Hokies’ football game vs. Western Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 4 will be broadcast on ACC Select. Tech will battle the Hilltoppers beginning at 1:30 p.m. The game is the Homecoming contest for the Hokies.

Fans interested in viewing the game on ACC Select can simply log on to http://www.theacc.com/accselect/ or by going to hokiesports.com the day of the game.

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For those that didn’t know, VTHokieFans.com is on Twitter! Follow us at http://twitter.com/vthokiefans!

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From our friend Shane at vt.fanfoc.us:

As the NFL combine swings into full gear this weekend – something that I think deserves a lot more attention is just how many hokies are participating in the combine this year – here are the top ncaa schools (ranked by # of participants):

• USC 12
• Virginia Tech 11
• Arkansas 8
• LSU 8
• Cal 7
• Oklahoma 7
• Texas 7
• Michigan 7

So you ask – exactly who are those 11 fine hokies heading to the nfl combine?

• Adibi, Xavier – LB 6’2″ 220lbs
• Booker, Barry – DT 6’4″ 284lbs
• Brown, Duane – OL 6’5″ 300lbs
• Ellis, Chris – DE 6’4″ 260lbs
• Flowers, Brandon – CB 5’10″ 190lbs
• Hall, Vince – ILB 6’0″ 238lbs
• Harper, Justin – WR 6’4″ 198lbs
• Morgan, Josh – WR 6’1″ 215lbs
• Parker, D.J. – CB 6’0″ 195lbs
• Powell, Carlton – DT 6’3″ 300lbs
• Royal, Eddie – WR 5’10″ 182lbs

I’m actually surprised to see 11 hokies on the list and it’s a testament to the quality of players VT has been bringing in lately and good job beamer and his staff do developing those players. So who isn’t on this list?

Click here to read the rest of the combine preview.

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Wow. This Washington Post article really caught me off guard. I was just talking about Virginia Tech Defensive Coordinator Bud Foster‘s future with a coworker of mine. I just assumed that Bud was the defacto heir to the Virginia Tech Head Coaching throne once Frank Beamer calls it a career. But, Frank is only 61 years old, so as long as he stays healthy and continues to enjoy his job, he could conceivably coach for another five, 10 even 15 years. That being said, I do not think Bud can wait that long, nor should he.

If his goal is to become a head football coach at a big time Division I-A program, he has all of the credentials and has more than earned a shot. Like most Hokie football fans, I would love to see him stay for selfish reasons, but it is like having a talented player who plays the required three seasons and then bolts for the NFL … you want him to stay because your team will be better, but you wish the guy the best and can’t blame him for leaving.

I was a bit surprised that Bud has not had more high profile offers. I always assumed (yeah, I know…) that he was getting offers every year from decent programs, but quietly turned them down. It would appear, having read this article, that unless you shamelessly promote yourself, teams won’t generally give you a call. That is a shame … well, a shame for the big time programs looking for HCs, but great for Hokies football fans and players!

Bud, we would love to keep you, but if you truly want to be a head coach, we wish you the best! And, uh, thanks for turning down UVA … can you imagine Chris Long in a Bud Foster-managed defense? Holy shnikes.

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OK, I went back to the game tape and here is what I came up with statistically:

• 68 total defensive plays (that I found)
• 60 defensive plays featured 4-man rush (or more)
• 8 defensive plays featured a 3-man rush
• 2 of the 3-man rushes occurred during the game-winning drive (out of 6 total plays)
• The game winning touchdown was during a 3-man rush

So, Bud was a little off on his estimate of running a 3-man rush 12 times, but, I have to admit I was a little surprised that there were only two 3-man rushes on the final drive. Bud balanced his 3-man rushes to four per half.

There’s no shame in admitting you are wrong – though I believe there is a bit of humiliation that goes with it – but no shame! That being said, after further review, the call on the field has been reversed. Bud was not running a prevent defense … buuuuut it sure seemed like it!

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The scoreboard lies. Sure, 44-3 looks great, and I am not about to poo poo a win, even against a I-AA team. However, if you saw the game – watch the game here – you are probably a little concerned about the offense, which appeared to take a step back from the previous game against Ohio University.

The first two offensive drives stalled inside the Tribe’s red zone and Tech had to settle for field goals. The first drive saw the Hokies at the 12 yard line. The first play was a rush that resulted in a 3-yard loss. The next two plays were incomplete passes. With all due respect to William & Mary’s defensive line (which was giving up nearly 20-50 pounds to Tech’s o-line), there is no excuse for not being able to run the ball against a small, I-AA team.

Tech’s running game showed signs of life with a few big runs, but for the most part, the offensive line was unable to open many holes for the tailbacks. On the very next Tech possession, the Hokies got down to the Tribe 9 yard line. First and goal from the nine and Tech managed only four yards. Branden Ore ran up the middle for three yards on first down and then ran for a yard over the left guard on second down. On third down, Tech offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring called a pass play, but quarterback Tyrod Taylor had to hurry the play because of poor blocking up front.

This wasn’t East Carolina (1-3), and this wasn’t Ohio (2-2). This was William & Mary, a I-AA team that our offense should have run over. Instead, it struggled to find its rhythm. Taylor managed just 72 yards passing. He put up 287 against Ohio. Taylor also led the team in rushing with 52 yards … 52 yards … and he picked up 45 of those on one play. Our top two tailbacks managed a combined 68 yards on 20 carries.

Here are some more numbers that will make you think: the leading receiver in this game – take a guess, go ahead! Was it Eddie Royal? Nope! He didn’t even have a catch. In fact, I’m not sure they ever threw to him. Was it Josh Morgan? Nope. He has zero catches. Justin Harper? Wrong, again. No catches for him either. How about Josh Hyman? Nope, but he did have catch … for eight yards. Four outstanding wide receivers and between them, they had only one catch for eight yards. Those same four receivers combined for 13 catches for 196 yards against Ohio.

The leading receiver for the game was Andre Smith who had two receptions for 39 yards. Of course, those came in the second half. The first half leading receiver was tight end Sam Wheeler who had two catches for 15 yards.

The numbers don’t lie. Tech fans would be justified in showing concern about the team’s offense, even with a more dynamic quarterback like Taylor in the game. Sure, he gives you more options, but he is only as good as the plays he’s given to run. And based on what I saw in the William & Mary game, I don’t think Taylor is getting much to work with.

Now, my old man taught me that if you are going to complain about something, you better bring a solution to fix the problem. So, here is my solution: in lieu of hiring a more dynamic offensive coordinator, which isn’t likely to happen as long as Beamer is still the coach, I think Tech needs to shift to a spread offense. You have the speedy wideouts. You have the big, but fast tight ends. And you have Tyrod Taylor, who can do amazing things with an open field. Tech has the speed to wear other teams down. Turn that speed loose and quit trying to play old school, smash mouth, run it up the gut football. The o-line isn’t opening up the holes and the defense you have played so far have manhandled Tech’s running game. Imagine what Miami, Boston College, Clemson, Virginia and Florida State are going to do unless the blocking game improves.

I believe these kids will improve. Rather, I hope they do. I hope that at some point, the lightbulb will come on and things will start clicking. And when things start clicking, confidence grows. And when confidence grows, it becomes contagious. That is what this team needs right now; some confidence to get everyone back on track.

Oh, I almost forgot. The first-team defense was stifling. It played like you would have expected against a I-AA opponent. The second and third teamers gave up big plays and a field goal, but they held the entire second half and didn’t give up any more points. As I mentioned in my earlier blog, “What to Expect Against William & Mary,” Tech got some quality playing time for some of the younger guys and the first-teamers picked up another touchdown while the special teams did the same.

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