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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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It’s Miami night! Alright, let’s cut straight to the chase. This game has the makings of an instant classic, at least in terms of the Hokies-Canes rivalry. Both teams look eerily similar in that both offenses have struggled for much of the season but have come on strong in their last games and both defenses are stout and can cause a lot of problems for opposing offenses.

I know Miami is still a tough team and they are actually tied for first place in the ACC’s Atlantic Division, but they’ve struggled mightily on offense this season and with two freshmen QBs, I really like Virginia Tech’s chances in this game. It just seems to me that Bud Foster and his aggressive lunchpail kids will be licking their chops to get at UM’s dynamic QB duo of Robert Marve (6-1, 210) and Jacory Harris (6-4, 185), both redshirt freshman.

Marve is the starter, but has thrown three more INTS (10) than TD passes (7). If the Hokies can create the same smothering pass rush against the Canes that they did against Maryland (-28 yards rushing), it could be a long night for Miami’s signal callers. The U’s offensive line, by the way, gives up more than two sacks a game. Back to Miami’s QBs, Tech fans should be more concerned with Harris who has led Miami to a pair of come-from-behind wins against Duke and UVA. He has a much better TD/INT ratio – 7/3.

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Highlights | Box Score

Blacksburg, VA – Redshirt freshman running back Darren Evans set a new Virginia Tech single game rushing record and led the Hokies to an impressive 23-13 win over the No. 23 ranked Maryland Terrapins Thursday night. Evans piled up 253 yards on 32 carries and scored a touchdown. The 253 yards breaks Mike Imoh’s record of 243 yards set in 2004 against North Carolina.

The Hokies turned in their best offensive performance of the season, racking up 400 yards – 273 rushing, 127 passing. Evans had all but 20 of Tech’s rushing yards. Credit the Virginia Tech offensive line for some great up-front blocking and creating cavernous holes allowing Evans to pick up big chunks of yards. Also, give credit to Bryan Stinespring, Tech’s offensive coordinator, for calling a good game and throwing in some unexpected wrinkles that kept Maryland on their heels all game.

Tech’s offense did most of its damage in the first half posting two touchdowns and a field goal en route to a 17-3 halftime lead. Tech still managed some impressive and time consuming drives in the second half, but only put up two field goals. Glennon finished with a respectable 14 of 20 for 127 yards and one TD.

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Box Score | Highlights

OK Hokie fans, I’ve finally caught up on all the articles, game film and editing. I’m not sure I can add much analysis regarding the North Carolina game that you haven’t already heard or read, but for archival purposes and to acquiesce to my need to complete things – I will. But, I will keep this short.

Breaking Down the Offense

The first two and a half quarters were probably the worst I’ve ever seen the Hokies’ offense play. Just 80 yards in the first half and what was the most demoralizing aspect of the offense’s ineptness came when the defense recovered a fumble on the UNC 8 yard line and the offense managed to gain one yard on three plays before kicking a field goal. What more do you want Bud Foster’s defense to do? His squad all but scores a TD for you and you can only get a single yard? It was bad, folks, but if you saw the game, you already know that.

Thankfully, things turned around in the last quarter and a half. The Hokies went on a 17-0 run and the offense started moving the ball consistently. It was a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dismal offensive season. Despite the solid ending, the offense actually got worse statistically and is now ranked 112th out of 119 teams. And with a road game this weekend against undefeated Nebraska and its Black Shirt defense, it’s not looking very promising for Tech’s offense. They will need to play their best game of the season if they are going to score on the Huskers’ mamouth defense.

The good news is that the young receiving corps had a pretty good game; 12 catches for 141 yards. Now, that may not sound like a lot, but considering the team was averaging less than 100 per game in the first three contests, 141 is seriously a major improvement. A lot of those yards were big plays, too. The o-line also started opening some big holes and with Blake DeChristopher back at right tackle, the line could be back at full strength for the Nebraska game. They’ll need to be. And speaking of the o-line, they quietly had a very solid game giving up just one sack and three QB hurries. It was their best game in terms of protecting the QB.

One other note, the Hokies have only had one 100+ rushing yard performance this year … Tyrod Taylor’s 112 against Furman. That’s it.

Breaking Down the Defense

The defense gave up some big plays, but as they always do, they made some big plays, too. The defense sacked UNC QBs four times, intercepted them twice (both in the fourth quarter) and combined for nine tackles for loss. This was without question the best defensive performance of the season in terms of putting pressure on the quarterback. In addition to the four sacks, Tech’s defensive front recorded 12 QB hurries.

This defense is gelling quickly and it’s getting to the point where guys are rotating in and the defense isn’t missing a beat. Stephan Virgil continues to emerge as the next great defensive back for the Hokies as he picked off his second pass of the season. Macho Harris also got his first INT of the season. The d-line played very well, picking up where they left off against Georgia Tech.

