Hokies Handle Western Michigan 35-17

That happened.

Then this happened.

The game was never really in doubt afterwards.

I'm going to ignore a lot of what happened after until I watch the film, but briefly...

I don't know what the defensive fronts were, or what the game plan was, but Virginia Tech wasn't committed to running the ball in the first half. During the week Beamer Co. stated, and reiterated, the focus of this game on offense was balance, which, given how much Tech had previously aired it out, meant running the ball.

In the second half, against an inferior Western Michigan front-seven, the Hokies pounded the rock. Virginia Tech finished the game with 308 yards on 47 carries which got me about as excited as anything that's happened so far this season. Reminder: it was vanilla play calling; inside zone, outside zone, rinse, repeat. It was beautiful to know what the play was before the snap and still see the Hokies rip off a five-yard run. I do believe this team can run the ball if it's dedicated to doing so. In the short term, the payoff of investing in the run game feels like the return on a 30-year bond. Nobody's hammering the rock to win Powerball, but saving those ten-dollar bills from grandma add up. Thirty-two passes, 47 runs and a 60/40 split for 486 yards seem like a great formula for success moving forward.

I've been steadfast in my belief that Shai should get the majority of snaps at tailback, but I may have to stop banging my drum.

#Hokies TB Shai McKenzie suffered a sprained knee. Coach Frank Beamer: "I think we may have lost him. That's tough."— Mike Barber (@RTD_MikeBarber) September 27, 2014

If he's done, that's terrible news for a kid that worked his butt off to get on the field this season. I'd be remiss not to acknowledge Juice's play today. He hasn't been a slouch this season, not in the slightest. Fourteen carries for a buck-nineteen is a more than respectable day in Lane. When he gets lathered up and running downhill he's a load that's painful to take down. If he's going to be the man moving forward, it'll be fun to watch him grow and develop as a ball carrier.

I called Bill(dozer) after the game to vent a little bit. He said about the most reasonable thing one could've, "This team is young, it was another learning experience."

He is right of course, take for instance the following statistic: All four of Tech's touchdowns Saturday were scored by freshman. Fifteen of the first 19 touchdowns on the season have been scored by freshmen (16 of 19 by underclassmen). Moreover, the defense was counting on some fresher faces in Facyson's and Maddy's absence.

At the end of the day, Tech, handily, beat a second-fiddle squad. The Lunch Pail defense held freshman stud running back Jarvion Franklin to 76 yards, many less than his 180 yard average, and the Broncos to 19 net rushing yards. The offense found itself in the second half and the d-line harassed quarterback Zach Terrell for the better part of the afternoon.

Those things were supposed to happen though. This team is young and has taken Hokie Nation on a bumpy ride. If it wants to chauffeur the maroon and orange faithful to Charlotte in December, it's going to have to grow up, and quick.