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Blacksburg, VA — After watching a great weekend of college football that included thrilling wins by Texas and Alabama, I heard two post-game interview with Texas Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy and Alabama Crimson Tide running back Mark Ingram. Both began their comments by giving thanks to God.

There was a time not too long ago when those kind of statements drew the ire of some college football fans, who said there was no place for religion in football. That sentiment still exists, I imagine, but we seem to be experiencing a resurgence in the presence of God in the lives of prominent college football players.

While not the first, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is probably the highest profile college athlete in the game today that openly and proudly speaks about his strong religious beliefs. And he has made no apologies for his faith and the important God plays in his life.

The Virginia Tech Hokies have had their share of trouble makers in the past – guys who just can’t seem to stay out of trouble. This is nothing unique to Virginia Tech (see the Tennessee Volunteers, Virginia Cavaliers, or any other college football program). We rarely hear about the positive things student athletes do when the cameras aren’t around. But there are still plenty of good guys out there. I discovered a few of them in a Vimeo video while working on my own project.

I discovered a video titled “Virginia Tech Football and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes” and it features Hokies starting quarterback, junior Tyrod Taylor. The production quality was much higher than I anticipated and it was pretty well done, especially considering it came from a small video production show in Southwest Virginia.

In the video, Taylor is cheered by adoring fans, including a female fan in the underbelly of the stands. She is dressed provocatively in a mini-skirt and it is clear she is tempting him. He rejects her and moves on. Just before going on the field to play a game, a teammate asks Taylor if he’s ready. He replies that he has one more thing he has to do and begin to read a verse from the bible.

What are your thoughts on college athletes referencing their religion during post-game interviews? Does it offend you? Could you care less? Are you happy to see it? Leave a comment and let us know.

In the mean time, check out the video below.

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Box Score | Recap

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Box Score | Highlights

Blacksburg, VA — The 15th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies (5-2, 8-3) forced four turnovers to win their third straight game following a decisive 38-10 victory over N.C. State (1-6, 4-7). On senior day in Blacksburg, Va., the Hokies got career performances from senior linebacker Cody Grimm, redshirt freshman running back Ryan Williams and sophomore wide receiver Jarrett Boykin.

Grimm tied an NCAA record with three forced fumbles in his first four defensive plays while Williams scored a career-high four touchdowns and broke Tech’s and the ACC’s freshman single-season rushing record with 1,355 yards.

Williams still has one more regular season game and presumably a bowl game to add to his totals. The Virginia Tech single-season rushing record (1,647 by Kevin Jones in 2003) is still within reach for Williams.

Boykin also had a career game with six receptions for 164 yards and a touchdown catch. He becomes the first Tech wide receiver to have three games with more than 100 yards receiving in a season since Andre Davis did it in 2001.

The Hokies got off to an encouraging start before the opening kickoff. For the first time all season, Tech won a coin toss and it paid off. On the Wolfpack’s first play of the game, Grimm got to N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson from the backside and stripped the ball out of his hands. Grimm recovered the loose ball and the Hokies settled for a field goal to take the early lead, 3-0.

Grimm went right back to work on the second play of State’s next possession. Wilson completed a pass to Darrell Davis along the sideline, but Grimm was there to strip the ball loose again. Tech senior cornerback Stephan Virgil recovered the fumble and returned it three yards to State’s 25.

“We work on it [forcing fumbles] in practice,” Grimm said. “If you’re the second person there, try to rip the ball out, but if you’re the first, then concentrate on getting him down.”

Grimm leads the nation in forced fumbles with seven.

Williams capped a six-play, 25-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown to give the Hokies a 10-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

After two fumbles in their first three offensive plays, it would make sense that N.C. State would have gone out of its way to protect the ball on their third series. However, Grimm forced another fumble on the Pack’s fourth offensive play. This time, however, State was able to recover it, and then marched 81 yards to score its first points of the game on a Wilson pass to Owen Spencer, cutting Tech’s lead to 10-7.

But the night belonged to the Hokies. On the ensuing kickoff, freshman running back and return manDavid Wilson ran the kick back 40 yards, giving Tech’s offense a short field at the State 49. Tech eventually scored on another short TD run by Williams, pushing the Hokies’ lead to 17-7.

State added a field goal in the second quarter, but the Hokies answered with a 74-yard drive capped by another Williams TD run, his third of the game, and the Hokies took 24-10 lead into the half.

Williams scored his fourth and final TD on the Hokies’ opening possession of the second half. The freshman, who has been named the ACC Rookie of the Week six times this season, literally dragged an N.C. State defender — clinging to Williams’ jersey — 10 yards into the end zone.

Williams, who had 120 yards in the game, now has eight 100-yard games this season, one shy of Kevin Jones’ record of nine, set in 2003.

