2008 Virginia Tech Hokies

2008 Virginia Tech Hokies Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews

2008 Virginia Tech Hokies

Jan. 1
2009 Orange Bowl
Virginia Tech 20 … Cincinnati 7
Cincinnati marched 72 yards on its first drive finishing with a brilliant 15-yard touchdown catch from Mardy Gilyard for a 7-0 Bearcat lead less than two minutes into the game. And then it was all Darren Evans and all Tech defense. Evans finished with 153 yards and a six-yard touchdown, putting the game out of reach in the fourth quarter, but it was Tyrod Taylor who sparked the run of 20 unanswered points with a 17-yard scoring dash in the second quarter. Dustin Keys added field goals from 43 and 35 yards when long Tech drives stalled for all the points the team would need to stay ahead, as the defense came up with four interceptions, including one in the end zone, and a goal line stand stuffing UC QB Tony Pike on a fourth and one in the fourth quarter.
Player of the Game: Virginia Tech RB Darren Evans ran 28 times for 153 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Cincinnati - Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 13-22, 140 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Darren Evans, 28-153, 1 TD. Receiving: Danny Coale, 3-52
Virginia Tech - Passing: Tony Pike, 16-33, 239 yds, 1 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Jacob Ramsey, 4-34. Receiving: Mardy Gilyard, 7-158, 1 TD
Inside The Box Score ... 5 Thoughts on the Orange Bowl …Turnovers: UC 4 – VT 1 … Rushing yards: VT 258 – UC 71 … Time of possession: VT 39: 39 – UC 20:21 … Sacks: VT 3 – UC 1 … UC DE Terrill Byrd made 11 tackles, a sack and four tackles for loss … Four different Hokies came up with interceptions.

- 2008 VTech Preview
- 2007 VTech Season

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

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

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 10-2
2007 Schedule: 11-3

Sept. 1 East Carolina W 17-7
Sept. 8 at LSU L 48-7
Sept. 15 Ohio W 28-7
Sept. 22 William & Mary W 44-3
Sept. 29 North Carolina W 17-10
Oct. 6 at Clemson W 41-23
Oct. 13 at Duke W 43-14
Oct. 25 Boston College L 14-10
Nov. 1 at Georgia Tech W 27-3
Nov. 10 Florida State W 40-21
Nov. 17 Miami W 44-14
Nov. 24 at Virginia W 33-21
ACC Championship
Dec. 1 Boston College W 30-16
Orange Bowl
Jan. 3 Kansas L 24-21

Dec. 6
2008 ACC Championship
Virginia Tech 30 … Boston College 12
Virginia Tech broke open a close game in the second half with a 50-yard field goal from Dustin Keys and a 10-yard Darren Evans scoring run for a 24-7 lead going into the fourth quarter, and then the defense took over. The Hokies forced four turnovers with Orion Martin taking a fumble 17 yards for a score to put the game well out of reach. Tyrod Taylor gave Tech a 14-0 lead with touchdown runs from five and four yards out. Boston College stayed alive in the first half with a 16-yard touchdown catch from Rich Gunnell, but the offense only managed a 24-yard field goal the rest of the way.
Player of the game: Virginia Tech QB Tyrod Taylor completed 11-of-19 passes for 84 yards with an interception, and he ran 11 times for 30 yards and two scores.
Stat Leaders: Boston College - Passing: Dominique Davis, 17-43, 263 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Montel Harris, 9-34. Receiving: Rich Gunnell, 7-114, 1 TD
Virginia Tech - Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 11-19, 84 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Darren Evans, 31-114, 1 TD. Receiving: Dyrell Evans, 4-44
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... And Tyrod Taylor was supposed to be redshirted. Boston College didn’t have an answer for Taylor as he got the offense moving on and didn’t make any killer mistakes late. In the end, Virginia Tech is going back to another Orange Bowl because of a huge performance from the defense. BC’s offense was able to move a bit early on, but the Hokies shut down the passing game and didn’t allow any big drives. Now it’s time to take care of business and finally make the ACC a player in the BCS system.

