The Little Things

A wise football mind once told me that good teams find a way to win when they don't play their best, and bad teams find a way to lose when they do. The Hokies found a way to lose 38-34 in Miami despite dominating the line of scrimmage, winning the turnover battle, and playing more physically. Tech's high-profile self-sabotage — the squib quick, ill-timed penalties, fake field goal attempt, clueless clock management — have been well documented. There were also many subtle mistakes that would cripple even the best effort. They were enough that Cam Ward, the best quarterback the Hokies have faced in the Brent Pry era, orchestrated an improbable comeback that put the game in the hands of ACC officials.

It never should have been that close.

The Hokies wasted a physical defensive performance.

Against an offense that had not been challenged all season, the Hokies defense dominated the line of scrimmage for most of the game. Aeneas Peebles, Kelvin Gilliam, and Keyshawn Burgos in particular spent most of the evening pushing back a very passive Miami offensive line. The push by the defensive line was offset by a masterful performance by Ward. Despite throwing two interceptions, he kept plays alive with his feet and consistently threw into tight windows against good coverage. The Hokies also struggled with coverage at the safety position, where injuries forced the Virginia Tech staff to have Mose Phillips and Quentin Reddish on the field at the same time. And most of all, the Hokies made small mistakes that had a major impact.

The defensive line play was impressive though. On this inside zone hand-off to Damien Martinez (No. 6), the Hokies won all across the front line.