SB Nation - Jarrett Boykin

NCAA10 Sim: Hokies 21, Cavaliers 17

Hokie20 — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:00:15 -0000

Virginia Tech played a conservative offensive game in the second half to avoid an upset from Virginia 21-17 in Charlottesville.

The Hokies' Tyrod Taylor found tight end Greg Boone often in the early quarters to propel Tech to an early 14-0 lead. Taylor continued his hot start with a touchdown strike to Jarrett Boykin with just under two minutes left in the half.

Things were looking good for Tech until Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell started to pick apart the Hokies' secondary in under a minute. In just three plays, Virginia was on the board with a 27 yard touchdown pass to Kris Burd.

Tech turned into a running team in the second half with limited success. Taylor threw one interception early in the third quarter leading to a Mikell Simpson 6 yard touchdown run to cap off a seven play drive to help the Hoos to pull within a touchdown. Tech's defense clamped down only allowing a field goal at the end of the third quarter.

The Hokies ran out the clock in the fourth quarter to squander any form of upset in head coach Al Groh's final game on the Virginia sideline.

VT 14 7 0 0 -21
UVA 0 7 10 0 -17

Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
VT:TD 3:43 R. Williams, 3 Yd run (M. Waldron Kick)
VT:TD 0:30 G. Boone, 31 Yd pass from T. Taylor (M. Waldron Kick)
2nd Quarter
VT:TD 1:53 J. Boykin, 7 Yd pass from T. Taylor (M. Waldron Kick)
UVA:TD 0:52 K. Burd, 27 Yd pass from J. Sewell (R. Randolph Kick)
3rd Quarter
UVA:TD 2:22 M. Simpson, 6 Yd run (R. Randolph Kick)
UVA:FG 0:03 R. Randolph, 20 Yd FG

Significant Stats
First downs VT: 11 UVA: 21
Total Offense VT:293 UVA: 444
Turnovers VT: 1 FUM UVA: 1 INT

Virginia Tech Top Player Stats
Passing: T. Taylor 12-20 for 176 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: R. Williams 22-for-83 yds, 1 TD
Receiving: G. Boone 5-for-115 yds, 1 TD
Defense: B. Rivers 8 TAK, 1 TFL, 1 SAK

Virginia Top Player Stats
Passing: J. Sewell 29-52 for 347 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: M. Simpson 15-for-65 yds, 1 TD
Receiving: J. Brown 7-for-119 yds
Defense: D. Childs 6 TAK, 1 TFL

Virginia Tech 38, NC State 10: Hokies' Three Stars

furrer4heisman — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:47:09 -0000

More photos » by Don Petersen - AP

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Unlike last week's game against Maryland, there were plenty of individual performances to choose from in Tech's win over NC State. Here are the three guys who contributed most to Saturday's win.

First Star: LB Cody Grimm

Grimm forced three fumbles on NC State's first four plays. I doubt anyone matches that feat in major college football for a long, long time.

He set the tone for the defense, which chased Russell Wilson around for most of the game and held the Wolfpack scoreless in the second half. There can be no hyperbole to describe Grimm's play in the last three games. After struggling in losses to GT and UNC, he has reached a level I didn't know he could. He's always around the ball, always disrupting plays and has his draft stock as high as it could be. That's saying something for a guy who probably didn't have a draft stock earlier this year.

Second Star: RB Ryan Williams

NC State made Williams work hard for his 120 yards and four touchdowns as the freshman only averaged 3.8 yards per carry. But he was able to pound, juke and in some cases drag defenders across the field to wear down the Wolfpack defense and keep Tech's methodical offense moving.

Williams now owns the Virginia Tech and ACC record for rushing yards by a freshman and still has two games to go.

vs N.C. State / 11.21.09	Rushing				Receiving
	Rush	Yards	Avg	TD	Rec	Yards	Avg	TD
Ryan Williams	32	120	3.8	4	0	0	0	0

Third Star: WR Jarrett Boykin

Boykin accounted for 164 of of the Hokies' 197 receiving yards against NC State. After a few early drops by Dyrell Roberts, Tyrod Taylor started going to Boykin every time Tech needed a big play. Boykin responded with several key third down grabs to keep drives alive.

His touchdown catch in the third quarter to put the game on ice was a thing of beauty. The Wolfpack had no answer for Boykin no matter who was lined up against him.

vs N.C. State / 11.21.09	Tackles			Sacks		Interceptions
	Solo	Ast	Total	Sacks	Yds	Int	Yds	IntTD
Jarrett Boykin	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Poll

Who was the Hokies' top performer in the NC State game?