Breaking Down the Special Teams

Not much to report here other than the fact that Dustin Keys kicked the game-winning field goal with about 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Nothing spectacular until you realize that before he booted that 45-yarder for the win, his previous long of the season was 25 yards. The kid played well under pressure and made both of his FG attempts. He was also named the Virginia Tech Athlete of the Week for his efforts under pressure. Keys was also 2/2 on extra points.

What does it all mean, Basil?

Talk about a tale of two halves. I watched the first half of the game with my old man, but we missed the second half for my cousin’s wedding. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the final score … VT 20, UNC 17. I called my dad over and told him the score. We couldn’t believe it. Somehow, the Hokies found a way to win. Then, when I read the recap, I discovered that UNC’s starting QB, TJ Yates, left the game in the third quarter with a broken ankle that will keep him out for at least six weeks.

When he left, the score was 10-3. On the first play without him, UNC’s Greg Little busted loose for a 51-yard TD run to put the Heels up 17-3. From there, it was all downhill. Mike Paulus, the backup QB, threw two INTS and struggled with the Hokies pressure. Meanwhile, the Tech offense got fired up and did their part with two TDs, including a long scoring drive that was aided by a personal foul call against UNC and a pass interference call that moved Tech to the UNC 10 yard line. Darren Evans ran it in from there to cut the lead to 17-10.

So, while the offense did make some plays, UNC also self-destructed in a manner rarely seen. It was the second biggest comeback of Frank Beamer’s tenure at Tech. The bottom line is that the offense is showing signs of life, but still isn’t reliable. The defense has matured quickly and continues to improve. While it gave up a couple of home run plays, it buckled down for the most part and kept the Hokies in the game.

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Box Score | Game Film

Blacksburg, VA — It was no secret that if the Hokies were going to win against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, they’d have make a lot of adjustments on both sides of the ball. Well, they did … and it worked. The Hokies forced three Ramblin’ Wreck turnovers and gutted out an impressive 20-17 slobber-knocker against ACC Coastal Division rival Georgia Tech and its triple/speed option offense.

This was more than just a football game, or even a conference game. Saturday’s contest was a watershed game that could either make or break the Hokies entire season. Facing intense fan criticism all week for the offense’s less-than-impressive start, the Hokies were feeling the pressure and said publicly that they needed to respond. It was the first time during Beamer’s 15-year consecutive bowl games/winning season streak that he’s faced this kind of criticism and earlier in the week, he made it clear that he’d had enough.

During the week leading up to Saturday’s game, the Hokies’ practices were much tougher than most. Beamer came down from his tower to personally oversee the offense along side offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring, who earlier in the week challenged his offense’s collective manhood and said it was time for the guys that have been here three or four years to start playing like it. Whatever they said or did the last week worked. The Hokies looked like a much improved team on both sides of the ball. That’s not to say there isn’t still room for improvement (Beamer’s words), but the win today was just what this team needed to bolster its wavering confidence.

Breaking Down the Offense

It wasn’t pretty and the numbers aren’t necessarily mind-blowing (247 yards of total offense), but when you figure the Hokies were playing one of the best defensive fronts they’ll likely face all season, the Good Tech’s offense put together a very impressive game.

The Hokies pounded out 199 yards rushing and 48 yards passing. The passing totals might not be impressive, but with the offensive line playing its best game of the year and opening up some big holes, combined with Darren Evans’ power running and Tyrod Taylor’s elusiveness and quick feet, the Hokies didn’t need much out of the passing game.

Evans, a redshirt freshman, rushed for 94 yards on 19 carries and score a touchdown, to lead the Hokies ground game. Taylor (soph.) rushed for 74 yards on 15 carries and a 2-yard TD run. Virginia Tech’s offensive line deserves a lot of credit for their much improved play. Evans had some big runs thanks to some great blocking up front. Also, the o-line did a great job of moving Bad Tech’s defensive lineman where they wanted them to go to open up the holes. It would seem that the o-line is much more comfortable playing with just a dedicated QB in the pocket … or in Tyrod’s case, where ever he decides to run.

A big reason the Hokies won this game was because the offense took care of the ball by not committing a single turnover. It would appear that Bryan Stinespring’s offense made the necessary adjustments to get their game going against a very tough defense.

A couple of quick observations: 1) Although Kenny Lewis, Jr., got the start at RB, Darren Evan got the majority of the work in the backfield and it would appear that the redshirt freshman has emerged as No. 1 tailback. 2) Victor Macho Harris caught one pass for -1 yards. 3) Redshirt senior QB Sean Glennon didn’t play a single snap. He didn’t hold a clip board or call in a single play. He didn’t even seem to be involved in the game plan at all.

Said Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer, “Sean Glennon is a good, good quarterback and he’s been a great quarterback for us and a great team player for us. I feel for him. I really feel for him.

“But Tyrod fits where we are as a football team and I’m all about team and how many wins we can get. You have to put those pieces together and Tyrod right now is one of those pieces. He’s a major piece.”

