If ever a football game captured the true Hokie experience as a fan over the last 50 years, Virginia Tech’s 42-21 win over Boston College last night came as close as humanly possible.
There was joy. Then sorrow. Then “wait, maybe it’s not quite over yet.”
All in the span of about an hour.
But when the dust settled, Virginia Tech had a winning record both overall and in the ACC. Two players emerged from “very well known” status to bonafide stars in Bhayshul Tuten and Antwaun Powell-Ryland. It was as if the DeLorean had taken us all back to the future when the offensive line was well-liked and opened holes for big plays from the running game, while the defense created turnovers, pressures and sacks just when needed.
It felt like the program took the next, badly needed step.
Well, except in the third quarter. We’ll get to that in a minute.
At the midway point of year 3 of head coach Brent Pry’s tenure, fans have yearned for that one game where the team puts everything together and puts behind any questions about how good they can be. A game with few penalties or turnovers, the offensive line comes together, and backs like Tuten – who has shown several flashes of brilliance – have that “coming out” game where the world sees he’s one day going to be playing on Sunday. Or Powell-Ryland has that Bruce Smith-type performance with 4 sacks and 7 tackles.
In the first half, those wishes were granted. The Hokies raced to a 28-0 lead that was so overwhelmingingly positive, it didn’t seem real. The offense hit on all cylinders as Quarterback Kyron Drones was 12-13 for 144 yards, and Tuten had 8 carries for 128 yards and a TD catch for another 20.
In just one half.
Particularly interesting was after seeing how much-maligned the offensive line has been the last two years, it seemed to hit a point – as it often does with Ols because they need time playing together – where it was beginning to jell. Virginia Tech uses a blocking scheme where the running back tends to come across the line in search of seams, and when he sees one, turns upfield and explodes through the opening.
That has not often been the case the last two seasons. But last night the seams were there, and Tuten, who has been slowed by injury and wearing a knee brace the last few games, felt well enough to not wear it against BC. If you’ve ever worn one, you know it slows you slightly because you’re self-conscious about it and know it’s there.
The results of Tuten not wearing it made it seem as if he ran like someone who had trained with a parachute on their back and now had taken it off. He was exceptionally quick, and combined with those seams, had a career night. He broke Darrell Evan’s 2008 record for most yards in a game with 266 yards rushing – on only 18 carries for a 14.8 per carry average – busting an 83-yarder for one touchdown, then caught a 20-yard TD pass from Drones for the 28-0 halftime advantage.
If you followed on social media, you might have wondered who these people were talking so positively about the Hokies. “If I’m dreaming, please don’t wake me up” was a often read sentiment.
Everyone was, however, brutally awakened in the third quarter. Like a bucket of ice water with a family of snakes in it thrown on you awakened.
I’d like to explain what happened, but it all defies any logic. After playing a very disciplined first half, the defense was the first to stumble. A blown coverage resulted in BC receiver Treshaun Ward running around alone in the end zone, QB Thomas Castellanos found him and it was 28-7. Then Drones was rolling to his right, had a receiver only a few yards ahead of him, but instead of throwing it there, inexplicably threw it right to the BC defender. Another blown assignment left BC’s Jeremiah Franklin lonely in the end zone and it was now 28-14.
D’oh.
Before you could let out another “are you kidding me?” Tuten then fumbled deep in Hokie territory and within minutes, the Eagles were in the end zone again. From a seemingly insurmountable 28-0 lead to barely holding on 28-21 all in less than a quarter of play. People who took an extended halftime break returned to watching and had no idea what they were viewing.
Included in that group was one old friend, who texted me “what happened?” and I had to tell him I hadn’t seen something collapse that quick since that girlfriend he had his junior year. Social media went from “all is well” to “all is lost” in the blink of an eye. It was the Hokie experience on steroids the way the emotional roller coaster ride was playing out.
But after getting hit with a punch in the third quarter, the Hokies got back off the canvas. BC had the ball and a chance to tie, but the defense made a key stop on 4th and 1. The offense answered with a touchdown drive where they ran the ball down BC’s throat. The defense pressured and sacked BC’s QB the next series, then the offense answered with a 61-yard touchdown run by Tuten.
Game over.
Just like they used to do it in the heydays of Frank Beamer, who is celebrating his 78th birthday today.
Unpacking all that happened after the game concluded took some time. The team is now 4-3, 2-1 in the ACC, and Pry has now beaten long-time nemesis BC three times in three years. He has now doubled his number of career wins over ACC teams with a winning record. The team has now played at a high level three games in a row, showing consistency it has never displayed before.
It also showed some intangibles that establish the foundation of a program. They took a lead, got knocked down and almost squandered it, then showed the talent and discipline to stop, right the ship, and continue on their journey to a win. That has not been a tradition in Blacksburg in the last decade.
They also showed a few things that might make people want to play for the Hokies one day: They were on national television. The crowd was it’s usual rowdy and insane self. They showed they had stars – which I think can be very important. You can have very good players, but when there are stars, you get players wanting to come to a school to be the next Mike Vick, Kevin Jones or Bruce Smith. Since Beamer retired, you haven’t really had that, but in Tuten and Antwaun Powell, you now do. Their names will be mentioned among the elite. People will predict them going early in potential NFL mock drafts.
Hokies will be in the national conversations.
They faced adversity and came away still standing. Granted, their Tina Turner-esque “we never ever do anything nice…and easy” approach is going to drive some of us to the Nexium bottle too often.
But they won. They looked good doing it.
Dare I say it…they showed that they just might be for real.
