In a less-than-thrilling spring game for the Virginia Tech football team, the Maroon team took down the White squad by a 16-0 margin in front of a record crowd of 41,000 at Lane Stadium Saturday.
Running back Ryan Williams did not play due to a minor knee injury and quarterback Tyrod Taylor only participated during the first half, but was wearing a yellow jersey signifying that he was not to be tackled.
If a defensive player even touched Taylor, he was ruled down, severely limiting his running capabilities.
“I actually tried to ask one of the equipment managers for a white jersey so I could play live but it didn't happen,” said Taylor.
In addition, several key offensive linemen were out with injuries, giving the defense a huge leg up and keeping the game score low.
“When you lose two or three offensive lineman and you try and play a spring game you see the effects of those losses,” said head coach Frank Beamer. “You've got some guys in there who just aren't quite ready to be in there.”
After the opening kickoff, quarterback Logan Thomas led a seven minute Maroon drive, capped off by a four-yard touchdown pass to receiver Danny Coale.
Thomas, who is in a battle for the backup quarterback position with Ju-Ju Clayton, was an impressive five-for-five Saturday, throwing for 38 yards and running for 17 yards on the drive.
After a quick three-and-out for the White team, Clayton took over at quarterback for Maroon, throwing an interception on his first possession.
The ball was picked by free safety Eddie Whitley, who will replace departed safety Kam Chancellor this coming fall.
Another brief thrill came on a deep pass by Taylor intended for Dyrell Roberts that was nearly intercepted by free safety Antone Exum.
The rest of the half was a defensive battle, ending with a missed 35-yard field goal attempt by Justin Myer of the White team.
During the first half, running back Tony Gregory stood out for the Maroon team with eight carries for 34 yards. For the White squad, Darren Evans had four carries for a mere nine yards.
Evans, who is returning from an ACL tear, was just happy to get back on the field.
“It felt good. Especially physically I've been feeling the best I have been. My confidence is going up every time,” said Evans.
With a 7-0 Maroon lead at half, Taylor sat out for the remainder of the game and Thomas switched from the Maroon team to the White team.
With 4:58 remaining in the third quarter, Thomas was sacked for a safety by emerging defensive end Steven Friday.
“I think it's his time,” Beamer said. “He has played hard and has played fast…His speed off the edge there has become a factor.”
“I've been sacrificing for the team and trying to put the team first,” Friday said. “(I’ve been) eating a lot trying to gain weight and studying film.”
The final scoring of the game came at the beginning of the fourth quarter when Gregory had a six-yard touchdown run, putting Maroon up 16-0.
“I’ve been really impressed with him,” Beamer said.
Unfortunately for Gregory, it will be very tough for him to move up on the depth chart with Williams, Evans, and Wilson ahead of him.
Wilson, who played last year, may even redshirt this year due to the Hokies’ depth at running back.
“I think everybody needs to have as good a summer as they can conditioning and preparing yourself to play and then let's make a decision at the proper time because things could happen. Things happened at our tailback position last year,” Beamer said.
As a majority of the game was spent punting the ball and battling for field position, Brian Saunders stood out as the Hokies’ top punter while Chris Hazely emerged as a top kicker.
“If we had to say it right now, Hazley would be our field goal guy and Saunders would be our punter,” Beamer said.
Looking at the quarterback battle, Thomas finished the game six-for-eight for 34 yards and a touchdown while Clayton was three-for-seven for 25 yards and an interception.
However, Thomas barely played near the end of the game due to a stomach virus, which even caused him to throw up.
Although it is likely that no official backup will be named for a while, it seems that Thomas is standing out.