Breaking Down the Defense

Again, it wasn’t about the numbers, because they were beyond ugly. It was about making the right plays when they needed to and Bud Foster’s defense did just enough to keep Bad Tech’s dangerous triple/speed option offense in check. Despite giving up 278 yards rushing, the most since LSU racked up 297 last year, Bud’s lunch pail defense forced three turnovers and stopped the Jackets on two late fourth quarter drives to preserve the 20-17 win.

The Hokies got some great defensive line performances from a plug-and-play rotation that did an impressive job of disrupting plays. John Graves (91) and Cordarrow Thompson (95) led the charge for the d-line up the middle while Nekos Brown got his first start at DE opposite of Orion Martin, who had another monster game (though the stats don’t really show it). Jason Worilds and Demetrius Taylor also saw a lot of time on the line. No matter who up front, they were firing off the snap and clogging up the gaps and wreaking havoc on the line. The Wreck got most of its yards on the outside with their incredible speed option, but they didn’t get much up the middle.

The key to the game (as with most games) was the turnover margin. The Hokies’ D forced three Yellow Jacket turnovers. Georgia Tech was moving the ball at will on their first drive of the game, but LB Brett Warren stripped the ball loose from QB Josh Nesbitt at the Hokies’ 35 and Victor Macho Harris recovered. The second turnover came in the second quarter with Georgia Tech on its own 43; Nesbitt coughed it up and Virginia Tech’s Taylor fell on it. The last turnover was a Cody Grimm interception in the third quarter that was created by Cordarrow Thompson, who was getting good pressure on Nesbitt.

The defense recorded its second sack of the season courtesy of LB Purnell Sturdivant. They also recorded two QB hurries. On the surface it doesn’t look that great, but against the triple/speed option, you’re not going to see a lot of sacks or QB hurries. Overall, Bud’s defense did an outstanding job against a very difficult-to-defend offense. Bend but don’t break.

Breaking Down the Special Teams

Beamerball just keeps getting better with each game. For the third game in a row, the Hokies blocked a kick. And for the third game in a row, redshirt sophomore defensive tackle John Graves got the block. It’s the first time in Beamer’s era that a player has blocked a kick in three consecutive games. Graves is also the first Hokie to block three kicks in a season since Jim Davis did it in 2004. No player has ever blocked four kicks in a season. It was also the 120th blocked kick in the Beamerball era.

Then there is the punting game, which was solid, but uneventful until the final seconds of the game when Brent Bowden pooched a punt inside the Jackets’ five yard line with just :25 seconds on the clock. The Jackets, with no timeouts left, were unable to score again and the Hokies held on for the 20-17 win.

Freshman kicker Dustin Keys also had another strong game going 2 for 2 on his field goal attempts. Though the yardage of his two FGs (25 and 21 yards) are considered “chip shots” by kicking standards, Keys made both of them under a lot of pressure in the fourth quarter. The first gave the Hokies a 17-9 lead. After the Wreck tied the game at 17 with a TD and 2-point conversion, Keys was asked to kick the eventual game-winner with 4:37 left and he nailed it. Kudos to the young guy.

What does it all mean, Basil?

Frank Beamer can tell his critics, present company included, to shut it. He said “trust me, we’ll fix it” and it looks like he came through. So, for the time being, the “fire Bryan Stinespring” tidal wave has died down a bit. But, like Beamer said (with a nervous laugh) in his post-game interview on ABC when asked about UNC next week, “Yeah, I’ll tell ya, every week’s a new adventure for us right now … I think we took a step forward today.”

The term is often overused, but this was truly a statement game in every sense of the word for the Hokies. The heat was on and the players and coaches were feeling it. But, anyone who was at the game today would be the first to tell you that the fans put all that nonsense behind them turned Lane Stadium into the infamous and noisy road venue that visiting teams have come to fear and loathe. I was proud of the fans for rallying around Beamer, his coaches and the team.

You could tell that after the game, Beamer was physically and emotionally drained. I think this win was one of the more stressful in recent years for him.

“This was work tonight,” Beamer said. “You know, they say have fun, but this was work.”

Beamer said several times in his post-game interviews that he’s extremely proud of his team and he should be. This was one of the hardest fought games I’ve seen the Hokies win in a long time. This is the kind of win that can define a season, that you can look back on at the end of the year and say, “yep, it all started there.” Let’s hope that in three months we can look back and say that about this game against the Ramblin’ Wreck.

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Box Score | Game Film

The good news? The Virginia Tech Hokies (1-1) won their game today against Furman University (1-1), 24-7. The bad news? They didn’t look very good doing it. More specifically, the offense didn’t look very good, even with Tyrod Taylor making his season debut. I know a win is a win, but I don’t think there are many Hokies fans feeling too good about next Saturday’s home game against Georgia Tech … not after today’s performance.

“The good thing is, we won,” said Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer in his post-game press conference. “We know we’ve got to get better; there’s no question about that. I thought our football team hung in there. And they play hard. We just don’t always play as well as we need to.”