Nov. 28
Virginia Tech 17 … Virginia 14
Dustin Keys hit a 28-yard field goal to give Virginia Tech the lead, and Dorian Porch sealed the win with an interception in the final two minutes. Getting the nod at quarterback instead of at his normal defensive back slot, Vic Hall tore off touchdown runs from 40 and 16 yards for the Cavaliers, but the second half belonged to the Hokies with a four-yard Greg Boone scoring run along with the Keys field goal. On the day, Virginia Tech outgained a struggling UVA attack 392 yards to 249.  
Player of the game: Virginia Tech QB Tyrod Taylor completed 12-of-18 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown, and ran 16 times for 137 yards
Stat Leaders: Virginia - Passing: Marc Verica, 8-14, 77 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Vic Hall, 16-109, 2 TD. Receiving: Rashawn Jackson, 2-18
Virginia Tech - Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 12-18, 137 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Tyrod Taylor, 16-137. Receiving: Jarrett Boykin, 6-65, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... When all is said and done, this might have been head coach Frank Beamer’s best job. It’s been a shaky ride, the quarterbacks have been injured, the defense hasn’t always been up-to-snuff, and the special teams have hardly been special throughout the year. Even so, the Hokies are playing for the ACC title … again. The team always seems to do just enough to get by, and against Virginia, there was just enough from Tyrod Taylor both in the air and on the ground, and the defense came through when it had to when Marc Verica came in to get the passing game going. Now it’s a rematch of last year’s title game against Boston College for a spot in the BCS and another ACC title.

Nov. 22
Virginia Tech 14 … Duke 3
Five turnovers kept Virginia Tech from blowing out Duke, but the defense came up with four takeaways of its own highlighted by a 23-yard interception return for a touchdown from Macho Harris in the final minutes. Sean Glennon came off the bench and connected with Jarrett Boykin for a 19-yard touchdown with 38 seconds to play in the first half to give Virginia Tech the lead for good. Duke managed a 39-yard Nick Maggio field goal and finished with just 136 yard of total offense and six first downs.
Player of the game: Virginia Tech RB Darren Evans ran 24 times for 111 yards, and he caught three passes for 16 yards
Stat Leaders: Duke - Passing: Zack Asack, 2-9, 20 yds, 4 INT
Rushing: Zack Asack, 24-87. Receiving: Raphael Chestnut, 1-15
Virginia Tech - Passing: Sean Glennon, 12-20, 132 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Darren Evans, 24-111. Receiving: Jarrett Boykin, 4-67, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... This might have been one of Virginia Tech’s most impressive defensive performances this year. Duke kept forcing Hokie turnovers, five in all, and the Hokie D held time and again allowing just one third down conversion and 20 passing yards. The team can get away with a bad performance from Tyrod Taylor and the offense against Duke, but that can’t happen against Virginia. The ACC title is still there for the taking, even with the offense playing so inconsistently.

Nov.  13
Miami 16 ... Virginia Tech 14
Miami's defense came up with six sacks and Matt Bosher hit three field goals in the tight battle. The Canes, who also got a three-yard touchdown run from Javarrais James, seemed to have things well in hand, but Virginia Tech's Tyrod Taylor ran for his second score of the game with 3:28 to play to pull the team within two. The Hokies got the ball back, but the Miami D stuffed the Hokies on three straight plays before a sack of Taylor to end the drama. Virginia Tech gained 250 yards of total offense to Miami's 247.
Player of the game: Miami LB Marcus Robinson made seven tackles and three sacks with four tackles for loss
Stat Leaders: Miami - Passing: Robert Marve, 7-16, 121 yds
Rushing: Graig Cooper, 15-52. Receiving: Aldarius Johnson, 3-48
Virginia Tech - Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 6-12, 75 yds
Rushing: Tyrod Taylor, 14-43, 2 TD. Receiving: Danny Coale, 4-59
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Virginia Tech managed to stay alive against Miami even when nothing was going well. There were dropped pass on potential big plays, no production from RB Darren Evans, and the offensive line got destroyed by the Miami defensive front. However, Tyrod Taylor had a fantastic day trying to keep the game alive. His stats might not have been great, but he was under constant pressure and didn't have much room to move. Even with the big loss, the Hokies aren't out of the ACC race quite yet after having beaten North Carolina and Georgia Tech earlier in the year. With Duke and Virginia at home to finish up, 8-4 is a possibility, and now the team needs a ton of help to have a shot to defend its ACC crown.

