Virginia Tech & Williams get by the Pirates

Virginia Tech Hokies 2009 ... Head Coach: Frank Beamer

2009 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 10-2
2009 Schedule: 6-3

9/5 Alabama (Atl) L 34-24
9/12 Marshall W 52-10
9/19 Nebraska W 16-15
9/26 Miami  W 31-7
10/3 at Duke W 34-26
10/10 Boston Col W 48-14
10/17 at Ga Tech L 28-23
10/24 OPEN DATE
10/29 N Carolina L 20-17
11/5 at E Carolina W 16-3
11/14 at Maryland
11/21 NC State
11/28 at Virginia

2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 9-3
2008 Schedule: 10-4

8/30 East Carolina L 27-22
9/6 Furman W 24-7
9/13 Georgia Tech W 20-17
9/20 at N. Carolina W 20-17
9/27 at Nebraska W 35-30
10/4 West Kentucky W 27-13
10/11  OPEN DATE
10/18 at Boston Coll L 28-23
10/25 at Florida State L 30-20
11/1  OPEN DATE
11/6 Maryland W 23-13
11/13 at Miami L 16-14
11/ 22 Duke W 14-3
11/29 Virginia W 17-14
12/6 ACC Championship
Boston College W 30-12
Orange Bowl
1/1 Cincinnati W 20-6

Virginia Tech Hokies

Nov. 6
Virginia Tech 16 ... at East Carolina 3
Matt Waldron hit three field goals and Tyrod Taylor ran for a 13-yard score as Virginia Tech got past the Pirates with a running game and a big defensive effort. East Carolina managed just a 24-yard Ben Hartman field goal at the end of the first half and was held to 277 rushing yards, while Virginia Tech rumbled for 242 rushing yards led by 179 yards from Ryan Williams. Cody Grimm made 12 tackles and a sack with a fumble recovery for the Hokies.
Player of the Game: Virginia Tech RB Ryan Williams ran 26 times for 179 yards
Virginia Tech: Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 17-30, 137 yds
Rushing: Ryan Williams 26-179, Receiving: Danny Coale, 6-60
East Carolina: Passing: Pat Pinkney, 16-33, 167 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Dominque Lindsay, 13-69, Receiving: Alex Taylor, 5-60
What It All Means: Ryan Williams bounced back nicely from the lost fumble against North Carolina and carried the offense. Tech wasn't going to do anything crazy against ECU; defense, running, and not screwing up. That was the gameplan and it worked perfectly. However, it wasn't a pretty performance offensively. The passing game struggled to do anything big and the game was way too close late, but Tech controlled the ball and the clock late and never let ECU make it interesting. There shouldn't be any problems over the last three games (Maryland, NC State, and Virginia), but the offense has to do more to avoid an upset.

Oct. 29
North Carolina 20 … at Virginia Tech 17
Casey Barth hit two field goals in the final 2:52, including the game-winner from 21 yards out with no time left on the clock, as North Carolina stunned Virginia Tech. The Hokies managed one long 82-yard drive, coming early in the second half, culminating in a one-yard Tyrod Taylor run, but needed an interception to set up the other touchdown, another one-yard Taylor run, as the offense stalled time and again. UNC got into the end zone on two T.J. Yates touchdown passes, with a 13-yarder to Jheranie Boyd in the second quarter and a 15-yarder to Greg Little in the third, but it was the defense that was the star, forcing a Ryan Williams fumble with just over two minutes to play to lead to the game-winning score.
Player of the Game: North Carolina LB Quan Sturdivant made seven tackles with a tackle for loss, two quarterback hurries, and a broken up pass.
Virginia Tech : Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 11-23, 161 yds
Rushing: Ryan Williams, 23-96, Receiving: Dyrell Roberts, 5-73
North Carolina: Passing: T.J. Yates, 18-28, 131 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Shaun Draughn, 12-77, Receiving: Zac Pianalto, 6-34
What It All Means: Just when it seemed like it was time to get all excited about the Hokies, they answer the Georgia Tech loss with a clunker at home against the Tar Heels. UNC had a lot to do with the problems, with a strong game from the defense and a nice performance from the O, but the Hokies made their share of mistakes as Tyrod Taylor struggled with the passing game and the Ryan Williams fumble in the final minutes was a killer. Fortunately, things get easier over the final month, even with three road games in the final four, starting out at East Carolina next week. However,, it’s not bye-bye to an at-large BCS slot.