Breaking Down the Offense

First, let’s highlight the positives. Virginia Tech rushed for 261 yards, the most in a single game since the Hokies piled up 284 against Southern Mississippi on Oct. 21, 2006. Tyrod Taylor, minus his red shirt, rushed for 112 yards on 14 carries. That’s an 8 yard per carry average. Even if you take away his 50-yarder, he still averaged 4.76 yards per carry. And finally, Sean Glennon threw a touchdown pass while being flushed out of the pocket. He didn’t look too bad today, though he did throw an INT, but we’ll get to that later.

The first half was an abomination. Sean Glennon started the game, but played only four snaps before Tyrod replaced him. Glennon handed off three times, but also completed a 13-yard pass to Dyrell Roberts that gave the Hokies a first down on 3rd and 3. Taylor came in and led the Hokies down to the Furman 7 yard line, but just as they did with the ECU game, Beamer elected to go for it on 4th and 1 at the 3 yard line instead of kicking the field goal. And, just like the ECU game, Tech got stuff and actually lost two yards.

The other questionable call of the first half was on the Hokies’ final drive of the half. Tyrod started the drive at the Tech 21 yard line with 6:33 to play. Tech ran 11 plays (10 rushing, 1 passing) and were just wearing down the Paladins defense, driving down to the Furman 5 yard line. Then, facing 3rd and goal, Stinespring brings in Sean Glennon. What? You just churned out 74 yards, 63 of which came on the ground, and now they bring in Glennon and run a pass play on 3rd and goal. The pass … was incomplete and the Hokies elected to kick the field goal. Dustin Keys booted his first collegiate field goal to give Virginia Tech a 3-0 lead with :29 left in the first half. Poor play calling.

That’s two games in a row in which the Tech offense drove down inside the red zone early and came away with virtually nothing. At least this game they got 3 points, though it should have been 14-0. Outside of the aforementioned two drives, the offense looked pretty bad. In the first quarter, they had two of their three drives go three-and-out; and Glennon and Taylor both got sacked. The offensive line really struggled against the blitz packages thrown at them by Furman.

The second quarter was a little better, but not by much. Glennon threw a great pass to Ike Whitaker, who made an incredible catch along the sidelines for a 33-yard gain – but, the play was called back for an ineligible receiver downfield penalty. On the next drive, Glennon threw an interception, though it should have been caught, but instead popped up and was picked off by Furman. That one wasn’t on him, though he still got booed … repeatedly.

The second half was a little encouraging, but it took some help from the defense to give the offense some good field position. And if you were still standing in line at the concession stand in the third quarter, you missed most of the scoring.

Tech’s first possession of the second half began on their own 36. Facing a 3rd and 10, Tyrod busted loose for 50 yard gain down to the Furman 14. Tyrod was winded after the sprint that went from sideline to sideline, so he called for Glennon to replace him. Good thing we have another “starting” QB. Three plays later, 3rd and 6 at the Furman 10, Glennon got flushed out the pocket and rolled to his left before firing a sidearm pass in the endzone to Kenny Lewis, Jr. for the touchdown. The boos gave way to cheers and the Hokies led 10-0.

On Furman’s first play on the ensuing drive, Cody Grimm forced a fumble that was recovered by Kam Chancellor and the Hokies offense was back on the field. Lewis did the rest, picking up all 31 yards on the 3-play drive, including the 23-yard TD run to put the Hokies in front 17-0.

The defense gave the offense the ball back on the Paladins next drive when Stephan Virgil picked off a pass and returned it 18 yards to the Furman 9 yard line. Two plays later, Darren Evans scampered into the endzone to give the Hokies a 24-0 lead. That was it offensively.

Breaking Down the Defense

Again, let’s start with the positives. I can’t recall a single missed tackle today. Perhaps there was one or two, but compared to last week, it was negligible. The defense gave up just 34 rushing yards and forced two turnovers that led to offensive touchdowns. And, the first-team defense didn’t give up any points. The late Furman TD came against the second team.

The glaring issue facing the defense is the lack of penetration by the front four, which managed only one sack today. The Paladins sacked Tech QBs four times today. Furman’s QB was only “hurried” three times. That lack of pressure certainly has to be a concern for defensive coordinator Bud Foster.

A minor area of concern is the coverage in the secondary, which looked shaky today. The Paladins passed for 213 yards. In the third quarter, Furman QB Jordan Sorrells completed a 57 yard pass to Adam Mims down to the Hokies 4 yard line, but the play was called back for an ineligible receiver downfield.

Then, late in the third quarter, the Paladins put together a solid drive picking apart the Hokies secondary with complete passes of 22, 14 and 11 yards. The defense held Furman to a 32-yard field goal attempt that was blocked. After that, the first team defense came out.

So, while Foster is probably concerned about his D line’s lack of disruption and his secondary’s coverage; he’s going to be thrilled with Stephan Virgil, who had a key INT in the third quarter. Cody Grimm also forced a fumble that led to a Tech touchdown and DT John Graves blocked his second kick of the season. And on that note, let’s focus quickly on the special teams.

