Collegiate Times

Logan Thomas (3) leaps to try to break a tackle.

“I thought it was pretty significant that we stopped them,” Beamer said. “Thank goodness we got them stopped and kept it to a seven-point game.”

The Hokies responded with their longest drive (in terms of plays) of the season, marching 85 yards on 15 plays in 6:16, ending with a four-yard touchdown run from Thomas.

The redshirt junior carried the load on the ground for the Hokies all day, as freezing temperatures and heavy winds played a part in the team’s passing game. He finished with 89 yards on 29 carries.

“With the conditions like they were, it was tough to do anything in the passing game,” Thomas said. “I didn’t have a problem putting it on my shoulders…I didn’t have a problem. We did a great job up front all day.”

Both teams had chances to do damage in the fourth quarter, but failed to do much of anything until late. Tech put a nice drive together, and gave Journell a try at a 42-yard field goal with 3:38 left on the clock.

The kick sailed wide left, and UVa got the ball back with two timeouts left.

But three plays later, Antone Exum picked off Rocco, who was trying to hit Smith on an out route.

“A couple series before that, he tried a corner route, so I kind of knew he was going to get into me,” Exum said. “He knew that I knew he was going to do a corner route, so he tried to bully me in his route. I just undercut him, and the quarterback threw it right to me.”

The Hokies then picked up one first down before milking the rest of the clock and allowing Journell to kick the game-winner.

“Determination was probably the biggest thing (in making the kick),” Journell said. “Being tied up and having the chance to put us up three and not really capitalizing, then coming off the field and everybody having your back…I wanted to go out and do it for the seniors.”

Tech now awaits word on which bowl (if any) they will be selected to. The BCS selection show is next Sunday, Dec. 4, and the rest of the bowl games will fill out early the following week.

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A version of this article appeared in the Nov 25 issue of the Collegiate Times.