The Virginia Tech Hokies are the longstanding class of the ACC since the league’s expansion in 2004, and after dropping their conference opener to Clemson a few weeks ago, people were starting to question if they would remain atop the ACC. VPI played a tough offensive shootout against the Hurricanes where the Hokies emerged victorious and this past Saturday traveled for their first ACC game of the season.
Playing host to the Hokies? Jim Grobe’s Wake Forest Demon Deacons, a team that is as surprising in 2011 at 4-1 entering the game as any team in the nation. They walked into the game boasting the second-largest turnaround for the season, after going 3-9 a year ago, only Louisiana Lafayette moving from 3-9 to 5-1 has been more night and day. The Deacs were in the friendly confines of BB&T Field, they were coming off a win over the heavily favored Floirda State Seminoles and quarterback Tanner Price has been playing good football.
For Virginia Tech, this game was about getting on track, beating a quality opponent and remaining in the drivers seat in the Coastal Division. For Wake Forest, the goal was to snag another win over a “superior” opponent in the conference and keep pace with the Clemson Tigers for the top spot in the Atlantic. After the Miami score-a-thon, Virginia Tech had plenty of question marks surrounding its defense, and Wake Forest has proven capable of getting into the endzone during the game.
What transpired over the next 60 minutes of football was a game where two very technically sound and fundamentally prepared football teams went to work, and the more talented group ultimately won out in a big way. There was plenty to be learned about each side so let’s get into what Saturday night’s contest showed us as the Hokies cruised to a 38-17 victory.
The most obvious point for the Deacons is their need to have running back Josh Harris in the lineup. Harris is a big play guy and capable of getting loose and hurting defenses with his slashing running style and quickness. Brandon Pendergrass (21 carries for 80 yards) performed well in Harris’ place, but the Deacons were quite predictable and straightforward in their rushing attack.
While Harris was out Chris Givens, was in the house for the Deacons. He and Tanner Price connected on seven passes for 140 yards, including a bomb that went for six in the first quarter to get the Deacons up 10-0 on the Hokies. Givens is not on everyone’s radar, but the junior is averaging some 123 yards receiving a game and already has 739 yards posted at the midway point this season. He is Tanner Price’s weapon and the tandem will continue to bother ACC defenses as the season progresses.
On defense, the Deacons are good. They run to the football well and cover decently in the backend. BUT they don’t have any dominating players that can change the game in their favor. This is not like the 2006 team that had Alphonso Smith and Aaron Curry in the lineup to truly impact games.
The Deacs are sound fundamentally, but as the game wore on, the Hokies were able to get a bead on the defense, and Logan Thomas was successful pushing the ball vertically against the defensive backs. David Wilson ran wild against their front. For Wake to continue to be a threat in the ACC, it will take offense, especially the return of Harris, because this defense just does not have the bodies to shut down some of the league’s more explosive talent.
As for the Virginia Tech Hokies, we got a chance to learn some good and some bad. For starters, their defense is not “as bad” as the Miami game performance would lead people to believe. Yes, the Maroon and Orange surrendered some 519 total yards, including 236 on the ground, to the Canes, but that game is the anomaly of their defensive outings. This week, we saw the norm as the Hokies surrendered just 320 yards to the Deacons, holding them to just 59 rushing yards for the game.
This Virginia Tech defense is young on so many levels, so a game like this where they limit the explosion plays, stop the run and overall grade out well is a tremendous positive as they continue to push for their fifth Coastal Division championship. On to the bad news from All-American cornerback Jayron Hosley did leave the game in the first quarter, injuring his hamstring on the long Givens touchdown pass. Without him for the remainder, the Hokies played well, but with plenty of contests remaining, getting back a player of Hosley’s caliber is important, because the kid is a difference maker at the position.
On the offensive side of things, hats off to David Wilson. The junior is continuing to prove me wrong for doubting that he could be a legitimate every down running back and not just a speedy side show for the Hokies. The kid has looked solid, posting six 100-yard games on the season. More important than his numbers is the fact that he’s getting it down between the tackles, not just outsprinting defenders. He’s about to top the 1,000-yard mark, and with Wilson carrying the ball, this Hokies run game is mighty healthy.
Now for Logan Thomas. The sophomore did not play badly; he completed some huge passes downfield to Jarrett Boykins, threw two touchdown passes and had 0 interceptions. But, he didn’t play “good,” if you follow me. He completed 17 of 32 passes, and if you watched the game you’ll understand this, he just looked “not very ready” at times.
Thomas still struggles with throwing the ball on the run and staring down his receivers. While it didn’t cost him in the way of interceptions, there were errant passes galore against Wake Forest. Kid needs reps, and the Hokies have to find a way to move the pocket while making him feel comfortable.
Virginia Tech and Wake Forest are likely the two most sound technical ball clubs in the conference, and this game played as such; the difference being the Hokies talent level and ability to suffocate a Deacons offense that did not have one of its playmakers in Josh Harris.
As for league outlook, both teams are still in great shape and control their own destiny. Georgia Tech losing to Virginia yesterday put the Yellow Jackets, Wahoos, Hokies and Blue Devils into a four-way tie atop the Coastal; both UNC and Miami have two losses. In the Atlantic, Wake Forest still can win the whole deal by beating a Clemson team that played a barn burner against Maryland on Saturday.