Nov.  6
Virginia Tech 23 … Maryland 13
It was the Darrell Evans show for Virginia Tech as he tore off 253 yards with a one-yard touchdown. The Hokies got two Dustin Keys field goals and a Greg Boone five-yard touchdown catch on the way to a 20-3 lead, but Maryland came back to make it interesting with a 63-yard touchdown catch from Darrius Heyward-Bey. Keys hit a 27-yard field goal midway through the fourth, and the Hokie defense did the rest. Maryland finished with -12 rushing yards.
Player of the game: Virginia Tech RB Darren Evans ran 32 times for 253 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Maryland - Passing: Chris Turner, 19-31, 240 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Davin Meggett, 4-13. Receiving: Darrius Heyward-Bey, 5-92, 1 TD
Virginia Tech - Passing: Sean Glennon, 14-20, 127 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Darren Evans, 32-253, 1 TD. Receiving: Danny Coale, 3-38
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Sean Glennon was able to gut it out against Maryland through his ankle injury, but it helped that he mostly had to hand the ball off. The lines dominated the Terps with the defensive front pounding away into the Terp backfield, holding the Maryland ground game to -12 yards, and opened up mile-wide holes for Darren Evans, who was fantastic when he got into space. Deep in the hunt for the Coastal title, the Hokies have to keep up the momentum against Miami next week.

Oct. 25
Florida State 30 … Virginia Tech 20
Florida State got two big catches from Greg Carr to set up a four-yard Taiwan Eastering touchdown and a one-yard Marcus Sims scoring run in the third quarter, while the defense knocked out Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor and Sean Glennon with ankle injuries. The Hokies got a one-yard Glennon touchdown run and two Dustin Keys field goals, but the Seminoles took the lead in the third quarter and put it away in the fourth on two Graham Gano field goals. Everette Brown made three sacks for the Seminoles.  
Player of the game: Florida State WR Greg Carr made three catches for 100 yards
Stat Leaders: Virginia Tech - Passing: Sean Glennon, 9-16, 133 yds
Rushing: Darrell Evans, 15-77. Receiving: Jarrett Boykin, 4-89
Florida State - Passing: Christian Ponder, 11-19, 159 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Antone Smith, 9-57, 1 TD. Receiving: Greg Carr, 3-100
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The focus will be on Cory Holt now that Tyrod Taylor and Sean Glennon have gimpy ankles. The Florida State game was a nightmare for the Hokies with the quarterback injuries, the lack of a running game, and the inability of Macho Harris to come up with the stops on bit plays against Greg Carr. The offense is going to have problems throughout the year, it hasn’t been consistent yet, and going 1-of-11 on third downs didn’t help. Now, more than ever, the offensive line has to gear it up and has to start pounding away for Darrell Evans and the running game, while the defense and special teams will have to play better than they have all season long. Fortunately, there’s a week off to rest everyone up and hope the quarterbacks can get healthy before Maryland.

