This one got off to a bad start from the very beginning. First, Clemson and NC State went into overtime, bumping the UNC-Miami broadcast from ABC/ESPN2 down into ESPNU, which bumped the Hokies and Cuse into oblivion. ESPN’s bottom-line scrawler told us that VT-Syracuse was streaming on the Watch ESPN app, but no, it wasn’t. Not for me, anyway.

While I (and you, no doubt) struggled to find a way to watch the game — I eventually pulled it up on ESPN3.com — the Hokies got off to a bad start, coughing up a long 58-yard TD in Syracuse’s first possession. On the play, nickel back Mook Reynolds was fooled by a double move, and Mook, once he was beaten for the reception, chased receiver Ervin Philips downfield at an odd three-quarter speed pursuit.

I got a really bad feeling, especially when the Hokies responded by going three and out and punting the ball right back. This one was out of sync in every way imaginable, from the TV broadcast to the defense to the offense, and it brought memories of past struggles in the Carrier Dome rushing back.

Defensively, the game stayed out of sync for the Hokies. Offensively, Tech had a good third quarter/early fourth quarter, piling up 222 yards in just three possessions, which netted two touchdowns … but Jerod Evans also threw an interception in the Syracuse end zone, just the second pick of the year for Evans and the first that was “his fault.”

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