Virginia Tech Football: Don't Call It a Comeback

Don’t call it a comeback because the comeback didn’t come to fruition. The game Saturday between the 21st-ranked Hokies and the Hurricanes from Miami was an instant classic. Virginia Tech was able to score the go-ahead touchdown in the final minute of the game to win 38-35.

The big story of the game was the Hokies offense. (Scratch that.) The real story was Logan Thomas. Where has this guy been? He looked as bad as could be against Clemson and follows that up with, arguably, the best performance by a Virginia Tech quarterback ever.

All Hokies fans could do on Saturday is shake their heads and ask where was this last week. Logan Thomas completed 23-of-25 passes for three touchdowns and, for good measure, he ran for another two (including the go-ahead score).

The only drawback for Virginia Tech’s offense during the game was a couple of fumbles. One came from a snap that Logan Thomas wasn’t ready for, and the other came on a strip sack when Thomas held the ball behind his back.

Logan Thomas looked to be a one man wrecking crew against the Hurricanes, but he did have some help. David Wilson had another big day. He ran the ball 23 times for 128 yards (5.6 yd avg.). He also caught a touchdown pass from Thomas. The offense was humming for the whole game, but the same cannot be said for the defense.

Bud Foster’s squad was great in the first half. They only allowed one touchdown, which came after a questionable call reversal in the Hurricanes’ favor.  The defense was able to hold both Jacory Harris and Lamar Miller in check, but two key injuries for the Hokies loomed over the proceedings.

Defensive end James Gayle and linebacker Jeron Gouveia-Winslow left the game with injuries in the first quarter. Both injuries had a major effect in the second half. The Hokies weren’t able to contain Lamar Miller any longer (he ran for 166 yards on the day), which allowed Jacory Harris to begin to find open receivers in the second half.

Miami’s offense scored touchdowns on every drive in the second half except for the last drive of the game. The defensive line was clearly overmatched by Miami’s offensive line in the second half. The success in the running game gave the Hurricanes a chance to open up their playbook. The play action game started working, and Miami decided to throw some trick plays at the Hokies as well.

Virginia Tech’s offense was fantastic, but it was far from a complete game for the Hokies. The offense may have won the game but the defense came close to losing it. Hopefully, Gayle and Gouveia-Winslow will be back on the field soon to help bolster the unit.

The Hokies should enjoy the win until Sunday because the Hokies are heading to Wake Forest next week. Don’t overlook the Demon Deacons, they just beat Florida State.