Instant Analysis: Virginia Tech-Nebraska

The 1996 Orange Bowl has been avenged. Virginia Tech’s win over Nebraska, in a matchup of name programs, might not have had the luster or significance it would have possessed in past years, but it represents a major step forward for Frank Beamer, who lost to Tom Osborne nearly 12 years ago on New Year’s Eve night in Miami.

This result might be discouraging for Husker fans, but it needs to be said that Nebraska is just beginning to rebuild its old modus operandi under Bo Pelini. Time needs to be given to the man who is trying to recommit Husker football to the winning ways of Doctor Tom. The main storyline to emerge from this intersectional encounter should be the resurgence of a program that looked to be in deep trouble after an opening-week loss to East Carolina. A resurrection is taking place in Blacksburg far more quickly than anyone could have reasonably anticipated.

Go back a few weeks, and you’d recall that with Sean Glennon under center, Virginia Tech’s offense substantially struggled. The Hokies had a lost look in the huddle, and subsequently sluggish outings against Furman and Georgia Tech did little to improve the long-term outlook. And after two and a half quarters of miserable offense at North Carolina on Sept. 20, it looked as though the Hokies were going to take a backseat to multiple opponents in the race for the ACC title.

But when given a pair of very big breaks—a timely fumble recovery and a clutch late-game interception—Tech was able to emerge from the valley of the shadow of death against the Tar Heels. Tyrod Taylor, Glennon’s replacement under center, didn’t exactly set the world on fire, but when he helped lead his teammates to 17 second-half points and a come-from-behind victory, a fresh wave of optimism swept through the Hokie camp, buoyed by that improbable conquest of Carolina. The challenge for Frank Beamer’s boys, then, was to carry that confidence into Lincoln and win a night game in a place where the homestanding Huskers had lost only three night games in their long and storied history. A loss to Nebraska, and the forward strides made earlier this month wouldn’t have amounted to much. Virginia Tech didn’t need this win to boost its ACC credentials, but to maintain its status as a national program that deserves to be taken seriously.

In that case, the Hokies still demand respect… even though their opponent doesn’t represent the cream of the crop in the Big 12.

Saturday night in Nebraska’s third-largest population center, the aforementioned Tyrod Taylor played his best game of 2008, in a performance reminiscent of his greatest hits from 2007. Finally settling into a genuine comfort zone, and looking smooth both inside and outside the pocket, Taylor was—at last—able to play the part of a firm and formidable field general once again. A measure of not just confidence, but outright swagger, crept into the Hokie huddle, and even though far too many trips to the red zone produced field goals, Taylor did produce a key touchdown when the situation called for one.

After Nebraska’s Nate Swift electrified Memorial Stadium with a stunning 88-yard punt return for a touchdown, the Huskers had improbably whittled an 18-point Hokie lead down to five (28-23) with 7:52 left in the fourth quarter. In the face of a revived and raucous crowd of Big Red backers, Taylor needed to show that he was made of sterner stuff, and able to win not just with a bare level of competence—as shown against Georgia Tech and North Carolina—but outright excellence. Taylor couldn’t afford to merely manage the game and allow his defense to decide the battle. This time, a dagger of a drive was needed.

Safe to say, Mr. Taylor rose to the occasion.

Leading the kind of scoring march that championship teams produce, Taylor—admittedly helped by a late hit penalty from the Huskers—made Nebraska pay for its crucial mistake, scoring on 3rd and 1 from two yards out to restore order for his team. Nebraska responded with one more kamikaze comeback, racking up a touchdown and then re-entering Tech territory in the game’s final seconds, but a fumble finally settled this affair, and as a result, Tyrod Taylor’s heroics tipped the balance in Virginia Tech’s favor.

In future years, Bo Pelini might have the Nebraska program at a point where winning a night game at Lincoln will represent an even more impressive accomplishment. But don’t tell Frank Beamer that tonight’s win should be in any way minimized or categorized. After all the mountain climbing they’ve done in September, the boys of Blacksburg should relish their re-emergence on the college football scene. Tyrod Taylor, among all Hokies, ought to be particularly pleased with the trajectory of his team’s rejuvenated journey through Autumn.