Cody Grimm

60 votes

Ryan Williams

21 votes

Jarrett Boykin

11 votes

Someone else

1 votes

93 votes | Poll has closed

Virginia Tech 38, NC State 10: Postgame Stream of Consciousness

furrer4heisman — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:23:37 -0000

More photos » by Don Petersen - AP

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The Hokies took care of business against a team with nothing to play for but pride, so kudos to them. There was a lot to like about this game because of the individual performances we saw.

Two records from Saturday's game: Ryan Williams broke the Virginia Tech and ACC record for rushing yards by a freshman by running for 126 yards and four freaking touchdowns. Cody Grimm tied an NCAA record by forcing three fumbles in the same game. Grimm tied the record in the first quarter. That's an unofficial record according to me. He also tied it in FOUR PLAYS. Also an unofficial record according to me.
Williams had to work for his yards, averaging 3.8 YPC. What was impressive was his physicality. He ran over defenders and dragged one into the end zone for his last touchdown. He was a man among boys against the Wolfpack.
Grimm set the tone for the game. NC State lost two fumbles on their first three plays and were down 10-0. He was always around the ball and always causing havoc. The senior had a senior day to remember.
There's really not much more I can say about the games Williams and Grimm had, so feel free to add your own hyperbole in the comments.
After several drops by Dyrell Roberts, Tyrod Taylor started just lofting the ball to Jarrett Boykin. NC State couldn't cover Boykin and he finished the game with six catches for 164 yards and a nice touchdown grab in the second half. Boykin came down with nearly every ball thrown to him in man coverage, especially on third down. He kept his fair share of Hokie drives alive.
The Wolfpack tried with all their might to huff and puff and blow the Hokies' running game down. However, when Williams wasn't pounding out hard-earned yards, Taylor was finding Boykin for big gains. Tech took it to the NC State defense, especially in the passing game.
The defense shut out the NC State offense in the second half. It was an impressive display.
NC State QB Russell Wilson was on the run for most of the game, and while he was often able to use his legs and intuition to find the first down marker, it wasn't enough to get the Pack into the end zone in the second half.
Good grief Rashad Carmichael got worked for most of the game when he was in man coverage against the NC State receivers. Wilson picked on him a lot and was successful until late in the second half when Carmichael made a nice play that forced a punt.
The Hokie play calling got conservative in the second half for the second consecutive week. It worked, but I wasn't a fan for keeping Tyrod Taylor in the game as late as he was in. Tech was in complete control and he risked injury when he scrambled for a first down late in the fourth quarter while up four touchdowns.
I was really happy Jeff Beyer got to take the final two snaps of the game. It was a senior day to remember for a lot of guys.

2009 Virginia Tech Football: What to Watch vs. North Carolina State

furrer4heisman — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:15:08 -0000

by Gerry Broome - AP

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The Team

It's senior day for the Hokies. Hopefully they'll send guys like Greg Boone, Cody Grimm and Kam Chancellor off with a win.

Virginia Tech Offense vs. NC State Defense

Looking at the NC State defense, you'd think its strength would be its defensive line. However, the Wolfpack have had just 10 sacks in six conference games, tied for 10th in the ACC.
The also gives up 4.8 yards per carry in league play, 11th and ahead of only Florida State. Their 16 rushing touchdowns allowed in conference play is also higher than any other team but FSU.
NC State has also had trouble against the pass this season. It's allowing 7.8 yards per pass attempt in league play, 10th in the ACC.
Overall, NC State is allowing 6.3 yards per play in ACC games, only ahead of FSU and is giving up 41.7 points per game in conference play, worst in the ACC.
Simply put, this is the worst defense the Hokies will play all season. It will be up to Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Williams and the offense to take advantage of it.
Look for the Hokies to give the Pack a heavy dose of Ryan Williams to try to and set up play action passes deep to guys like Jarrett Boykin. Danny Coale should also have a big game in the middle of the field.