Breaking Down the Special Teams

For the second week in a row the Hokies blocked a kick and DT John Graves has both of them. The Hokies punted six times for a 43 yard per punt average, yet the Paladins only had one return for three yards. And on kickoffs, Tech held Furman to 14.7 yards per return. I didn’t see any glaring mistakes in this game, though I was surprised that the Hokies didn’t put more pressure on Furman’s punter. It seemed that for most of the the Paladins seven punts that the Hokies were more concerned with falling back and blocking for Victor Macho Harris, who had four punt returns for a total of 30 yards. Certainly not the explosive returns Tech fans were hoping for, but it’s hard to tell how much pain Macho’s foot is still giving him.

Looking Ahead to Georgia Tech

After watching the Georgia Tech vs. Boston College highlights, I’m very concerned about next Saturday’s game. Georgia Tech’s offense seems to be very dynamic and unpredictable. Even worse, they run a nice little slant over the middle with either a fullback or tight end and any Hokie fan who pays attention know that that play kills us every time. I’ll never forget what Heath Miller did to us in 2002 … 13 catches, almost all of them were over the middle. The Hokies’ defense might be able to keep the Yellow Jackets in check to a certain degree, but if the offense can’t put up more than 24 points against Furman, a I-AA school, it is definitely not looking good for next Saturday.

HokieSports.com Injury Report

Defensive end Jason Worilds suffered a left shoulder sprain early in the game and did not return. Linebacker Cam Martin suffered a left groin strain in the third quarter and did not return to the game. Both will be re-evaluated on Sunday.

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I read an outstanding column today by Will Stewart, General Manager at Techsideline.com, about the irrational fan hatred that seems to have grown out of control with regards to Hokies’ QB Sean Glennon. I read this article and there isn’t a single point with which I disagree. Will hits it dead on. If you’re thinking about booing Glennon at Saturday’s game, then you should be ashamed of yourself.

Read Will’s column: To Err is Human, to Boo Repellent, to Cheer Divine

Those that know me, know that I’m not a fan of Glennon’s inconsistent performance on the field. I have never and would never boo him or any college athlete unless they did something completely heinous like intentionally attempt to injure another player.

QBs are most often the face of the offense for any team. Glennon has struggled to find consistency in his four years of playing at Virginia Tech, but he has never struggled to give every ounce of his will, preparation and heart to the game, to his team and to his coaches. During his five years at Tech, have you ever once heard of him being arrested? Investigated? Suspended for violating team rules? No. He is the consummate team player and a coach’s dream when it comes to preparing himself.

Even Glennon’s problems in the games aren’t entirely his fault. Sure, he has trouble reading defenses and coverages quickly enough which means he often misses the wide open receiver, but Virginia Tech’s offense has struggled in recent years no matter who has been at QB. Even with Bryan Randall and Marcus Vick at the helm, Tech’s offense never finished higher than 38th in the nation (2003). In fact, here’s how Tech’s offense has ranked since Bryan Stinespring took over in 2002:

2002 – 64th
2003 – 38th
2004 – 65th
2005 – 57th
2006 – 99th
2007 – 100th

Even with Tyrod playing in the majority of Tech’s games last season, the offense still ranked 100th in the nation … out of 119 teams? It’s not the QB per se, it’s the system that the Hokies run.

So don’t boo Glennon. He’s done nothing but be a model student athlete and represented our University proudly. Sure, he’s struggled on the field at times, but what player doesn’t. I don’t see anyone ripping Rashad Carmichael for all his blown coverages, or Kam Chancellor for his missed tackled on ECU’s touchdown. These guys make mistakes, too. All athletes make mistakes. Good grief, Brett Favre threw six INTs in a single game and he’s a future Hall of Fame QB.

I’ve said before the Glennon is a fifth-year senior making rookie mistakes and that’s true, but it doesn’t mean he deserves to get booed. If he was a problem player that has been in and out of trouble, I might be able to understand that contempt that so many fans seem to have for him. But he’s a good kid that takes this game and his performance very seriously. He takes the losses very personally and I think he has a difficult time shaking the negatives and it affects his game.

We all saw what he did against Georgia Tech last year. That’s the Glennon at his best. He was near perfect. Nearly 300 yards passing, two TDs in the air and one on the ground. He blitzed the Georgia Tech defense on THEIR field. One great game doesn’t make a QB, but everyone was singing his praises then. It’s shocking how fast the tide can turn.

Like Will says in his column; when you go to the game and Glennon takes the field for the Hokies, cheer him on and let him know that through it all we appreciate his heart and dedication and everything that he has given to the team. He deserves at least that much.

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Frank Beamer dropped a tiny bomb yesterday when he announced that he would play Tyrod Taylor the rest of the season, beginning this Saturday against Furman. The announcement, which was news to the rest of the team, came exactly one week after Beamer announced that Tyrod would be redshirting this season. That didn’t last long.

