Slept On It: Purdue

I grew frustrated with myself Saturday morning in anticipation of the Hokies' first road trip of the season. Why was I so nervous heading into a game versus a Purdue team that had only two wins against FBS opponents during the Darrell Hazell era? After all, the second half versus Furman should have gone a long way towards quelling any lingering doubts about this team, right?

The problem is that I'm emotionally scarred. You probably are too. If you're not, you're probably new around here. Hopefully you won't be forced to endure the dramatic peaks and valleys that go along with Hokie fandom because, as the great Bob Dylan once said, "the times they are a-changin'."

After enjoying an unprecedented run of success from 1999-2011 in which the Hokies amassed an astonishing 132-39 record, Frank Beamer's teams have gone a depressingly average 24-18 since. But even during the streak of ten-win seasons there were dotted with four ACC Championships, we were all left wanting more.

Maybe it was the 6-0 start in 2003 that was temporarily derailed in Morgantown, put back-on-track a week later with the famous 31-7 drubbing of No. 2 Miami, and then spoiled by a 1-5 stretch to end the season.

Or maybe it was the 8-0 start and No. 3 rank in 2005, before being gut-punched by Miami at home and again by Florida State in the ACC Championship game.

And we can't forget the 2007, 2009 and 2011 teams that spent the entire season ranked in the top 25, but failed to win a BCS bowl.

Even during the good years we became conditioned to eventual heartbreak. Over the past few seasons, we've gotten excited about the possibility of being ranked — that's how unfortunate things have become.

Heading into this season, many college football pundits tabbed the Hokies as a breakout candidate. Some speculated that they could win the ACC Coastal; others viewed them as team that could surprise and slide into the playoff discussion.

All of these expectations simultaneously excite and terrify me. I love hearing the national media talk about the Hokies, but far too many times have I witnessed a strong Tech team simply fail to show up.

I think that's a large part of what occupied my mind Saturday morning. I felt so good about the direction this team was headed that I worried a road game against a team they should beat was exactly the type of game that would trip them up.

Right before halftime, it looked as though my worst fears might be realized. Despite being thoroughly dominated, statistically, Purdue was hanging tight with the Hokies thanks to a slew of untimely Tech penalties and a 90-yard fumble return by Boilermaker Danny Ezechukwu.
But with a little over two minutes left in the first half, Trey Edmunds broke through for consecutive big gains and Brenden Motley capped off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run that sparked a streak of 27 unanswered points by the Hokies.

By day's end, the Hokies led almost every key statistical category; they scored on offense, defense and special teams for the first time since the Clemson game in 2007; and they single handedly beat the over/under line (49). It was a stellar day from the good guys and a strong first road start for guys like Motley, Adonis Alexander and Sean Huelskamp.

So what do we make of this team now that a quarter of the 2015 season is in the books? This is a team that led No. 1 Ohio State at halftime, only to lose momentum in the second half after starting QB Michael Brewer was sidelined with a broken collarbone. They followed that up with two resounding victories over a high level FCS Furman (that just knocked off UCF) and a middling Power 5 team that resulted in 93 total points and more non-offensive touchdowns (3) than opponents' offensive touchdowns (2).

This team is by no means perfect, but through three games it's hard not to feel good about what we've seen from the Hokies thus far. It will take at least another week to fully understand this team's strengths and weaknesses, but the first twelve quarters of the season have provided us with a strong foundation.

The second half against the Buckeyes is the outlier — you had a backup quarterback who was thrown into the fire on a national stage against a defense that smelled blood in the water. Remove that half and take the first few offensive drives of the Furman game with a grain of salt, and that's your team, right?

That's a team that can go places. Admittedly, the defensive line is prone to breakdowns. The mike linebacker spot is at best unresolved and at worst the defense's weak spot. Lockdown corner Kendall Fuller doesn't look 100 percent. But the offense is a little more dynamic than it used to be, the anticipated weaponry has met expectations, and the staff continues to do a fantastic job integrating young guys like Adonis Alexander with great success.

After the final whistle, I felt foolish for fretting about Saturday's game. Seeing your team drop 51 points will do that to you. But as that foolishness dissipated, I found myself filled with hope. Hope that this team is different from years past. Hope that we're seeing the start of something special.