Virginia Tech Defense vs. NC State Offense

NC State QB Russell Wilson was last year's ACC rookie of the year and was the All-ACC QB. A lot of that can be somewhat attributed to his TD:INT ratio, which was an astounding 17:1. This year he's thrown 10 interceptions and 26 TDs.
While Russell's INTs have gone up significantly, his yards per attempt, completion percentage and passer rating have also gone up. Russell's rushing production has stayed the same and the team rushing production has gone up.
This is a dangerous offense the Hokies are going to face. Wilson has a pair of excellent wide receivers: Jarvis Williams and Owen Spencer. Spencer is the home-run threat and Williams (along with TE George Bryan) is Wilson's favorite target, leading the team in TD receptions.
The Pack should be able to exploit the middle of the field if they can get a decent game from running backs Toney Baker and Jamelle Eugene. Baker missed most of the last two seasons due to injury but has averaged nearly five yards per carry this season.
The Pack have actually averaged more yards per carry in ACC games than OOC games, so their stats aren't that augmented by bad competition.
The Pack slightly favor the run on first down, so the Hokies can't just load the box and hope to force long yardage situation that allow the defensive ends to pin their ears back.
I think the Hokies will have success if they are more aggressive against Wilson like they were against Jacory Harris. The Pack will get theirs against an aggressive D, but the Hokies will have an equal number of positives.

Outcome

Should be higher scoring than the VT-UNCG hoops game the other day.

Watch the Box Score For:

Turnovers
Virginia Tech Sacks
NC State 3rd Down Pct
Virginia Tech YPC

Virginia Tech Players to Watch:

19 - Danny Coale, So., WR
34 - Ryan Williams, Fr., RB
6 - Jason Worilds, Jr., DE
26 - Cody Grimm, Sr., LB

NC State Players to Watch:

16 - Russell Wilson, So., QB
13 - Owen Spencer, Jr., WR
49 - Alan-Michael Cash, Sr., DT
97 - Willie Young, Sr., DE

Final Score

Virginia Tech 42, NC State 21

When Does The Hurting Stop?

Akula Wolf — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:22:55 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

about 1 month ago: Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor (5) dives for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against East Carolina in Greenville, N.C., Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

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Probably not this week, I'm guessin'. A few reasons why the Virginia Tech game is going to be an unpleasant affair:

1.) Tech's improved passing game. The Hokies still don't ask Tyrod Taylor to do a lot through the air and he remains a bit erratic, but he's averaging almost three more yards per attempt than he did a year ago and he's completely turned around his TD:INT ratio. (2:7 in '08, 12:3 in '09. He's got a trio of big-play guys in the receiving corps, which doesn't hurt. Danny Coale (19.8 yds/rec.), Jarrett Boykin (18.6), and Dyrell Roberts (16.4) are in the top ten in the ACC in yards per catch.

2.) Ryan Williams. Oh god, Ryan Williams. Williams leads the ACC with 1235 yards and ranks 5th in yards per carry (5.8). I'll set the over/under on his YPC against the Wolfpack at 6.5. What do you think?

3.) It's still Bud Foster's defense.

	OppYds/PassAtt	OppYds/Carry
2008	7.1	3.2
2009	5.4	3.9

They've been more vulnerable on the ground this season but they've compensated with some huge improvement in their pass defense. Opponents are completing just 45.2% of their passes; 7 of 10 have been held to a completion percentage below 50%, 8 of 10 have been held under 200 passing yards.

Overall, the Hokies rank third in the ACC in both total defense and yards allowed per play.

Plus their leading tackler is a linebacker named Cody Grimm. With a name like that, I'm assuming he's unstoppable.

[Edit: video removed since it was auto-playing for some reason. Sorry about that.]

Virginia Tech 36, Maryland 9: What They're Saying

furrer4heisman — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:00:33 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

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The Hokies took care of business against Maryland on Saturday, which actually says a lot. Tech had nothing to play for but getting to 10 wins and still came out and did what it was supposed to do. I think the last time this team had no chance at winning its conference or division this early in the season was 2006. I'm pretty sure Georgia Tech clinched the Coastal on Nov. 11 that year.

Hopefully this year's Tech team mirrors that one and not the 2003 squad. In 2006, the Hokies won their final six regular season game. Right now the Hokies' win streak is at two. If the Hokies can win out (including the bowl) and get that streak to five, they will have their 10-win season.

Links after the jump.

National Media and Bloggers

Hokies handle Terps (Annette)
"Tyrod Taylor had a great day, throwing for 268 yards and three touchdowns (no interceptions) and rushing for another 76 yards. And, no surprise, Ryan Williams had another 100-yard day. The Hokies' 10-win season is still a realistic possibility, while Maryland is like a wounded animal limping into the final stretch of the season, which couldn't get here fast enough now for Ralph Friedgen."

