Ten days removed from an emotional retirement announcement from Frank Beamer, Hokie Nation braced themselves for a sixty minute battle against perennial nuisance Georgia Tech. After looking like they had been run over by the Ramblin' Wreck on their way out of the tunnel, the Hokies fought their way out of a two touchdown deficit to escape Atlanta with win.
Defending Paul Johnson's old school triple option offense requires diligent preparation and disciplined assignment football. Early on, the Hokies' defense struggled to gain their footing.
Quarterback Justin Thomas quickly led the Jackets downfield for an early touchdown, due in large part to a 58-yard pass on only their second play from scrimmage. Two drives later after a Cam Phillips fumble at the VT 45, A-Back Clinton Lynch beat the Hokies around the edge and pushed the GT lead to 14.
In the blink of an eye, a game many had hoped would serve as a springboard toward bowl eligibility and a proper sendoff for Frank Beamer had quickly devolved into a disaster-in-the-making.
Virginia Tech was in dire need of a spark and they got one early in the second quarter. After a VT punt, the Bees picked up where they had left off and began marching downfield in hopes of putting the game out of reach. On 2nd-and-1 from the GT 31 yard line, DE Ken Ekanem exploded off the edge to take down A-Back Mikell Lands-Davis for a 5-yard loss that yielded a third-and-long and eventual punt.
I marked that play in my notebook during the game. After watching 20 minutes of seemingly robotic defensive play, Ekanem's TFL jumped out as the first time the defense had the look of a savage unit hell bent on stuffing CPJ's offense.
From thereon, the defense (mostly) stuck with their assignments and gap fits. The interior linemen were disruptive inside; Ekanem and Dadi attacked the edges; and Deon Clarke and Andrew Motuapuaka fought hard to contain the option. The aggression and effort were reminiscent of the 2013 win in Atlanta.
Probably best remembered for Derrick Hopkins' physically dominant performance inside (along with a Kyle Fuller high five and Hokie Stone brain buckets), the last match-up at Bobby Dodd Stadium saw the Hokies shut down the Bees with seven tackles-for-loss and 273 yards of total offense allowed (156 yards below GT's season average). Thursday night, Bud Foster's unit found their footing after a rough first quarter. Tech finished with seven tackles-for-loss and limited GT to 258 yards of offense (130 yards below GT's season average).
Paul Johnson's offense is a true test of preparation, focus and discipline. I've always admired the annual chess match between CPJ and Foster; a showdown between two brilliant tacticians separated by 160 feet, whose visions are manifested by young men in a battle of wits and execution.
Much like the 2013 unit, the Lunch Pail Defense arose victorious from Thursday night's battle. They buckled down after giving up two early scores, shutting out the Bees on all nine of their subsequent drives. Georgia Tech never got closer than the Hokies' 32-yard-line over the final three quarters of play, and turned the ball over three times in the second half.
So after letting the Hokies' performance sink in, why am I so tepid after-the-fact? On paper, the performance was solid. In reality, I can't help but feel like Tech escaped Atlanta rather than sauntered home with an emphatic victory.
Maybe it's because Tech's no longer playing for the Coastal Division crown. Maybe it's because 2015 Georgia Tech is a shell of itself, ravaged by injuries and devoid of confidence.
I was admittedly nervous heading into Thursday night's game; in hindsight I'm struggling to determine how much of it had to do with watching the waning moments of Frank's career and how much had to do with possibly witnessing an underachieving Georgia Tech team dominate us on national television.
For the players, it must be a strange place to be in, mentally. Playing for pride. Playing to maintain a bowl-streak with debatable importance. Playing for a legendary coach deserving of a positive send-off.
Playing with one eye on the above and the other on a murky future, trying to take things one day at a time while wondering what change may look like in what has been the most stable program in America.
This Hokies team is finally beginning to find their stride in the most critical stretch of the season. Thursday's win will probably be remembered more as the first game on Frank's farewell tour, but the way in which the defense rose to the occasion against early adversity should not be forgotten. After back-to-back physical wins over run-first teams, Saturday's tilt with UNC will be a true test of the defense's ability to contain a dynamic offense.
The Hokies are now one win away from bowl eligibility — which would make it 23 straight seasons, officially the longest active streak in the nation — with games against North Carolina and Virginia remaining. Saturday's game against the Tar Heels will have a lot on the line: The Heels will be playing for their first ever berth in the ACC Championship Game, while the Hokies will be looking to play spoiler and extend their bowl streak in what will be Beamer's final game in Lane Stadium.
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