Slept On It: Hokies Kicked It Old School in 26-10 Win Over Boston College

It's human nature for us to become enamored with the hot new trend or device. We're easily distracted by shiny objects and are quick to evaluate our existing possessions as soon as something "faster," "more powerful," or "more efficient" comes along.

In a period in which high octane offenses put up dizzying point totals and blow up box scores, it's only natural for those without to fantasize about the prospect of endless excitement.

Being a Hokie football fan is no different.

For as long as I can remember, Hokie Nation has wondered out loud what it might be like if Tech had an offense that could blow the doors off opponents.

"Could you imagine how great the Hokies could be with a Chip Kelly/Mike Leach/Art Briles/Chad Morris offense to pair with Bud's defense?"

It was as though the only way Tech could reach the top of the mountain was with a video game offense. Forget about the fact that Alabama was winning national championships running a boring, pro-style system. Or that Stanford won Pac-12 titles over sexier teams like USC and Oregon by lining up and running the ball down their throats.

Some of Frank Beamer's best teams were the ones that played strong, fundamental football and were quick to punch the opponent in the mouth before they knew what hit them. It didn't need to be flashy or attractive. Style points never mattered.

On a beautiful afternoon in Chestnut Hill, the Hokies were able to get back to basics against a fledgling Boston College squad. They went right at the talented BC defense with a balanced attack. They hounded the Eagles' offense; terrorizing the backfield and attacking the football. It was a return to a more classic Beamer brand of football. It wasn't perfect, and it definitely wasn't sexy.

For a team struggling to find their footing, heading north to take on an injured and inexperienced Boston College squad couldn't have been timed better. This Hokies team was sorely lacking confidence and needed to prove to themselves that they weren't overestimated heading into this season.

It's been a long two months; three if you count fall camp. We've watched this team rise and fall like a battered ship adrift in hostile seas. They have experienced the dismissal of a talented safety, the loss of a defensive stalwart and the absence of the starting quarterback. A deep and potentially dangerous backfield toiled for weeks like beggars asked to make a five-star dinner from table scraps. A defense poised for unparalleled success has been reduced to hobbled veterans and fresh faces. All the while, the legendary coach was left wondering whether the game had passed him by.

Nine weeks ago, this team was tabbed as a dark horse in the ACC title hunt and a dangerous opening opponent against the defending national champion Buckeyes. I can't help but look back and feel as though somewhere along the way this team forgot who they were. Maybe they never really knew the answer.

Saturday's game was fascinating to me, if only because it was so unremarkable. The Hokies played solid football en route to a relatively easy victory. They had their struggles and still found ways to hurt themselves with dumb penalties and ill-timed turnovers. But they played hard until the very end against a team that has made a living beating opponents at the point of attack.

If there was any point in the game that best exemplified this, it was the way the Hokies closed the game.

After a Boston College field goal cut the Hokies lead to 13 points with 8:09 to go, the Hokies ran the ball eight straight plays — seven of which were Travon McMillian carries — to gain two first downs and chew 5:04 off the clock.

After an A.J. Hughes punt, Dadi Nicolas' stripped Eagles quarterback John Fadule and recovered the loose ball.

Three more Travon McMillian carries and a 32-yard Joey Slye field goal iced the game.

Not counting the kneel down to close out the victory, 13 of the Hokies' 17 fourth quarter offensive snaps were McMillian carries. Sure, he only gained 27 yards on the ground; but against the No. 1 rush defense in the nation, the offense went right after the BC front and was able to take 9:20 off the clock and grab a much needed win.

You may think the play calling was stubborn, clamoring from your couch for Lefty to mix in some play-action or screens. Why get fancy? Why would Tech put itself in a vulnerable position when they have the talent to go right at the Eagles?

Much like those great Tech teams of yore, the Hokies didn't need to earn any style points to close out Saturday's win. If anything, dictating the game exhibited more authority than cowering to BC's strengths.

That's the team I want to root for — the type that refuses to back down and deviate from their approach. It's a fine line between resolve and stubbornness, differentiated by one's ability to out-will the other.

If there's one thing I hope this team takes away from Saturday's win, it's that they possess the willingness to succeed in all phases of the game as a collective. A football game is full of thousands of small battles, each of which have a direct or indirect impact on the outcome. This season has been characterized by momentary lapses that have snowballed into backbreaking mistakes and failures.

Against BC, the Hokies were able to pick themselves up after potentially damaging results. After Michael Brewer's under thrown fade to Bucky Hodges was intercepted in the end zone, Andrew Motuapuaka picked up the offense with a strip-and-score on the very next play. When the offense was forced to punt late in the fourth, Dadi Nicolas took the ball away to set up Joey Slye's fourth and final field goal of the day.

Until recently, Virginia Tech made a living winning games like that. Hopefully after Saturday's win, this locker room has begun to realize they have the ability to do the same.