Miami (9) ............ 0 0 7 0 - 7 Virginia Tech (11) ... 14 7 3 7 - 31 Scoring Summary: 1st Quarter 09:46 VT - Williams 2 yd run (Waldron kick) 04:46 VT - Boykin 48 yd pass from Taylor (Waldron kick) 2nd Quarter 04:39 VT - Reidy 1 yd blocked punt return (Waldron kick) 3rd Quarter 13:18 UM - James 1 yd run (Bosher kick) 03:49 VT - Waldron 22 yd FG 4th Quarter 12:16 VT - Williams 1 yd run (Waldron kick)
Blacksburg, VA – BeamerBall was in rare form on Saturday afternoon. The offense, defense and special teams all contributed to a 31-7 pounding of #9 Miami in Lane Stadium, and the #11 Hokies look like the team to beat in the ACC yet again. Virginia Tech improved to 3-1 with the win, and they are now 1-0 in the ACC. Miami is 2-1 overall, as well as 2-1 in conference play.
A quick scroll through the box score shows that the Hokies dominated this game from start to finish. Tech outgained Miami 370 to 209, and outrushed the ‘Canes 272-59. Miami was just 1-of-11 on third down conversions, and the Hokies kept the ball for 33:20 to Miami’s 26:40. Tech also blocked a punt for a touchdown.
Miami entered the game averaging 465 yards of offense in wins against Florida State and Georgia Tech, but a stout Tech defense, aided by a rainy day in Blacksburg, dominated the ‘Canes. Miami had surrendered just one sack in their first two games, but the Hokies sacked quarterback Jacory Harris three times on Saturday. Harris was just 9-of-25 for 150 yards, with an interception. He was completing 69% of his passes entering the game.
Through four games, opposing starting quarterbacks are just 50-of-116 (43.1%) for 632 yards, with one touchdown and four interceptions. The Tech pass defense has been amazing, and they’ve played some pretty good quarterbacks.
Cody Grimm led an impressive Virginia Tech defensive effort with 11 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and one pass defended. Jason Worilds finished with 1.5 sacks, Dorian Porch had a sack and a forced fumble, and backup defensive tackle Kwamaine Battle shared a sack with Worilds. Battle saw a lot of action because starting defensive tackle John Graves was out with an ankle injury, and Battle responded with a good game.
Offensively, the Hokies were very balanced in the first half, and spent the second half grinding the clock with the running game. Ryan Williams had 34 carries for 150 yards and two touchdowns. He has eight rushing touchdowns through four games, just three behind Darren Evans’ freshman record of 11. Tyrod Taylor added 75 yards on 10 carries, while Josh Oglesby had four carries for 48 yards.
Tyrod Taylor was 4-of-9 for 98 yards and a touchdown, and he had one pass that was dropped by fullback Kenny Jefferson. Jefferson dropped an easy third down conversion on Tech’s opening drive, so Taylor’s stats potentially could have been better, and the score could have been worse for Miami.
Even with the drop by Jefferson, the Hokies ran their way to a 21-0 halftime lead. They outgained Miami 242 to 54 in the first half. The ‘Canes finished the game with just two tackles for loss and no sacks, as Tech easily controlled the line of scrimmage against a Miami defensive line that was missing two starters.
Recap
It was clear from the opening snap that this was going to be a tough, physical game in the trenches. Ryan Williams took the opening handoff and ran straight up the gut for 11 yards, and he followed that up with two runs of four yards each.
Tech faced third and two from their own 49, and Tyrod Taylor’s pass into the flat to Kenny Jefferson was right on target, but it was dropped. The Hokies were forced to punt, and the ‘Canes took over on their own 16.
After picking up a first down, and then losing a yard on a handoff to Javarris James, Miami quarterback Jacory Harris dropped back to pass. Bud Foster brought rover Dorian Porch on a corner blitz, and he came untouched off the right side. Porch nailed Harris, who fumbled, and then Porch picked up the fumble himself and was tackled at the Miami 11 after a four yard return. The play was challenged and upheld, and the Tech offense was in business.