Oct. 17
at Georgia Tech 28 … Virginia Tech 23
Georgia Tech ran for 309 yards with QB Josh Nesbitt running for three scores with two from one yard out and a 39 yarder with three minutes to play to put the Yellow Jackets up for good. Virginia Tech tried to hang around, getting a 66-yard scoring dash from Ryan Williams in the third and a caught a seven yarder with less than two minutes to play, but couldn’t get the ball back. The Hokies got big games out of QB Tyrod Taylor, who ran for a 22-yard touchdown and threw the scoring pass to Williams, and Barquell Rivers made 16 tackles, but the offense only had the ball for 21:38.
Player of the Game: Georgia Tech QB Josh Nesbitt completed 1-of-7 passes for 51 yards with an interception, and he ran 23 times for 122 yards and three touchdowns.
Virginia Tech: Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 10-14, 159 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Ryan Williams, 14-100, 1 TD, Receiving: Dyrell Roberts, 3-66
Georgia Tech: Passing: Josh Nesbitt, 1-7, 51 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Josh Nesbitt, 23-122, 3 TD, Receiving: Demaryius Thomas, 1-51
What It All Means: Tyrod Taylor was special, Ryan Williams ran for 100 yards and scored twice, and the pass defense allowed just one completion, but the offense never had the ball. Georgia Tech converted 8-of-15 third down chances and had the ball for 38:22 because the Hokie front seven couldn’t keep Josh Nesbitt, Jonathan Dwyer and Anthony Allen from coming up with the big runs when needed. Even with the problems, Taylor had the team in the game late, but couldn’t get the ball back after a late touchdown. With three of the final four games on the road, next week’s game against a rested North Carolina becomes extremely important.

Oct. 10
at Virginia Tech 48 … Boston College 14
The Hokies jumped out to a 34-0 halftime lead and coasted from there. Ryan Williams ran for a one-yard score and Tyrod Taylor threw two brilliant touchdown passes with a 24-yarder to Danny Coale and a 41-yarder to Jarrett Boykin, and then the defense got into the act with a 22-yard interception return for a touchdown from Rashad Carmichael. Boston College got a few touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, including a 48-yarder to Colin Larmond, but the Hokies also scores 14 fourth quarter points highlighted by an 80-yard Ju-Ju Clayton throw to Marcus Davis. BC QB Dave Shinskie completed just one-of-12 passes for four yards with two interceptions.
Player of the Game: Virginia Tech RB Ryan Williams ran 18 times for 159 yards and a score.
Boston College: Passing: Michael Marscovetra, 10-16, 114 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Montel Harris, 11-43, Receiving: Colin Larmond, 4-64, 1 TD
Virginia Tech: Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 7-10, 126 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Ryan Williams, 18-159, 1 TD, Receiving: Jarrett Boykin, 3-69, 1 TD
What It All Means: Boston College isn’t awful. It came up with a whale of a game to beat an athletic Florida State team last week, and Virginia Tech came out and obliterated the Eagles. The Hokie defense was unbelievable, holding BC to just 1-of-13 on third down conversions, while the offense was almost perfectly balanced with Tyrod Taylor once again showing how he’s becoming more than just a runner. And now comes the real fun with Georgia Tech and its option. The Hokie defensive front had better be rested and ready for the trip to Atlantic, and it's unfortunate that the bye week comes after the game; the team could use an extra week to prepare.

Oct. 3
Virginia Tech 34 … at Duke 26
Virginia Tech had more of a battle than it expected even though Tyrod Taylor threw two first quarter touchdown passes with a 36-yarder to Danny Coale and a 28-yarder to Jarrett Boykin and Josh Oglesby ran for fourth quarter scores of 12 and 19 yards. Duke scored first on a 48-yard pass play to Brandon King, but the offense kept seeing drives fall short with Will Snyderwine hitting four field goals, with his third making it a 20-16 Tech lead early in the fourth quarter. The Hokies were finally able to pull away on Josh Oglesby touchdown runs from 12 and 19 yards away. Virginia Tech committed 12 penalties, while Duke committed seven.
Player of the Game: Virginia Tech QB Tyrod Taylor completed 17-of-22 passes for 327 yards and two touchdowns.
Duke: Passing: Thaddeus Lewis, 22-40, 359 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Desmond Scott, 7-34, Receiving: Austin Kelly, 6-43, 1 TD
Virginia Tech: Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 17-22, 327 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Ryan Williams, 24-83, Receiving: Jarrett Boykin, 6-144, 1 TD
What It All Means: Talk about not having your focus, this was a typical Virginia Tech letdown moment, but it was still a win. It wasn’t just the breakdowns on defense early on; it was the 12 penalties, the seeming lack of focus for the ground game, and the inability to put the game away until late. You can’t give away the Duke game, and Tech got a huge performance out of one of the players who seemed to have his head in it from the start: Tyrod Taylor. He’ll never be Peyton Manning, but with the running game closed down, he came up with the most effective passing day of his career. This was supposed to be a breather, but on the positive side, it might have sharpened the team up with Boston College and Georgia Tech up next.