Virginia Tech Beat Writers

Hokies ride their pride to lopsided victory (Nathan "Tommie Frazier" Warters)
"People still question whether the 20th-ranked Hokies have anything to play for, now that they are completely eliminated from the national championship and ACC title races. The players just shrug their shoulders and keep going to work."

Trouncing Turtles (Kyle Tucker)
"Jarrett Boykin continues to be a beast of a receiver. Danny Coale, one heckuva pass-catcher himself, leveled a couple of really nice blocks for his ‘mates. And Dyrell Roberts – with a 27-yard diving catch, a 41-yard leaping catch and a speedy 10-yard TD catch and run – appears to have fully transitioned from tailback to receiver."

Hokies handle Maryland (Darryl Slater)
"Their next month and a half might feel less important to those who observe them, but the Hokies believe they can still find a lofty purpose. For Williams, it centers on winning 10 games. Beamer talked to his team about "being as good as we can be." Defensive coordinator Bud Foster wants the Hokies to "play for each other.""

Old friends' coaching battle purely 1-sided (Aaron McFarling)
"On Saturday, Beamer brought more than 10,000 Virginia Tech fans into Byrd Stadium, and together they danced a jig on what's left of Friedgen's reputation. The Hokies torched the Terps 36-9 -- a game that was over at halftime -- to drop Maryland's record to 2-8."

Virginia Tech easily tops Maryland (Randy King)
"Well, the Hokies ruled the roost here from the get-go. Maryland, which played without injured starting quarterback Chris Turner, was stymied to a season-low 236 yards by Tech's defense. Sophomore Jamarr Robinson, making his first college start, ran 24 times for 129 yards. He spent most of the day running for his life as the Hokies swarmed UM's porous offensive line for 10 tackles for loss, and posted a season-high six sacks."

Foster has not heard from Memphis (Mark Viera)
"Memphis Athletic Director R.C. Johnson has indicated that the university would cast a wide net in its search. He said Memphis's next coach must be successful in recruiting and that previous head coaching experience was preferred but not necessary."

Taylor's career-high 3 TD passes lift Hokies over Maryland (Jimmy Robertson)
"He had to like what he saw from Taylor, whose three touchdown passes were a career high. Behind Taylor, the Hokies broke their recent habit of slow starts and instead got it cranked up early in this one. On their first drive of the game, they marched 71 yards in 10 plays, with the big play coming being a 30-yard pass completion from Taylor to Jarrett Boykin that got the Hokies to the Maryland 1 - the play looked like a touchdown, but the official reviewed it and determined Boykin’s knee was down at the 1. Ryan Williams went in on the next play, and the extra point gave Tech a 7-0 lead with 10:48 left in the first quarter."

Virginia Tech Bloggers

Hokies Rout Terps 36-9 (Tech Sideline)
"Virginia Tech beat up on Maryland on both sides of the ball on Saturday afternoon, earning a 36-9 victory in College Park. The Hokies dominated statistically on offense and defense, and they also got some big plays from punt returner Jayron Hosley. Tech is now 7-3 on the season, with a 4-2 mark in ACC play. Maryland dropped to 2-8 overall and 1-5 in the ACC."

Maryland Beat Writers

Taylor, Hokies rip Terps (Washington Times)
"Sophomore quarterback Jamarr Robinson made his first career start as Chris Turner (left knee ligament sprain) missed the game. But Robinson found the same problems Turner endured for the Terps (2-8, 1-5 ACC) — an inability for Maryland's running backs to find room to run."

Maryland routed by Virginia Tech (Baltimore Sun)
"Jamarr Robinson was chased all over the field Saturday, but the elusive Maryland quarterback ultimately couldn't escape Virginia Tech, which dealt the Terrapins their fifth straight loss, 36-9, in a game that was one-sided from the opening possession."

Maryland Bloggers

Virginia Tech 36, Maryland 9: (Late) Early Thoughts (Testudo Times)
"First off, as bad as the defense is, it's better than the offense, by a pretty decent amount. That's pretty telling for how god-awful this offense is. I can't stand giving them credit for a TD, but the fact of the matter is that they got it and the offense didn't. Both sides were awful today, and neither were where they need to be, but the defense was just a bit better, for what's that worth."

