When Dyrell Roberts' catch in the end zone was reviewed and confirmed on Saturday, giving the Hokies a 16-15 lead with just 21 seconds remaining against Nebraska, Lane Stadium went nuts.
At once, the frustration and anxiety felt throughout the game by fans and players alike was forgotten in an instant.
The Hokies had overcome a rather impotent day on offense with one miracle drive that put every other drive in the game far away in the rearview mirror.
What was probably one of the more improbable finishes in Hokie football history, however, didn't erase some rather shocking information in the game's box score.
Prior to Danny Coale's 81-yard catch and before Dyrell Roberts' reception put the Hokies ahead at the end of the game, Taylor and the Hokie offense didn't do much at all.
Without his two big throws in the final minutes, Taylor went 10-for-24 on Saturday for just 100 yards passing.
The Hokies' offense looked motionless for most of the game, and while it didn't commit any turnovers, it never really got going with the exception of the first and last drives.
Eight Hokie possessions ended in punts on Saturday, while just three ended in scores.
The first drive wasn't all that impressive offensively, either. Tech only had to go 24 yards on seven plays for its first possession, thanks to a 76-yard opening kickoff return by Roberts.
Now, that's not to say there weren't some positives on the offensive side of the ball for the Hokies.
In the first half, redshirt freshman tailback Ryan Williams picked up 94 yards on 15 carries and scored a touchdown.
Williams didn't break many big runs on Saturday like he did against Marshall the week before. Other than his 46-yard scamper to the right side midway through the second quarter, most of his runs only went for four or five yards.
What those runs did do, however, was give the offense a rhythm and something to build on.
In the first half, the Hokies didn't have much success offensively, but they did win the time of possession battle, keeping the Tech defense off the field while Nebraska's defense stayed on, something Tech struggled mightily with against Alabama.
The Hokies out-possessed the Huskers 18:11-11:49 in the first half, thanks in part to Williams' sure and steady ground attack.
But when Tech looked at the scoreboard as the teams walked back to their locker rooms at the end of the half, the Hokies trailed 12-10.
Even though the Hokies were losing at halftime, there were plenty of positives to be taken from the first half.
Williams was well on his way to another successful day on the ground, but more importantly, the Hokies had Nebraska right where they wanted them - outmanned in the trenches and gasping for air.
Then the second half started.
The Hokies' first four drives in the second half all ended after three plays. On those four drives, the Hokies handed the ball off to Ryan Williams three times for six yards.
All of those drives ended in punts for the Hokies.
On their fifth drive, over three minutes into the fourth quarter, the Hokies converted for a first down for the first time in the half when Taylor connected with Sam Wheeler for a 14-yard completion.
Leave a comment 1 Comment Write a letter to the editor
All letters to the editor must include a name, e-mail, daytime phone number and affiliation to Virginia Tech. Affiliation includes: year and major for students; position and department for faculty and staff; current city for alumni and parents.
Good piece. Miami is ranked No. 9 but I really don't think they deserve it. They beat a still struggling Florida State club (who nearly lost to Jacksonville State and while they beat BYU their win against Oklahoma was with a freshman trying to lead them). And I don't buy into Paul Johnson's scheme at Georgia Tech. It's effective when you play teams that don't have disciplined or quick defenses, but look how Miami was able to force Nesbitt to pass and he performed poorly. I think a lot of these media heads are trying to create an angle that Miami is back to their early 90's and early 00's form. I absolutely disagree with that and I think we'll see when they face a good defense Jacory Harris isn't going to have his receivers with 10-yards of separation down the field.
Reply to this Top