Williams tied Tech’s freshman record for touchdowns scored in a game (4). “Touchdown” Tommy Edwards scored four against Pittsburgh in 1993. Williams also tied the ACC’s record for touchdowns in a season by a freshman with 16.

“He is strong, quick and powerful,” Tech head coach Frank Beamer said of Williams. “I think he’s a complete back.”

Boykin, who had racked up impressive receiving yards finally got in the end zone in the third quarter, scoring Tech’s final TD of the game and securing a 38-10 win for the Hokies.

While Taylor, Williams and Boykin stole the show on offense, Bud Foster’s defense deserves a great deal of credit for shutting down the ACC’s second best offense. The Hokies held the Pack to just 14 rushing yards and 259 total yards of offense.

The defense set the tone early thanks to Grimm’s incredible performance.

“That was big,” Beamer said. “You need to get up on those guys [N.C. State] because they can score in a hurry.”

N.C. State came into the game averaging 32.6 points per game, second in the ACC.

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Game Recap | Box Score

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College Park, MD — Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw for a career-high three touchdowns while running back Ryan Williams broke Tech’s freshman touchdown record as the Hokies cruised to an easy 36-9 win over Maryland.

Tech scored touchdowns on four of its first five possessions and its defense held Maryland’s offense to 236 yards and a field goal. The Terps sole touchdown came on a Tyrod Taylor fumble in his own end zone that was recovered by Maryland’s Jared Harrell.

Taylor completed 13 of 23 pass attempts for 268 yards – an average of more than 20 yards per reception. Taylor, who had two touchdown passes in all of 2008, has 12 so far this season.

“He didn’t have any mental errors except for the one in the end zone,” Ryan Williams said. “He ran the ball well and threw the ball well. He made very good reads. He played a heckuva game. He’s had some good games, but this was one of his best.”

Williams rushed for 126 yards on 23 carries and scored the games first touchdown in the first quarter. The freshman phenom, who was named a Doak Walker Award semifinalist earlier in the week, broke Virginia Tech’s freshman record for touchdowns in a season with 12 (11 rushing, 1 receiving). He is still tied with teammate Darren Evans, who is out this season with a torn ACL, for rushing touchdowns in a season by a freshman with 11.

The game marked the seventh time this season that Williams has rushed for more than 100 yards in a game – also a school record.

For the second time this season, a Virginia Tech wide receiver went over the century mark. Jarrett Boykin had three catches for 118 yards including a 64-yard touchdown catch that put the Hokies up 27-3 in the second quarter. Boykin is the only Tech wide receiver to have more than 100 yards receiving in a game this season. He had 144 yards in a 34-26 win over Duke.

Virginia Tech’s tight ends also stepped up and apparently love playing against Maryland. Andre Smith’s 3-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter marked the first receiving touchdown by a Tech tight end since Greg Boone caught one against Maryland last season – a 14-game drought.

The Hokies came out and played one of the best halves of football as they’ve had all season. Their first three drives were sustained, methodical, time-killing drives.

1st scoring drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 4:07, Ryan Williams 1-yard TD run | 7-0 VT

2nd scoring drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 2:37, Andre Smith 3-yard TD catch | 14-0 VT

3rd scoring drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 3:11, Dyrell Robers 11-yard TD catch | 20-0 VT (missed PAT)

4th scoring drive: 1 play, 64 yards, :11, Jarrett Boykin 64-yard TD catch | 27-0 VT

Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer appeared to take the foot off the gas in the second half as the Hokies appeared less aggressive and scored only three Matt Waldron field goals.

The No. 21 Hokies improved to 4-2 in the ACC and 7-3 overall while Maryland fell to 1-5 in the ACC and 2-7 overall.

Tech has two regular season games remaining beginning with a final home game next Saturday against N.C. State (1-5, 4-6) before wrapping up the 2009 campaign on the road against in-state rival, the Virginia Cavaliers (2-4, 3-7).

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Blacksburg, VA — Virginia Tech and Nike unveiled the Hokies’ new high-tech football jersey today on campus today. Redshirt senior linebacker Cody Grimm and junior quarterback Tyrod Taylor modeled the jerseys to a crowd of nearly 500 at Virginia Tech’s new GLC Plaza Amphitheater.

The Nike Pro Combat uniform is a new system of dress and the lightest football uniform Nike has ever created. Virginia Tech is one of 10 elite football programs to debut the Nike Pro Combat uniform this month before they are officially introduced at the start of the 2010 season. Virginia Tech was the first team to have its jerseys unveiled.

