Virginia Tech Struggles Against ECU

Frank Beamer’s 200th win with the Hokies wasn’t pretty; in fact, it was one of the ugliest games in recent memory. The good news is that Virginia Tech beat East Carolina, but the game could have easily been a lost cause.

Logan Thomas looked unprepared for ECU’s 3-4 defense. He completed 8-of-21 passes for a total of 94 yards and an interception. Four of Thomas’s completions were to Jarrett Boykin, which made him the all-time receptions leader in Virginia Tech history. He also threw two passes that could have easily been turnovers as well.

He threw one good pass the whole day. It was a deep throw to wide receiver Marcus Davis, who dropped the ball as he fell to the end zone turf. The running game was able to excel, whereas the passing game suffered.

David Wilson had another good day against the Pirates. He ran for 138 yards on 26 carries (5.3 yard average). Wilson wasn’t able to score a touchdown on the day, but he made plays at the end of the game when they were needed most. His longest run of the day was 39 yards.

Oglesby also stepped up for the Hokies on Saturday. He scored both Virginia Tech touchdowns on the day and ran for 43 yards on nine carries. The Hokies totaled 241 yards rushing on the day.

The biggest problem that faced Virginia Tech on Saturday was themselves. They had a total of 12 penalties. The Hokies had more penalty yards than passing yards against ECU. Virginia Tech needs to play a cleaner game if they want to go through the ACC unscathed again.

The best news today was the defense. ECU has an explosive offense and was able to score 37 points on South Carolina last week, but the Pirates had no answer for Bud Foster’s squad. ECU had a total of 112 total offensive yards against Tech. ECU wasn’t able to get the running game started and totaled minus-15 yards on the ground.

The defensive line and linebackers were around the ball all day. ECU quarterback Dominique Davis was sacked five times. The Hokies ran their nickel package for most of the game with Chris Hill playing the nickel back. He proved to be a great asset in the win. He did well in coverage, as did Kyle Fuller and Jayron Hosley.

Kyle Fuller had the best day of any Hokie on the field. He was on top of the ball the whole game. He had an interception and a pass defended, but his stats don’t tell the whole story. He was laying out big hits throughout the game and dislodging balls. Fuller and the rest of the defense intimidated ECU.

The defense is the only reason that Virginia Tech was able to win this game. It looks like the defensive performance in Week 1 wasn’t a fluke. Virginia Tech’s defense looks dangerous again, which may be necessary if the offense continues to play like it did on Saturday.