Both Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor are off limits to the media this week and that’s probably a good idea. I can only imagine how rough this must be for Glennon, to have his starting job yanked from him early in two consecutive seasons. I’ve never been a huge fan of Glennon’s performance on game days, but the ineptness of the offense is not entirely his fault. In fact, it’s hardly his fault at all. No, the blame is on the offensive system and play calling.

Take a look at the Texas Tech Red Raiders (guns up!). Every year their spread offense puts up 400-500 yards per game and 30-45 points. Can you name their last five starting QBs? No. Why? Because it is the system. If Sean Glennon were at Texas Tech, he’d probably be passing for 3,000 yards a season. Why? Because it’s a system. The receiver runs – 1-2-3 – turn and catch. You’d think it’d be easy to defend, but so far, it’s not. I’m not saying that Virginia Tech necessarily has to run the spread (but boy would that be exciting!), but we have to do something different.

Vanilla doesn’t even begin to describe our offense. I watched four other college football games this weekend and I remember thinking often, “Why don’t we do that? Why can’t we through deep more than once a game?” Our offense is so incredibly frustrating to watch. It’s gotten to the point where the average fan can accurately predict the play calling … and if we know what’s coming, you know the opposing defensive coordinators do, too.

Back to Tyrod and losing his red shirt. Will his return help the Hokies? Definitely. Will he make mistakes, throw INTs and fumble the ball? Definitely. But, what he brings to the offense is another dimension that can drive DCs crazy. You can’t game plan for someone like Tyrod because if the play breaks down and he decides to tuck it and run, how do you prepare for what he doesn’t know what he’s going to do? You don’t.

The big question now is how much playing time will Tyrod see on Saturday and for the rest of the season. Everyone has an opinion as to what they think will happen and I’m no different. If you look at it logically, you would think that if Beamer is going to burn his last opportunity to redshirt Tyrod, then you would imagine that the coaches are going to get the most out of Tyrod this season.

Kyle Tucker from the Virginian-Pilot seems to think that Glennon’s playing time will significantly diminish as the season progresses.

“My hunch is that Sean Glennon’s days of significant snaps are numbered,” Tucker wrote on his blog. “Yes, both players will get time against a pretty bad team Saturday [Furman]. Smart money for the following week against Georgia Tech, though, would be on Taylor running most (if not all) of the show.”

I think Kyle is absolutely right. If you’re going to burn Tyrod’s last shot at an extra year of eligibility, then you’d better make the most of it.

A lot of fans seem to think that Beamer was blowing smoke when he said that bringing Tyrod back wasn’t a reflection of Glennon’s play against ECU. I believe him. He’s bringing Tyrod back because the offense as a whole struggled. It seems that Beamer is coming around to the fact that his offense is not just struggling. It’s bad. And that’s unacceptable to the fans and alumni because the talent level of these players is so high, there’s no reason they should be playing this poorly. Only, there is a reason … it’s the offensive game plan. Fix that and you fix the problem. How do you fix the game plan? I think we all know the answer to that.

Lastly, I wanted to touch on the pros and cons of playing Tyrod. The majority of Hokie fans posting on vt.fanfoc.us and Techsideline are in favor of the move. Tyrod is your best offensive player, so why sit him on the bench? But there are those that think it would be a wasted season for the sophomore given the lack of overall experience on the offense. Both arguments are valid, but…

The argument for sitting Tyrod this season no matter what is based on the fact that we’ll have him for three more years instead of two. But let’s be realistic. If Tyrod lives up to the hype and becomes a top teir college QB, he will only need two more years before he goes to the NFL. If you sit him this season, you still only get him for two more years because I doubt Tyrod is going to be a fifth-year senior on this team in 2012. Of course, now we know he won’t be. Barring an injury before either of his remaining two seasons, Tyrod’s career will last no longer than the 2010 season.

And that brings us back to Kevin Newsom, the QB who decommitted to Michigan. He’s a four-star QB and has reopened his recruiting. If Tech can land him, he can redshirt in 2009, ride the bench and backup Tyrod in 2010 and then still have three years as the lone starter for the Hokies from 2011 to 2013. Problem solved!

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Game Highlights | Game Stats

We’re sorry it took so long to get this recap of the game up on the site, but we seriously needed to take a step back and calm down before we put our thoughts on the Web for all eternity. We might have written something we couldn’t take back. So, here goes the PG version…

Tough loss. No doubt about that. There isn’t a Hokie fan anywhere that isn’t hurting right now. Even though most knowledgeable fans knew that ECU was capable of beating us, not many of thought the Pirates actually would. Surprise.

Neither team played a great game, but ECU certainly looked better on offense putting up 369 yards to Virginia Tech’s 243. It was the fourth worst offensive production for the Hokies in their last 15 games. And 62 of those 243 came on one play, a bomb from Sean Glennon to freshman Dyrell Roberts – the lone offensive highlight. Not to be outdone by the offense’s poor play, the young defense gave up the fourth highest yardage total in its last 15 games (389 vs. Boston College; 380 vs. Clemson; and 589 vs. LSU).