Sept. 26
at Virginia Tech 31 … Miami 7
In a driving rain, Virginia Tech’s defense was all over Jacory Harris and the Miami offense forcing two key turnovers and holding the Canes to just 209 yards of offense. The Tech running game rumbled for 272 yards with Ryan Williams accounting for 150 of them including scoring dashes from two yards and one yard away. Neither passing game clicked, but Tech’s Tyron Taylor found Jarrett Boykin for a 48-yard scoring pass in the first quarter. Miami’s lone score came from one-yard out from Javarris James.
Player of the Game: Virginia Tech RB Ryan Williams ran 34 times for 150 yards and two touchdowns, and he caught two passes for 40 yards.
Miami: Passing: Jacory Harris, 9-25, 150 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Graig Cooper, 11-55, Receiving: LaRon Byrd, 4-58
Virginia Tech: Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 4-9, 98 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Ryan Williams, 34-150, 2 TD, Receiving: Ryan Williams, 2-40
What It All Means: Virginia Tech got a dominant performance from its defense with three sacks and several other pressures, but the real key was a running game that finally worked against a defense that could stop the run. The Hokies couldn’t operate on the ground against Alabama and Nebraska, but with 272 yards and a commitment to run and keep running, they finally showed how they could inflict their will on an opposing team instead of having to find other ways to win. There aren’t any worries for a few weeks until the trip to Georgia Tech in what might end up determining a spot in the ACC title game. 

Sept. 19
at Virginia Tech 16 … Nebraska 15
Deep in his own territory and down five, Tyrod Taylor found Danny Coale for an 81-yard pass. Taylor gave the Hokies the win with a scrambling 11-yard touchdown pass to Dyrell Roberts with 21 seconds to paly to get the comeback victory. Nebraska outgained Virginia Tech 343 yards to 278, but only managed five Alex Henery field goals.
Player of the Game: Virginia Tech QB Tyrod Taylor completed 12-of-27 passes for 192 yards and a score
Nebraska: Passing: Zac Lee, 11-30, 136 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Roy Helo, 28-169, Receiving: Roy Helu, 4-33
Virginia Tech: Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 12-27, 192 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Ryan Williams, 21-107, 1 TD, Receiving: Jarrett Boykin, 4-43
What It All Means: Virginia Tech still needs to be able to run the ball and needs to be able to stop the run. The Hokies have played two strong run defenses this year, Alabama’s and Nebraska’s, and didn’t do nearly enough on the ground against either one. The Tide gashed the Hokie run D, while Roy Helu ran for 169 yards for the Huskers. If Tech wants to win another ACC title, it can’t count on miracle after miracle from Taylor, even though he’s the type of star who can pull games out of the fire. 

Sept. 12
at Virginia Tech 52 ... Marshall 10
Virginia Tech destroyed Marshall with 444 rushing yards with Ryan Williams tearing off touchdown runs from 57, four, and 28, while Jayron Hosley added to the excitement with a 64-yard punt return. Marshall tried to stay alive with a 61-yard run from Darius Marshall in the second quarter, but it wasn't nearly enough to slow down the momentum. Virginia Tech finished with 605 yards of total offense to Marshall's 252.
Player of the Game: Virginia Tech RB Ryan Williams ran 16 times for 164 yards and three score
Virginia Tech: Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 9-16, 161 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: David Wilson, 12-165, 1 TD, Receiving: Jarrett Boykin, 2-32
Marshall: Passing: Brian Anderson, 15-31, 116 yds
Rushing: Darius Marshall, 17-109, 1 TD, Receiving: Cody Slate, 3-18
What It All Means: Yeeeeeesh. Virginia Tech averaged 8.4 yards per carry with David Wilson averaging 13.8 yards per crack on his 12 carries for 165 yards, and Ryan Williams averaged 10.3 yards per carry on his 16 runs for 164 yards and three scores. After getting bottled up by Alabama, Tech showed just how devastating the running game really is, and it'll be interesting to see if it still works against Nebraska next week. The one concern is the backup QB situation after Ju-Ju Clayton missed on his three pass attempts.

Sept. 5
Alabama 34 … Virginia Tech 24
Alabama dominated the Hokies with a punishing ground game and a tough run defense, but it took a while to put the game away. Ryan Williams tore off a 32-yard scoring dash to pull Tech within three with 9:22 to play, but the Tide went 74 yards in five plays finishing with an 18-yard Mark Ingram touchdown run to put the game away. Bama moved the ball well in the first half, but only managed three of Leigh Tiffin’s four field goals early on and suffered a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Dyrell Roberts after a 34-yard Tiffin boot. Ingram, who finished with two scores, and a 19-yard Roy Upchurch touchdown dash allowed Bama control the game in the second half. The Tide outgained Tech 498 yards to 155.
Player of the Game: Alabama RB Mark Ingram ran 26 times for 150 yards and a score.
Virginia Tech: Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 9-20, 91 yds
Rushing: Ryan Williams, 13-71, 2 TD, Receiving: Jarrett Boykin, 3-19
Alabama: Passing: Greg McElroy, 15-30, 230 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Mark Ingram, 26-150, 1 TD, Receiving: Julio Jones, 4-46
What It All Means: Virginia Tech needed Tyrod Taylor to live up to the unfair hype as the next Michael Vick, and he didn’t. He spent way too much time trying to make something happen through the air and neglected his rushing talents, even though Bama bottled up everything he tried to do. The defense was gouged, getting flattened by the Tide backs, but it did just enough to stay in the game until late. Alabama was the better team, but that doesn’t mean Virginia Tech didn’t make it a fight.