Nike designed the Nike Pro Combat uniform to address the evolution of the game: today’s players are stronger and faster and the collisions are more violent and explosive than ever before. Nike also worked with coaches and administrators at Virginia Tech to bring inspiration to the Nike Pro Combat uniforms that the Hokies will wear on Nov. 14.

The jerseys are 37 percent lighter than Nike’s previous jerseys.

Learn more about Nike’s new Virginia Tech football jerseys.

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Greenville, SC — Despite Virginia Tech’s struggling offense, freshman running back Ryan Williams decimated East Carolina’s defense for a career-high 179 yards, leading the Hokies to a 16-3 win over the Pirates in Greenville, S.C.

The Hokies’ defense held the Pirates to 277 yards and a field goal, thanks in large part to only having to be on the field for 25 minutes. Tech’s offense, despite only scoring one touchdown, controlled the clock for nearly 35 minutes. The win broke a two-game losing streak for the Hokies that knocked them out of the national championship picture.

Williams, whose first rushing fumble of the season led to North Carolina’s last-second game-winning field goal the previous week, bounced back against ECU. He now has 1,109 rushing yards this season and needs only 156 yards to break Darren Evans‘ freshman record of 1,265, set last season.

“Even now, just thinking about it, it still makes me sick to my stomach because I hate turning the ball over,” Williams said after the game. “I hate turning it over in video games. But things happen. I can’t be perfect – but I’m going to try and be as close to it as I can.”

Evans’ record of 11 touchdowns as a freshman is also in jeopardy. Williams has 11 total TDs this season – 10 rushing and one receiving – and needs one more to break the freshman record of 11 total TDs and two more rushing TDs to break the freshman record for rushing TDs in a season.

Williams isn’t the only Hokie on the verge of breaking records. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor rushed for Tech’s only touchdown, a 13-yard run in second quarter, giving him 17 for his career – putting him in sole possession of second place in school history. He had been tied with Michael Vick and now trails Bob Schweikert, whose 22 rushing touchdowns is a record for a Tech quarterback.

While Williams ran roughshod over the ECU defense, redshirt senior linebacker Cody Grimm terrorized the ECU offense in one of the most impressive individual defensive performances the Hokies have seen in some time. Grimm had 12 tackles, a sack, a forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.

In the second quarter, ECU quarterback Patrick Pinckney completed a pass to Rob Kass at the Virginia Tech 25, but Grimm stripped Kass of the ball and then fell on it. The turnover disrupted an impressive drive by the Pirates and nearly led to a Tech touchdown, but Taylor fumbled the ball just short of the goal line and the Pirates got the ball as a result of a touchback.

Tech’s offensive rankings:

• Total offense – 70th
• Passing offense – 103rd
• Rushing offense – 21st
• Scoring offense – 47th
• Sacks allowed – 85th (23 sacks, 2.56 a game)
• Tackles for loss allowed – 99th (248 yards on 62 TFL)
• Third down conversions – 76th
• Fourth down conversions – 91st

Tech’s defensive rankings:

• Total defense – 23rd
• Passing defense – 8th
• Rushing defense – 69th
• Scoring defense – 47th
• Sacks – 72nd (16 sacks, 1.78 a game)
• Tackles for loss – 45th (209 yards on 56 TFL)
• Third down conversions – 22nd
• Fourth down conversions – 99th

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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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Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor (5) looks for a block for his running back Ryan Williams (34) in a 52-10 win over Marshall. (Photo by Gary Cope/VTHokieFans.com)

The fourth-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies are staring at their best shot at a BCS National Championship in 10 years. The Hokies have won their last five games and are the highest ranked one-loss team in the country.

The Florida Gators are ranked No. 1, followed by the Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 2, and the Texas Longhorns at No. 3.

The Gators only have one currently ranked team remaining on their schedule – No. 22 South Carolina. Alabama has two ranked teams yet to play; No. 22 South Carolina and No. 10 LSU, both are home game for the Tide. Meanwhile, Texas has No. 20 Oklahoma this weekend and still has to play No. 17 Oklahoma State and No. 16 Kansas.

Even if Florida and Alabama make it through the regular season without a loss, they will have to play each other in the SEC championship game, essentially eliminating one team from the national championship picture.

The same holds true for Texas. Even if they go undefeated in the regular season, they still have to play the Big 12 title game. This is why college football is so great. So much can happen in the last six weeks of the regular season.

And that brings us to the Virginia Tech Hokies. Their season-opening 34-24 loss to now-No. 2 Alabama doesn’t look so bad. In fact, the Hokies have put up more points against the Tide than any other team so far this season.

Since that loss, in which Frank Beamer’s offense performed poorly, the Hokies have reeled off five straight wins including a 16-15 win over Nebraska and a dominating 31-7 win over No. 9 Miami.