OK, so what went wrong?

Breaking Down the Offense:

Things got off to a bad start when offensive right tackle Blake DeChristopher left the game in the first series with a deep thigh bruise. But, the Hokies running game looked good early. Kenny Lewis, Jr. rushed for 28 yards on Tech’s first drive, but it stalled when Sean Glennon, the undisputed (for now) starting QB, threw an interception on his first pass of the game. Glennon’s first pass of the 2007 season, against ECU, was also an interception. Ouch.

The Hokies got the ball back on their own 44 and slowly moved the ball to ECU’s 14. But the Hokies couldn’t get in the endzone (or a first down) and turned the ball over when they went for it on 4th and 1 and got stuffed. Glennon went on to throw another INT that was returned to the Hokies 1 yard line and ECU later punched it in to pull within 14-7 at the end of the first half.

The only positive offensive play, as mentioned earlier, came in the third quarter when Glennon threw a perfect pass to true freshman Dyrell Roberts who was streaking down the sideline and made the over-the-shoulder grab in full stride. That set up a 3-yard touchdown run by Darren Evans. That was it offensively.

When the Hokies needed to run time off the clock late in the fourth quarter, they passed instead of running the ball. And when they got the ball back with 1:52 left, down by five, they went four and out including a fumbled center-QB exchange on the final play.

Immediately following the game, sports Web sites all over the place started asking the question, “Will Beamer take the red shirt off Tyrod?” Let the great debate begin. VTHokieFans.com will weigh in on this in the days ahead, so stay tuned.

Breaking Down the Defense:

For just the fourth time in the last three seasons, the Hokies defense was unable to sack the opposing team’s QB; East Carolina and Florida State last season and Duke (of all teams) in 2006. I think the fact that ECU held the Hokies’ 2007 defense (with Ellis, Hall, Adibi, Powell and Flowers) without a sack speaks volumes for the talent level of its offensive line. Still, you’d think that Bud Foster would have been ready for them this year.

The defensive front for the Hokies managed just ONE (1) QB hurry and as I mentioned earlier, no sacks. ECU QB Pat Pinkney was never pressured and had plenty of time to complete 19 of 23 passes (82%) for 211 yards. Meanwhile the running attack used three tailbacks to pile up 134 yards rushing – Pinkney added 24 yards to give ECU 158 total rushing yards. Tech’s young and inexperienced secondary got torched today. They definitely missed Brandon Flowers and Macho Harris, but that’s how these guys will get better – with playing time.

Still, the lack of QB pressure and a young secondary were not what killed the Hokies on defense today. No, that would be the inability to tackle, which is how the Pirates got the majority of their aforementioned 158 rushing yards. Honestly, I think we’ve seen better tackling in a flag football game. I was reading Kyle Tucker’s post-game blog and Beamer addressed the poor tackling by the young defense.

“We have to tackle a lot better. We missed a lot of tackles today. A lot of tackles. I bet when we go back and count the number of missed tackles, it’ll be a bunch,” said Beamer.

The lone highlight for the defense was Stephan Virgil’s 30-yard scoop and score fumble recovery for a TD in the second quarter to give Virginia Tech a 7-0 lead. Virgil also returned a blocked PAT for a 2-pt. conversion score.

Breaking Down the Special Teams

With the exception of the blocked punt returned for a touchdown that gave ECU the win, Tech’s special teams played well. They blocked a PAT (point after try) and returned it for a two-point play that gave the Hokies a 16-13 lead instead of tying the game at 14-14.

The return teams did well averaging 21 yards per return (5 for 105). [EDITED 9/1] Surprisingly, though the Pirates punted three times in the game, Virginia Tech was not able to return a single punt. Tech’s kickoff coverage team did a good job holding ECU to just 11.5 yards per kickoff return and recovered a fumbled kickoff return following the Hokies first touchdown. The Hokies’ punt coverage was not as impressive allowing a 22-yard per return average.

[UPDATE 8/31/2008] There were some troubles with the kicking game including a missed 44-yard field goal that hit the upright and the missed extra point. But, with rookie kickers, none of whom are on scholarship, this was to be expected. I really fault Beamer for not letting Dustin Keys kick the FG on the Hokies second drive of the game when they were facing 4th and 1 at the ECU 5 yard line. That would have been a huge confidence boost for the kid playing in his first college game. Instead, Beamer trots him out there for a critical 44-yard field goal, which he missed by hitting the upright.

It’s unfortunate that Tech played one of its best “Beamerball” games in recent memory and ended up getting beat at their own game. We’re not sure what will happen with the QB situation, but you can bet the Hokies will be working on punt blocking and tackling this week as they get ready for the Furman University Paladins on Sept. 6.

That’s all for now, but we’ll be back with more breakdowns and previews in the days ahead, so stay tuned and keep your heads up. We like our odds next week!