Maryland-Virginia Tech Report Card and Helmet Stickers (Testudo Times)
"Robinson was very average, or below average, when passing. Of course, that might be because he had no time and was going up against a very good defense. His big strength was his scrambling ability - he went over 100 yards on the ground and was pretty much the only effective player Maryland had on offense thanks to that. You could still see that he had talent and an arm, but they got overshadowed by his jitters/poor offensive line and his running ability."

Hokies Have No Problem Running Over Terps (Inside MD Sports)
"The stands would have been mostly empty after Virginia Tech led 27-3 at halftime if not for the influx of Hokie faithful, who comprised an overwhelming majority of the 51,514 who stuck around. The most audible cheer by the end was the back-and-forth chant of "Let’s go Hokies," and the scattered Maryland fans still in attendance weren’t inclined to counter."

Virginia Tech 36, Maryland 9: Hokies' Three Stars

furrer4heisman — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:50:01 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

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No one's performance was eye-popping either on the stat sheet or on the screen during today's game against Maryland. However, here are the three players who distinguished themselves during today's win over Maryland.

First Star: QB Tyrod Taylor

Maryland focused on stopping the run in the first half, showing man coverage against Tech's receivers. Taylor took advantage for 200 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. He finished the day 13-for-23 for 268 yards and three TDs. During Taylor's time at Tech we've learned how much he loves to throw against man coverage. His first half today was similar to his game against Duke where he was able to throw good looking deep ball and let his receivers go get them.

Taylor also ran eight times for 81 yards. This included two sacks for losses of eight yards combined. Take those out and Taylor's rushing numbers are six carries for 89 yards. Taylor's lone mistake came on Maryland's lone touchdown. On a play-action pass in his own end zone Taylor held onto the ball a little too long and fumbled, allowing Maryland to score what will probably be the Terps' easiest touchdown of the year.

vs Maryland / 11.14.09	Passing					Rushing
	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	TD	Rush	Yds	Avg	TD
Tyrod Taylor	13	23	60.0	268	3	8	81	10.1	0

Second Star: LB Jake Johnson

One week after not seeing the field for a single play, Johnson came back with a vengeance. He led the team with seven tackles, including two sacks. The sacks came on consecutive plays in the second quarter. In all, Johnson had five tackles in the second quarter to help the Hokies take a 27-3 lead into halftime.

Johnson struggled in the middle of the season and lost his starting job to freshman Lyndell Gibson before the East Carolina game. Whether or not Johnson has earned back his starting job won't be decided until later this week. But he certainly has earned more playing time for the Hokies' last two regular season games and bowl game.

Third Star: WR Jarrett Boykin

All three of Boykin's catches came in the first half. He ended up with 118 yards and a 64-yard touchdown catch down the middle of the field to give Tech a 27-3 lead. It was Boykin's fourth touchdown of the game. His first catch was originally called a touchdown, but replay ruled him down at the one-yard line after a 30-yard reception.

Boykin has become the Hokies' primary deep threat after it looked like Xavier Boyce was going to win the split end job at the beginning of the season. You can tell Taylor trusts him to go up and get jump balls in man coverage. He also has a good sense of where he is in relation to the sideline and good body control when in the air.

Poll

Who was the best player on the field for the Hokies against Maryland?

Tyrod Taylor

42 votes

Jake Johnson

4 votes

Jarrett Boykin

6 votes

Other

6 votes

58 votes | Poll has closed

Virginia Tech 36, Maryland 9: Postgame Stream of Consciousness

furrer4heisman — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:32:15 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

about 1 month ago: Maryland defensive back Jamari McCollough (4) falls to the ground as Virginia Tech wide receiver Jarrett Boykin runs a pass in for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009, in College Park, Md. Maryland players wore special jerseys today in honor of the wounded warrior program. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

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Nothing to get too excited about. Hokies took care of business and move to 7-3.

