Careful, I keep telling myself. It was just one game. I’m always saying that
you can’t draw a lot of conclusions from one game, and it’s not smart to flip
out or get hyper because of one game. Having said that, the one game we’re
talking about here, a 44-3 win over Division 1-AA William & Mary, was pretty
alarming. It was a win that was lopsided on the scoreboard, but nearly even
statistically. ACC play opens this Saturday for the Hokies, and alarm bells are
clanging loudly.

For the record, this one was a 44-3 yawner that yours truly left at halftime,
setting a personal record for leaving a Hokie football game early. Hmmm, after
years of staying until the final whistle, with the notable exception of the 1991
whipping at Virginia (38-0, bad guys), I’ve left two out of four games early
this year: LSU and William & Mary. Boy, are those two games at the opposite
end of the spectrum, or what? I went into the game disinterested, and as the
first half muddled to a close, I decided to head out and find something more
engrossing to do.

Here are the pertinent parts of an otherwise forgettable game. First, here’s
the flow of action:

• VT was stopped inside the ten yard line twice by William & Mary and
  had to settle for field goals.
• W&M dropped a punt snap, giving Tech the ball on the Tribe 5-yard
  line, leading to a short TD run.
• Brandon Flowers returned an interception 49 yards for a TD.
• The Hokies put together their longest drive (9 plays, 58 yards) and got a
  TD from Kenny Lewis, Jr., ending the first quarter 27-0.
• Eddie Royal returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown.
• VT substituted liberally on defense. Purnell Sturdivant got an
  interception.
• Against VT’s backup defense, W&M drove 94 yards in 9 plays and kicked
  a field goal.
• Late in the first half, VT got a 34-yard TD from Branden Ore on a screen
  pass, making it 41-3 at half time.
• Second half: VT substituted liberally on offense, including the entire
  offensive line, and put forth a very tepid second-half effort, outscoring
  W&M 3-0. Final score: 44-3.

Here are the statistics and facts:

...