Five observations from Virginia Tech’s 38-0 victory over Virginia in the Commonwealth Cup.
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Stretch play. On Tech’s first snap, the Hokies went big and deep – 6-foot-6, 254-pound quarterback Logan Thomas heaving a rainbow to 6-4, 228-pound wideout Marcus Davis, who caught the ball over All-America cornerback Chase Minnifield, who drew a pass interference penalty on the 36-yard play. In the second quarter, Tech used the same play, beating cornerback Dom Joseph for 42 yards. Throwing long early stretched the Virginia defense, setting up the rushing success of David Wilson, who gained 121 of his 153 rushing yards in the second half. Conversely, Virginia never stretched the Tech defense, though there were plenty of opportunities to do so against a Hokie unit that was committed to stopping the run. The Cavaliers two longest gains (both 32 yards) came on intermediate routes.
‘Hoos house? Befitting its status as a national power, Tech travels well. Walking into Scott Stadium, two jersey-wearing Tech fans good-naturedly taunted Virginia fans. “This is our homecoming,” yelled one. He was right. Many in the sellout crowd of 61,124 were wearing maroon. In the second half, as the Hokies pulled away and fans of the Cavaliers quietly departed, the minority became the majority. It’s hard to imagine Virginia fans ever overtaking Lane Stadium.
Thanksgiving stuffing. Virginia entered averaging 178 yards rushing per game. The Cavaliers gained 30 yards against the Hokies on 26 carries, their lowest output since losing to Florida State in week four of 2010. The anemic attack is perplexing considering the stability of the Virginia offensive line, which has remained injury-free. None of Virginia’s potent trio of backs — Perry Jones (six carries, 13 yards), Kevin Parks (seven carries, 17 yards) and Clifton Richardson (three carries, five yards) – produced a run of more than five yards. “They did a great job playing defense. It’s what they do,” Virginia coach Mike London said. “It’s unfortunate for us because one of the things we pride ourselves on is being able to run the ball.”
Rocking Rocco. Virginia Tech had four sacks. The last three played key roles in ending possessions. The first came on a second-quarter blitz by cornerback Kyle Fuller, who forced a Rocco fumble that was recovered by linebacker Jack Taylor (Oakton), after Virginia reached the Tech 20. The second came after Virginia reached the Tech 10. Sophomore defensive end James Gayle lassoed Rocco for a loss of 11 on third down, forcing a 38-yard field goal attempt which was wide. Gayle made the third sack, which preceded an interception by sophomore defensive end J.R. Collins. The pressure came from an inexperienced Tech front seven that included five sophomores and two freshmen.
Burning Coale. The Hokies credited senior wideout Danny Coale (Episcopal), who gave inspiring pre-game speeches at the hotel and in the locker room. “[He said] where they messed up was inviting us to their campus,” David Wilson said. “Hearing Danny talk like that got me fired up. Normally you won’t hear him talk this aggressive.” Coale was particularly motivated for the game. His brother, Kevin, played lacrosse at Virginia. His father, Jimmy, is in his 29th year as strength coach at Virginia Military Institute. “I just wanted to remind them, we had a chance to go back to the ACC championship,” Coale said. “We were well aware of the hype they were getting – the upset alerts, the picks. It was important to remind each other of how good a team we are.” Coale also did his jack-of-all-trades thing on the field. He caught two passes, returned two punts, and had a rushing attempt. But his biggest contribution was punting, where Tech has struggled this season. He kicked four times for an average of 47.5 yards. Virginia return man Jones netted just nine yards on the returns.