While it may seem like the hardest part of the Hokies schedule is over with, rest assured, it is not. The Hokies are on the road this week against No. 19 Georgia Tech, whose only loss is to Miami. The Yellow Jackets pasted a struggling Florida State team for 49 points in a 49-44 win last week.

The Jackets’ offense appears unstoppable at times, but their 82nd ranked defense has struggled to keep points off the board. If the Hokies roll into Atlanta – a hot bed of Hokie alumni – picking up where they left off last week against Boston College, it could be a long day for Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson.

Bud Foster, Virginia Tech’s defensive coordinator, did an outstanding job last season of containing the Ramblin’ Wreck’s triple option offense. If not for a costly fourth-quarter personal foul call against Georgia Tech, the Hokies could have easily lost that game in Blacksburg.

Even if the Hokies win a tough road game against Georgia Tech, there are still five games left on the schedule and all five opponents are capable of winning, even if their records do not necessarily give that impression.

Virginia Tech’s remaining schedule looks like this:

10/17 @ No. 19 Georgia Tech (3-1, 5-1)

*Loss: Miami; Wins: Jacksonville St., Clemson, UNC, Miss. St., FSU

*Third in scoring offense among ACC schools; Hokies are No. 1

10/29 vs. North Carolina (0-2, 4-2)

*Losses: UVA and GT; Wins: Citadel, Connecticut, ECU and Georgia Southern

*Tar Heels scored a combined 10 points in their two losses

*UNC has top scoring defense in the ACC, Hokies are No. 2

11/05 @ East Carolina (2-1, 3-3)

*Losses: SMU, UNC and West Virginia; Wins: Appalachian St., UCF and Marshall

11/14 @ Maryland (1-1, 2-4)

*Losses: Calif., MTSU, Clemson and Wake Forest; Wins: Clemson and JMU (overtime);

11/21 vs. N.C. State (0-2, 3-3)

*Losses: South Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest; Wins: Murray State, Gardner-Webb and Pittsburgh

*NCST has No. 2 scoring offense in the ACC

11/28 @ UVA (1-1, 2-3)

*Losses: W&M, TCU and So. Miss; Wins: UNC and Indiana

*Cavaliers have won last two games

The combined record of the Hokies’ opponents through the final six games is 19-16, a big difference from the combined record of its first six, 24-9.

Of the top four teams in the Associate Press college football poll, the Hokies clearly have the easier schedule in the second half of the season. The challenge for Beamer’s squad is to avoid the upsets – do that and Virginia Tech could very easily find themselves in the BCS National Championship game in January.

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Blacksburg, VA — Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer was unusually hard on his team in practice the week leading up to today’s game against Boston College.

He was tired of losing to the Eagles in the regular season and wasn’t about to allow Boston College to win its fourth straight against his Hokies. And they didn’t.

Not only did the Hokies win the game, they dominated the Eagles from the opening drive in a 48-14 win.

“I thought we had them disrupted a little bit,” Tech head coach Frank Beamer said. “I know that kid [Shinskie, Boston College's quarterback] had made some nice throws the past couple of weeks. They were having trouble running the football on us, and any time you can make them one-dimensional, I think that really helps you and we had that going. We got them into passing situations and we had them disrupted in the passing game. That’s what really pleased me.”

This was supposed to be a tough game for the No. 5 Hokies, who had lost three of their last four games against the Eagles.

Everything went right for Virginia Tech in this game. The running game that stalled last week against Duke kicked into high gear and the ACC’s leading rusher Ryan Williams led the Hokies with 182 total yards – 159 rushing, 23 passing – and a touchdown.

Williams has nine touchdowns on the season, just two shy of Tech’s freshman record of 11 set by Darren Evans last season. Evans tore his ACL in the preseason and will miss all of 2009.

Junior quarterback Tyrod Taylor had another solid passing game completing 7 of 10 passes for 126 yards and two touchdown passes. Taylor has thrown eight TDs to one interception this season. Last year, he threw two TDs to seven interceptions.

Virginia Tech scored on its first four possessions in the first half to sprint out to a 24-0 lead. Boston College was never in the game. Tech made it 31-0 when Rashad “Rock” Carmichael returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown. The Hokies added a second quarter field goal to take a 34-0 lead into the half.

Bud Foster’s defense, which has been inconsistent this season, stepped up and took out its collective frustration on Boston College. The Eagles managed just three yards in the first half. At one point in the second quarter, they had -7 yards.

Boston College’s two touchdowns came in the fourth quarter against Tech’s second and third team defenders.

Redshirt freshman backup quarterback Ju-Ju Clayton threw his first career touchdown pass, an 80-yard bomb to Marcus Davis who picked up his first college touchdown.

Popularity: 5% [?]