Georgia Tech clinched the Coastal with its win over Duke earlier in the day. Congratulations to Winfield, Dane and Bird. Enjoy Tampa, Ybor City and Mons Venus. Take pictures.
In the first half, the Hokies scored three touchdowns on three trips to the red zone and were 5-for-7 on third down conversions. They led, 27-3 at the half and were pretty dominant on both sides of the ball.
In the second half, the Hokies made three field goals on three trips to the red zone and were 3-for-8 on third down conversions. Needless to say, things got a lot more conservative in the second half.
Tyrod Taylor threw for 200 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. A fourth touchdown was called back and spotted at the 1-yard line on replay. The Terps gave him man coverage and Tyrod took advantage of it, hooking up with Jarrett Boykin and Dyrell Roberts deep. Tyrod threw a few beautiful deep balls today.
Maryland sold out to stop the run in the first half. But in the second half, Ryan Williams was able to churn out yards and finished with 126 yards and the Hokies' first touchdown of the game.
The defense kept Maryland out of the end zone. The Terps only touchdown came when Tyrod held the ball too long in the end zone and fumbled.
The only offense the Terps could manage the whole game came when Jamarr Robinson would scramble for yards. He had 128 yards rushing and completed only 12 of his 32 passes for 104 yards. The defense played well, but couldn't always account for Robinson's rushing abilities. Honestly, if Chris Turner had played this would have been much uglier.
Virginia Tech averaged 6.7 yards per play. Maryland averaged 3.7.
The jerseys looked fine from afar and on ESPN360. The jersey stripes looked decent, but the number gradient and spiralgraph shoulders were atrocious. I think it would have looked a lot better with our usual maroon helmets, too.
In all, the Hokies did what we expected them to and keep their goal of a 10-win season alive. They return home to face NC State next week. We'll learn the game time and TV for that game Sunday afternoon.

NCAA10 Sim: Hokies 42, Terps 35

Hokie20 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:44 -0000

Tyrod Taylor led a game-winning drive in the final minute and a half to help Virginia Tech fend off Maryland in a high-scoring affair in College Park, 42-35.

Maryland marched down the field on the legs of Davin Meggett starting with just under four minutes to play. Meggett carried the Terps on his back carrying the ball on the five final plays of a 14-play touchdown drive with fewer than two minutes to play.

Maryland tied the game at 35, but left too much time on the clock for Taylor and the Hokies. Taylor went 6-for-7 passing on the game-winning drive including a 25 yard dump-off pass to Ryan Williams. With no timeouts remaining, the Hokies worked their way into the Maryland red zone to kick a field goal. However, Tech went for the score and Taylor hit Jarrett Boykin for an 8-yard strike to put the Hokies up for good.

Taylor and Maryland counterpart Chris Turner passed for big numbers and several touchdowns. Turner shined early in the first quarter with two touchdowns longer than 20 yards. The Hokies looked like they would struggle staying with the Terps until Dyrell Roberts returned a kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown to spark the Hokies.

Ryan Williams did not have a good day due to Taylor throwing the ball consistently. Williams amassed only 82 yards and one touchdown.

VT 13 7 8 14 -42

UMD 14 7 7 7 -35

Scoring Summary

1^st Quarter

VT:TD 3:40 J. Boykin, 1 Yd pass from T. Taylor (M. Waldron Kick)

UMD:TD 2:00 R. Tyler, 22 Yd pass from C. Turner (N. Ferrara Kick)

UMD:TD 0:37 T. Smith, 26 Yd pass from C. Turner (N. Ferrara Kick)

VT:TD 0:09 D. Roberts, returned kickoff 102 Yds (Missed Kick)

2^nd Quarter

VT:TD 2:32 D. Roberts, 5 Yd pass from T. Taylor (M. Waldron Kick)

UMD:TD 2:05 T. Smith, returned kickoff 102 Yds (N. Ferrara Kick)

3^rd Quarter

UMD:TD 2:51 D. Scott, 2 Yd run (N. Ferrara Kick)

VT:TD 2:54 R. Williams, 1 Yd run (2-Pt)

4^th Quarter

VT:TD 3:22 G. Boone, 10 Yd pass from T. Taylor (M. Waldron Kick)

UMD:TD 1:30 D. Meggett, 1 Yd run (N. Ferrara Kick)

VT:TD 3:40 J. Boykin, 7 Yd pass from T. Taylor (M. Waldron Kick)

