Ryan Williams sets the tone on the ground, Hokies maul Hurricanes 31-7.

Rainy Rumblings from Lane Stadium (9-26-09)

Blacksburg, VA
By Edward Lane

On the first play from scrimmage, Virginia Tech Running Back Ryan Williams took a handoff from Tyrod Taylor, burst through the hole in the middle of Virginia Tech’s Offensive Line and, after a couple of Miami defenders bounced off him, was finally brought down at the Hokies 41 yard line for a gain of 11 yards.

That play embodied how the eleventh-ranked Hokies 31-7 rout over a highly touted #9 Miami (FL) squad would unfold. During a game in which Williams gashed Miami’s defense by running for 152 yards and 2 TDs on a career-high 34 carries, Miami defenders aided his career day through their shoddy tackling. When asked about his team’s tackling, Miami Head Coach Randy Shannon had one word: “Bad.”

Shannon eventually elaborated “everything from tackling, guys not wrapping up, that’s what you’re going when guys running as much as they yardage-wise.” Certainly the Hurricanes’ tackling has to be a concern for Shannon. The funny thing is, most “experts” believed a weak secondary might be what crippled Miami, rather than a talented front seven many experts believed was gelling.

Gelling aside, Miami’s talented but inexperienced defense looked just that. “You ask me about tackling-that was yardage. Guys not doing their assignment – we’re going to lose the football game,” exclaimed Shannon in his post-game press conference.

Perhaps those tackling woes could be attribute to a ‘Canes squad that, while talented, certainly received its fair share of hype during the week; enough to motivate a Hokies team used to being the “overlooked” bunch. “It is a fact you didn’t hear a lot about Virginia Tech this week,” a soaking but satisfied Frank Beamer said. “You heard a lot about Miami this week and rightfully so. But I am proud of our guys.”

That’s the Hokies’ Head Coach politely saying that some members of he Hokies squad used “the U is back” talk as fuel to play a great game.

Much of the credit for Tech’s breakout offensive game, though should be put on Bryan Stinespring, an offensive coordinator who entered today’s contest heavily criticized for how poorly his unit played for most of last week’s 16-15 home win over Nebraska. His first play of the game set the tone for a night in which Williams not only proved he could carry the load (he had never carried more than 20 times per game dating back to high school) but also that Tech’s offense has the ability to impose its will on opponents.

That 11 yard run set the tone for a motivated and physical Hokies squad, and sent a message to the rest of the ACC and Nation: “the new and improved U” is talented and improving, but they’re not yet ready to be called “the U.”

Kings Koments:
• Stat that Sticks from Miami-Virginia Tech: (Virginia Tech 55 team rushes for 296 yards, an average of 4.9 per carry; Miami: 34 team ruses for 103 yards, a paltry average of 1.7). That says enough about how VT DOMINATED the Trenches.
• Speaking of Dominating the Trenches, for a Carolina D that came into the day highly touted, Ga. Tech has certainly dominated the trenches. Check out these lopsided stats: Time of Possession (GT 42:06, UNC 17:54); Rushing yards (GT 330, UNC 44) and Third Downs (GT 10-19, UNC 1-9)…YIKES
• Funny how George Selvie was “too small” for the S.E.C. I tend to think he’s the best D-Lineman in the nation and has the best pro upside given his speed. Anyone see the rush he put on Christian Ponder in to force a 4th quarter fumble? He sped around FSU RT, stopped (QB Christian) Ponder’s arm dead in motion, forced a fumble, and jumped over a Seminole to recover. Freak athlete ala New York Giants DE Usi Umenyiora).
• FSU is like Maryland, Jeckl-hyde team.
• LSU’s Chad Jones had a punt return for TD (90 yards) in early 4th quarter. TERRIBLE tackling by Miss. State. Jones is a very good athlete, solid safety and special teams abilities are a plus.
• Poor tackling all around in LSU-Miss. State game.
• First ACC Coach to G(r)O(h): Al Groh (UVA) or Ralph Friedgen (Maryland)? I’ll still put my money on Groh, but it could be close. Maryland has looked atrocious in the last 3 weeks: an OT win vs. 1-AA JMU, and back-to-back loses against Middle Tennessee and Rutgers (BOTH at home). That is bad
• So a week after blowing numerous chances in a loss to Notre Dame, Michigan State loses at Wisconsin and is now 1-3 on the year. THAT’s why they’re Michigan State (the “Other” team in that State)..
• Anyone got Cincy or TCU in National Title Talk? I’d Take Cincy, look at their non-conference schedule (nice win at Oregon State last week and a win over a better than advertised 1-3 Rutgers Team).

Time to hit the road. I’ll take Stanford to “upset” a Washington team. I was SHOCKED they made it into the Top 25 after narrowly beating a USC team at home last week which saw starting QBs Matt Barkley and Aaron Corp banged up. Who knows, though, stranger things have happened.

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