Oct. 18
Boston College 28 … Virginia Tech 23
Chris Crane threw a pick six on his first pass of the game, with Brett Warren taking it 36 yards for a 7-0 Virginia Tech lead, and Crane got picked off by Macho Harris for a 55-yard touchdown in the second quarter. But Crane also found some of his own receivers, hitting Ifeanyi Momah for a 10-yard score, and the defense and special teams did the rest. Rich Gunnell returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown and the BC D only gave up just three field goals and 240 yards of Hokie offense. 
Player of the game: Boston College DE Mark Herzlich made 13 tackles and a tackle for loss
Stat Leaders: Virginia Tech - Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 12-27, 90 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Tyrod Taylor, 15-110. Receiving: Danny Coale, 4-28
Boston College - Passing: Chris Crane, 16-32, 218 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Montel Harris, 15-61, 1 TD. Receiving: Brandon Robinson, 4-97
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The defense, for the most part, did its part against Boston College, but the special teams gave up a punt return for a touchdown and the offense failed to capitalize on all the Eagle mistakes. 10 penalties weren’t a plus, and neither were the mere 90 passing yards from Tyrod Taylor. This is a good enough team to find its way into the ACC title game if the defense keeps playing well and if the offense starts to produce a bit more, but there’s little margin for error. Taylor is in for Sean Glennon to be dynamic, and he has to start doing more.  

Oct. 4
Virginia Tech 27 ... Western Kentucky 13
Virginia Tech appeared to be on its way to an easy win with a 27-3 lead late in the third quarter, but Western Kentucky kept pushing while the Hokies let up. The Hilltoppers went with a direct snap to running back Dexter Taylor throughout the fourth quarter, but it was David Wolke who came in to hit Tristan Jones for a three-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth to pull within two touchdowns. That was as exciting as it got. Darren Evans ran for two scores for the Hokies and Greg Boone caught a 27-yard touchdown pass. Penalties killed WKU, committing 13 for 113 yards.
Player of the game: Virginia Tech RB Darren Evans ran 21 times for 79 yards and two touchdowns 
Stat Leaders: Virginia Tech - Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 10-15, 125 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Darren Evans, 21-79, 2 TD. Receiving: Danny Coale, 2-34
Western Kentucky - Passing: David Wolke, 7-19, 49 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Dexter Taylor, 14-96. Receiving: Wenquel Graves, 4-41
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Virginia Tech might have beaten Western Kentucky for its fifth straight victory, but it was hardly impressive. The Hokie offense went into the tank after getting out to a decent lead, finishing with just 293 total yards, but Tyrod Taylor wasn't bad and Sean Glennon completed all three of his passes. Chalk this 27-13 win as a case of a team letting up. Tech obviously had things in hand, even though WKU made things interesting late, but now the team has to gear it up to another level with road dates at Boston College and Florida State.

Sept. 27
Virginia Tech 35 … Nebraska 30
Virginia Tech seemingly had the game in hand thanks to four Dustin Keyes field goals and two scoring runs from Darren Evans, but Nebraska didn’t quit. Down 28-10, the Huskers got a 12-yard Roy Helu touchdown run on the last play of the third quarter and an 88-yard punt return for a score from Nate Swift in the fourth, but Tyrod Taylor put the Hokies up for good with a two-yard scoring dash. Nebraska wasn’t done fighting with Todd Peterson catching a 17-yard touchdown pass with 1:32 remaining. Virginia Tech recovered the on-side kick but couldn’t run out the clock. Nebraska wasn’t able to do anything with the ball in the final seconds.
Player of the game: Virginia Tech QB Tyrod Taylor completed 9-of-15 passes for 171 yards and ran 15 times for a team-leading 87 yards and a touchdown. 
Stat Leaders: Virginia Tech - Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 9-15, 171 yds
Rushing: Tyrod Taylor, 15-87, 1 TD. Receiving: Jarrett Boykin, 2-58
Nebraska - Passing: Joe Ganz, 17-26, 278 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Roy Helu, 4-21, 1 TD. Receiving: Todd Peterson, 4-60, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Beating Nebraska in Nebraska just made the Hokies the favorites to win the ACC title. Tyrod Taylor ran well, made good decisions, and he didn’t buckle under the tough road pressure. The defense allowed Joe Ganz to complete passes, but it shut down the running game and didn’t allow any big plays. The special teams were another story allowing the late punt return for a score, and the offense struggled to close, but this was a big win. With Western Kentucky up next before getting a week off, the team should be rested for the road trips to Boston College and Florida State at the end of the month.