The Hokies couldn’t get in on first and second down, and Tyrod Taylor’s third down pass to Greg Boone was incomplete. However, Miami was flagged for pass interference on the play, setting up Tech with a first down at the two. From there, Ryan Williams took it off the left side for a touchdown, giving the Hokies a 7-0 lead with 9:46 left on the clock in the first quarter.
Miami went three and out on their next possession and had to punt. What happened on the punt won’t be remembered by fans as time goes by, but it was a critical play of the game. True freshman Jayron Hosley fumbled the punt, and the ball was free at the Tech 11. Kam Chancellor was the Hokie closest to the ball, and he was able to win the battle for the fumble and secure the possession for Tech.
It was a huge play, because it would have given Miami great field position. Instead, the Hokies went 89 yards in just seven plays for a touchdown. The drive was highlighted by a 23 yard pass from Tyrod Taylor to Ryan Williams, and later Taylor hit Jarrett Boykin for a 48 yard touchdown pass. Boykin ran a post pattern against single coverage, and beat Miami defensive back Chavez Grant one-on-one. Taylor hit him in stride for the easy touchdown.
The Hokies now held a 14-0 advantage with 4:46 left in the first quarter. As it turned out, they didn’t need to score the rest of the game, but they continued to pour it on.
Late in the second quarter, Miami found themselves punting from their own 25. Tech backup cornerback Jacob Sykes raced into the backfield untouched to block the punt, and the ball rolled free to the Miami 1 yard line. Marcus Davis couldn’t picked it up, but walk-on rover Matt Reidy was there to scoop it up and walk into the end zone for the touchdown. The Hokies had a 21-0 lead, and they took that lead into halftime.
Miami tried to make a game of it in the third quarter. After Graig Cooper returned the kickoff to the Tech 46, the Hurricanes scored in just five plays. The big play of the drive came on a 30 yard pass from Jacory Harris to Leonard Hankerson to the Tech 2. Two plays later, Javarris James took it in from one yard out to make the score 21-7 with 13:17 left in the third quarter.
The Hokies had to punt on their next possession, and Miami had a prime opportunity to get back in the game. They drove the ball to the Tech 33, but two big drops by tight end Jimmy Graham killed the drive. The last drop was on a critical third down and 13, and the ‘Canes went for it on fourth down. Harris completed a pass to tight end Dedrick Epps for nine yards, but it wasn’t enough to pick up the first down.
Virginia Tech took advantage of the opportunity. On the first play of the drive, Ryan Williams busted free around the left side and rumbled his way to a 44 yard gain to the Miami 31. The Hokies weren’t able to punch it in for a touchdown, but they did get a 22 yard field goal from Matt Waldron to make the score 24-7 with 3:49 remaining in the third quarter.
With that score by Waldron, the wind went out of Miami’s sails. The Hokies got another touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and it was set up by a great defensive play by cornerback Rashad Carmichael. Carmichael baited Jacory Harris and stepped in front a pass, intercepting it and returning it to the Miami 25.
It took Tech five plays to reach the end zone, and they were all runs. Ryan Williams capped another impressive game with his second touchdown of the day, making the score 31-7 Hokies and putting the exclamation point on an impressive victory.
Virginia Tech returns to action next Saturday at Duke. Kickoff is scheduled for noon, and the game can be viewed on the internet at ESPN360.com.
STATISTICS
UM VT
---- ----
First downs 12 17
Rushed-yards 34-59 55-272
Passing yards 150 98
Sacked-yards lost 3-28 0-0
Return yards 108 46
Passes 9-25-1 4-9-0
Punts 7-35.6 5-40.2
Fumbles-lost 3-1 2-1
Penalties-yards 5-45 6-49
Time of possession 26:40 33:20
Att: 66,233
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING-Virginia Tech, Williams 34-150, Taylor 10-75,
Oglesby 4-48, Roberts 2-12, Wilson 4-9, TEAM 1-(-22).
UM, Cooper 11-55, J. James 4-35, M. James 4-3, Collier 1-(-6)
Harris 4-(-28).
PASSING-Virginia Tech, Taylor 4-9-98-0. UM, Harris 9-25-150-1.
RECEIVING-Virginia Tech, Williams 2-40, Boykin 1-48, Boone 1-10.
UM, Byrd 4-58, Hankerson 3-79, Epps 2-13.
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