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I know it sounds ridiculous, but it’s true; the Hokies are slowly becoming the underdogs in tomorrow’s season opener against the ECU Pirates. Even the Detroit Free Press writes, “ECU may have the better team,” and then predicts a 20-19 win for the pillagers and plunderers.

If you’ve been reading all of the articles and pregame matchups and predictions, you know that 41 percent of Virginia Tech’s travel roster has never played a snap in a college game. Meanwhile, ECU returns everyone and their mothers, their brothers, sisters, third cousins twice removed, etc. ECU is riding high on an 8-5 season capped off by a dramatic 41-38, last-second win over annual BCS party-crasher Boise State. It’s a great time to be a Pirate … arrrrgh!

Skip Holtz’s team has depth at virtually every position except tailback, where it will likely play without two of its top three RBs. On the other side of the field, the Hokies have no returning starters at wide receivers or runningback and the defense is having to replace two of the most profilic linebackers in school history – Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall; not to mention the loss of All World cornerback Brandon Flowers. We may also be without Macho Harris who sprained his foot last Friday. The defense has talent, but lacks experience and they will be tested. This game is going to be very ugly for the Hokies.

Let’s break it down quickly…

Tech’s Offense:

Sean Glennon is the man (but not as in, “you da man”), but can he do more than dink and dunk and throw the obligatory pick or two? ECU’s secondary is the chink in the armor, but with inexperienced wide receivers, I’m not sure the Hokies can exploit that weakness. The offensive line is improved, but will come under heavy fire from ECU’s returning front seven – the same guys that wreaked havoc for the Hokies OL last season and held us to one touchdown. The wide receivers and flankers are all rookies and untested … that’ll change tomorrow. The runningbacks have plenty of depth and versatility, but virtually no experience (sensing a theme) and no single guy took over the fall competition. Bummer. Bottom line, who the hell knows? Maybe they come together and blow the doors off Holtz’ crew, or they struggle to find their rhythm like they did last year. Your guess is as good as theirs.

Tech’s Defense:

Two new linebackers, two new cornerbacks, a new rover, three new defensive lineman,  and a partridge in a pear tree. My head is spinning. Senior defensive end Orion Martin anchors this young, talented group, but even he is nervous about how they will play come Saturday. (Read Techsideline.com’s Indepth Preview) We (Tech fans) seem to go through this every 2-3 years when we lose a cluster of seniors to the NFL and are left staring at the depth chart, looking around the room and asking, “Who ARE these guys?” But in Bud’s tenure, has he ever let us down? Not that I can remember. Reload, not rebuild. There’s no doubt that these guys on Bud’s lunchpail defense can play and they’ll get to show their stuff tomorrow. Personally, I think they’ll be just fine. They might be a little shakey in the first series or two, but Orion and Bud will get ‘em right.

Tech’s Special Teams:

ECU is likely starting a freshman kicker. I can practically hear Frank Beamer in his office right now … sshhh – listen … “Mwuhahahahaha!” Oh yeah, you know Frank is licking his chops at the chance to get his guys on that field and just crush the Pirates’ kicking team. TailgateFever.com said it best, “We could do psychological damage from which he [the kicker] may never recover.” ‘Nough said.

What does it all mean, Basil?

So, ECU has all the experience and depth and the Hokies are the untested and unproven wannabe big-time football players who just happen to be wearing jerseys that an 11-3 team wore last year. Hmph. Impostors. How in the world can the Hokies win this game? Here’s how…

Being untested and questioned is what will drive the Hokies to shock their fans and their detractors. Virginia Tech has something to prove, not ECU. Normally, the Hokies come out heavily favored and let us down. The team last year was supposed to be solid. We returned everyone for the most part and they came out and laid an egg. This team has no expectations of greatness. Half of these guys have never played a snap in college Most people are expecting a down year, especially after Tyrod got redshirted. Shoot, at this point, an eight or nine win season would be welcome.

But these kids have more pride than that. They have the talent and they have the desire, and when they step on the field tomorrow at noon, they are going to put on a show that will impress everyone. The receivers will light up the secondary and Glennon will throw darts on a dime. The offensive line is going to trample their critics as they rip open gaping holes for the runningback-by-committee as Tech pounds the Pirates defense with a steady diet of Lewis, Oglesby, Evans, Cheeseman and Williams. Inside, outside, down their throats; I think Billy Hite’s boys will punish the vaunted ECU defense.

And when the Pirates stack eight men in the box and try to shut down the running game, here comes Greg Boooooooooooone over the middle for a 50-yard catch and run, dragging four would-be tacklers with him. Tech has the weapons. Skip knows this. What he doesn’t know, is how good these kids will actually be. Will they be good enough to win? I think so. I think we’re going to see some stars shine tomorrow. We’re going to catch a glimpse of the future of this program in the present. And when it is done, the critics will do a 180 and proclaim, “Watch out ACC, the Hokies are back … again.”

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