Sept. 20
Virginia Tech 20 ... North Carolina 17
Virginia Tech only came up with 268 yards of total offense, but it took advantage of several North Carolina mistakes to pull out a tough win. Down 17-3 late in the third quarter, Virginia Tech got a 10-yard Darren Evans touchdown run, an 11-yard Kenny Lewis touchdown dash, and helped by penalties, a 45-yard Dustin Keys field goal to complete the comeback. North Carolina, who was quarterbacked by Mike Paulus with T.J. Yates getting knocked out with an ankle injury, struggled to move the ball in the second half after getting a 32-yard Brandon Tate touchdown catch and a 50-yard Greg Little scoring run to take the lead.
Player of the game: Virginia Tech RB Darren Evans rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, and had a reception for five yards.
Stat Leaders: Virginia Tech - Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 11-21, 125 yds, 2 INTs
Rushing: Darren Evans, 14-61, 1 TD. Receiving: Danny Coale, 4-54
North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 11-18, 181 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Greg Little, 18-71, 1 TD. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 4-51
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Hokies look lousy, there's no passing game, and the defense has been mediocre by its own high standards, but they got through two tough ACC games against Georgia Tech and North Carolina and are a missed block on the late punt against East Carolina from being 4-0. This is hardly a pretty team, but it knows how to win and it pounces on every mistake. North Carolina gave the Hokies several opportunities, and the Tar Heel offense took advantage. The defense destroyed UNC backup QB Mike Paulus, and it'll have to be even more aggressive at Nebraska next week.

Sept. 13
Virginia Tech 20 … Georgia Tech 17
Virginia Tech was helped by two big penalties to keep a late drive going leading to the game-winning 21-yard Dustin Keys field goal. The two teams traded shots with Josh Nesbitt running for an 18-yard score and hitting Roddy Jones for a 41-yard touchdown to keep the Yellow Jackets alive, but three turnovers and eight penalties proved costly. Virginia Tech answered with an eight-yard Darren Evans touchdown run in the second quarter and a two-yard Tyrod Taylor run with ten seconds left in the first half. Georgia Tech only threw for 109 yards, but Virginia Tech only came up with 48.
Player of the game: Virginia Tech LB Brett Warren made 11 tackles with a tackle for loss and a forced fumble.
Stat Leaders: Georgia Tech - Passing: Josh Nesbitt, 5-8, 109 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Josh Nesbitt, 28-151, 1 TD. Receiving: Zach Fisher, 2-37
Virginia Tech - Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 9-14, 48 yds
Rushing: Darren Evans, 19-94, 1 TD. Receiving: Dyrell Roberts, 2-18
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Sean Glennon was nowhere to be found. In a close game against Georgia Tech that, not to be too dramatic, was make or break for the season, it was Tyrod Taylor who ran the show with Darren Evans doing the heavy lifting. There was no passing game, but Taylor kept his poise and didn’t come up with the costly, killing turnovers that Georgia Tech did. The defense did a relatively nice job against the Yellow Jacket running game, allowing 278 yards without losing control of the game. This might not have changed the season, but it provided hope that another ACC title might not be an unreachable dream.