Significant Stats

First downs VT: 18 UMD: 20

Total Offense VT:385 UMD: 427

Turnovers VT: 0 UMD: 1 FUM,

Virginia Tech Top Player Stats

Passing: T. Taylor 24-36 for 296 yds, 4 TD

Rushing: R. Williams 19-for-82 yds, 1 TD

Receiving: J. Boykin 6-for-75 yds, 2 TD

Defense: C. Grimm 10 TAK

Maryland Top Player Stats

Passing: C. Turner 18-34 for 314 yds, 2 TD

Rushing: D. Scott 26-for-88 yds, 1 TD

Receiving: T. Smith 5-for-106 yds, 1 TD

Defense: T. Skinner 7 TAK, 1 DEFL

2009 Virginia Tech Football: What to Watch vs. East Carolina

furrer4heisman — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:22 -0000

by Don Petersen - AP

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The Team

This team has two choices. It can come together and have a solid November like it has since it joined the ACC in 2004 or it can phone in the next four games and finish 8-4 or 7-5.
I think we'll know the answer after the ECU game. If the Hokies come out fired up and looking to show they aren't the same team that lost at home to UNC, they'll win out and have a chance to continue the 10-win streak in the bowl game. But if they come out unmotivated I think they'll be the same way the rest of the year and we'll have a 2003-like end to the season.

Virginia Tech Offense vs. East Carolina Defense

ECU's front seven is big and nasty and is one of the best run defenses in Conference USA. Just look at how big their two DTs are. Jay Ross is 6-3, 314 and the beastly Linval Joseph is 6-6, 322.
Joseph is just another in a line of great DTs the Hokies have faced. He'll go a long way toward shutting down any running room the Hokies might have between the tackles.
Fortunately for Virginia Tech, Ryan Williams doesn't make his hay between the tackles. He's able to get outside and make people miss to get yards. I think he can still have a solid game without having to go against ECU's front seven.
I really think the Hokies can have success running zone-read option plays against ECU this week. We really haven't seen much of this since the Marshall game, but I think the Pirates have the kind of defense that can be susceptible to these misdirection plays that could lead to Tyrod Taylor getting open in space.
I also think the Hokies should use zone-read out of the shotgun because they will have a new center (Michael Via) this game. Taylor can sit in the shotgun and not have to worry about taking snaps under a new center. Plus, it helps mitigate the effect having a new center going against Joseph will have.
Speaking of Taylor, he gets to play against a suspect pass defense. Van Eskridge is a solid free safety for the Pirates but their secondary has struggled as a unit.
We've seen Dyrell Roberts make some big plays the last couple weeks. But watch for Jarrett Boykin and Xavier Boyce to have opportunities to have big catches of their own against ECU's cornerbacks.

Virginia Tech Defense vs. East Carolina Offense

I don't understand how the Hokies can't get guys like Linval Joseph in Blacksburg to play DT. You need stout guys like Barry Booker in there to plug those running lanes.
From DT to linebacker to free safety, the Hokies are weak up the middle. And when your defense is weak up the middle, it's weak period.
Even without great size in the middle of the defensive line, the Hokies should be able to stop the Pirates' run game. ECU's two worst ypc averages came in its two games against BCS opponents: West Virginia and North Carolina. The Tar Heels held the Pirates to 1.83 ypc.
You'll see a lot of different Pirates get carries Thursday. That includes Patrick Pinkney when plays break down and wide receiver Dwayne Harris out of the wildcat formation. Harris is averaging over five yards per carry and leads the Pirates with four rushing touchdowns.
Pinkney killed the Hokies last year. He had key carries to get first downs and completed 19 of 23 passes to pick apart Virginia Tech. The Hokies have to get pressure on Pinkney as well as keep him in containment to keep him from hurting them with his feet.
I think if Dorian Porch has a big game it means Pinkney wasn't as effective as the Pirates would like him to be. This includes both wrapping him up before he's able to scramble for yards and disrupting the passing game.
Along with Michael Via, Lyndell Gibson will be getting his first career start Thursday. Gibson replaces Jake Johnson who has struggled recently. With Johnson on the bench, the Hokies get even smaller up the middle.

Outcome

The Hokies should come out and shut down the Pirates. This isn't the same Hokie team that lost to ECU last year and this ECU team isn't as good as last year's in my opinion. But a rowdy Dowdy crowd will keep this close most of the game.

Watch the Box Score For:

Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers
VT yardage on first down
VT red zone percentage
Patrick Pinkney's efficiency

Virginia Tech Players to Watch:

34 - Ryan Williams, Fr., RB
67 - Michael Via, Fr., OL
39 - Lyndell Gibson, Fr., LB
24 - Dorian Porch, Sr., ROV

East Carolina Players to Watch:

15 - Patrick Pinkney, Sr., QB
17 - Dwayne Harris, Jr., WR
97 - Linval Joseph, Jr., DT
4 - Van Eskridge, Sr., FS

Final Score

Virginia Tech 31, East Carolina 21