Sept. 6
Virginia Tech 24 ... Furman 7
Helped by some big plays from the defense to set up the offense, Virginia Tech got two touchdowns from Kenny Lewis, a ten-yard catch and a 23-yard run, and a three-yard Darren Evans scoring run for a 24-0 lead that wasn't easy to get after being up just 3-0 after the first half. Furman held the Hokies to 329 yards of offense, but could only manage a late 17-yard Chris Truss touchdown catch.
Player of the game: Virginia Tech QB Tyrod Taylor was 4-of-5 for 26 yards, rushing 14 times for 112 yards.
Stat Leaders: Furman - Passing: Jordan Sorrells, 21-37, 213 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Mike Brown, 10-20. Receiving: Adam Mims, 7-61
Virginia Tech - Passing: Sean Glennon, 3-8, 42 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Tyrod Taylor, 14-112. Receiving: Kenny Lewis, 3-36, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The offense showed just how desperately it needs Tyrod Taylor. Sean Glennon only completed 3-of-8 passes for 42 yards with a touchdown and an interception against Furman, and while Darren Evans and Kenny Lewis ran well, Taylor provides the desperately needed playmaking spark. The defense is playing well, it held Furman to 34 rushing yards and helped out the struggling Hokie attack, but more will be needed from the passing game to get by Georgia Tech next week.

Aug. 30
East Carolina 27 ... Virginia Tech 22
East Carolina pulled off the stunner on the special teams as T.J. Lee took a blocked punt 27 yards for a touchdown with under two minutes to play. Virginia Tech appeared to have the game in hand with the momentum going its way after Stephan Virgil returned a blocked extra point for a two-point conversion late in the third quarter for a 16-13, Hokie lead, and Darren Evans ran for a three-yard score for a 22-13 advantage held late into the fourth. But ECU went on a nine play, 73-yard march finishing with a three-yard Patrick Pinkney touchdown run, the defense held, and then the Pirate special teams came through. Tech had a 14-0 lead late into first half on a Virgil 30-yard fumble return for a score and a six-yard Kenny Lewis touchdown run, but Sean Glennon threw a touchdown pass in Hokie territory leading to a one-yard Jon Williams touchdown run with 16 seconds to play in the half. ECU outgained ECU 369 yards to 243.
Player of the game: East Carolina QB Patrick Pinkney completed 19 of 23 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown, and ran 11 times for 24 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: Virginia Tech - Passing: Sean Glennon, 14-23, 139 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Kenny Lewis, 11-62, 1 TD. Receiving: Andre Smith, 3-32
East Carolina - Passing: Patrick Pinkney, 19-23, 211 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Brandon Simmons, 17-54. Receiving: Davon Drew, 5-65
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Although everyone knew the Hokies were rebuilding, few could have imagined that the season would start this way. However, Tech can't panic after the loss to East Carolina. There are big problems brewing on offense after the Hokies could manage to gain only 243 yards on a Conference USA defense, but mistakes turned out to be the problem. If they can be eliminated, like the blocked punt for a score and a bad interception late in the first half, things could quickly change back around. QB Sean Glennon and his young receivers were especially horrid, which might cause Frank Beamer to rethink redshirting sophomore hurler Tyrod Taylor. The biggest winners in Charlotte were teams like North Carolina and Miami, which have to feel pretty good about their chances in the Coastal Division.

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Ryan Williams RB 5-10 192 Manassas, VA
Committed to the Hokies on January 5, 2008 at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on national television ... A SuperPrep All-American ... Named to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Final Hot 11 list for his performance in practice leading up to the game ... Despite missing three games his senior season, rushed for 640 yards and seven touchdowns in seven games ... Named to the G&W Recruiting Report Preseason ACC Area Offensive Team ... As a junior, averaged 10 yards per carry en route to gaining 1,574 yards and scoring a total of 22 touchdowns ... Named second-team all-state by the AP as a junior ... Recorded 800 yards rushing and 300 yards receiving his freshman year, starting at tailback ... Suffered a right knee injury that kept him out for the first six games of his sophomore season ... A four-year starter at Stonewall Jackson who rushed for over 3,000 total yards in his career ... High school coach was former Hokie defensive back Loren Johnson

Potential Instant Impact Players

Quillie Odom LB 6-2 220 Chatham, VA
Originally committed to the Hokies on May 31, 2006 and signed last February, but is attending Hargrave this year ... A member of the SuperPrep Mid-Atlantic Team ... An All-Atlantic Region selection by PrepStar ... Named honorable mention All-Met by The Washington Post at linebacker as a senior ... Earned first-team all-district and all-region honors for his junior season performance.

Kendrick Pressley ATH 5-10 175 Chatham, VA
Originally committed to the Hokies on October 26, 2006 and is attending Hargrave this year ... Selected to the NC/SC Shrine Bowl Game ... Named to the 2006 Palmetto Champions All-Star Team as the Big 16 Lower State Back ... Rushed for 600 yards and passed for 1,200 as a junior.

Rest of the Class

Ben Barber	WR	5-10	200	Alexandria, VA
Nick Becton	OL	6-6	285	Wilmington, NC
Xavier Boyce	ATH	6-4	200	Virginia Beach, VA
Jarrett Boykin	WR	6-2	191	Matthews, NC
Joseph Clayton	ATH	6-0	196	Richmond, VA
D.J. Coles	WR	6-4	198	Goochland, VA
Marcus Davis	ATH	6-4	221	Virginia Beach, VA
Randall Dunn	WR	6-3	217	Virginia Beach, VA
Austin Fuller	WR	6-2	210	Richlands, VA
Lyndell Gibson	LB	6-0	212	Virginia Beach, VA
Jeron Gouveia	ATH	6-2	180	Ashburn, VA
Tony Gregory	RB	6-0	178	Virginia Beach, VA
Isaiah Hamlette	DE	6-5	245	Stafford, VA
Antoine Hopkins	DE	6-1	285	Highland Springs, VA
Jake Johnson	LB	6-2	231	Falmouth, VA
Joe Jones	DE	6-3	245	Virginia Beach, VA
Leon  Mackey	DE	6-5	258	Chatham, VA
Eric Martin	TE	6-2	236	Woodbridge, VA
Derrick McCoy	WR	6-4	230	Amherst, VA
Vinston Painter	OL	6-6	317	Norfolk, VA
Dyrell Roberts	ATH	6-2	190	Smithfield, VA
Peter Rose	ATH	6-1	185	Amherst, VA
Allen Stephens	LB	6-2	252	South Boston, VA
Bruce Taylor	LB	6-3	230	Myrtle Beach, SC
Dwight Tucker	DT	6-2	280	Oviedo, FL
Michael Via	OL	6-6	261	Greensboro, NC
Eddie Whitley	DB	6-1	185	Matthews, NC
Lorenzo Williams	DB	6-2	190	Fayetteville, NC

2007 Recap

Recap: On and away from the field, Virginia Tech endured a rollercoaster ride that began with an emotional tribute to the victims of the April 16 campus massacre and ended with a second ACC crown in four years.  Using a familiar formula of great defense and special teams, the Hokies battled back from a lopsided Week 2 loss to LSU to go 10-1 before getting dumped by Kansas in the Orange Bowl.  It took awhile for the offense, particularly the line, to mesh, but when freshman QB Tyrod Taylor began doing his Michael Vick impression on the field, Tech became much tougher to defend on the boundaries.    

Offensive Player of the Year: RB Branden Ore

Defensive Player of the Year: LB Xavier Adibi

Biggest Surprise: QB Sean Glennon.  Although he may never be the next coming of Jim Druckenmiller in Blacksburg, Glennon developed into a steady game manager in the second half of the season.  For a stretch of eight games from Sept. 15 to Nov. 24, he rarely misfired, connecting on the intermediate routes and going well over 100 straight passes without an interception.    

Biggest Disappointment: Losing to Kansas in the Orange Bowl.  Tech entered the game as one of country’s hottest teams, but suffered a fifth loss in its last seven bowl games, throwing three crucial interceptions that led to 17 Jayhawk points.           

Looking Ahead: Although reinforcements will be needed on defense, at Virginia Tech, rebuilding is not in the lexicon.  Will a two-quarterback system be used again in 2008, or will Taylor or Glennon earn the majority of the snaps?  Stay tuned in the spring.