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November 10, 2016
THE
EXTRAPOINT
Virginia Tech vs. Georgia Tech
COLLEGIATETIMES
ALL THE WAY UP Fuente’s #HardSmartTough attitude has already matched last season’s success, but fans now expect more from the postseason. ZACK WAJSGRAS / COLLEGIATE TIMES
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BEN WEIDLICH / COLLEGIATE TIMES
Virginia Tech tight end Chris Cunningham (85) celebrates after his 11-yard touchdown reception thrown by Jerod Evans in Pittsburgh.
A DECISIVE BATTLE OF THE TECHS The Virginia Tech football team, currently sitting at No.14 in the college football playoff rankings, returns home to face off against Georgia Tech as the Hokies look to continue their journey to the ACC Championship Game. TODD SMITH sports staff writer
The Virginia Tech Hokies return to the friendly confines of Lane Stadium this Saturday where they will take on Coastal Division rival Georgia Tech. The Hokies have experienced much success compared to recent seasons at home, boasting a 4–0 record in Blacksburg. However, Saturday will only be Virginia Tech’s second game at Lane Stadium since the beginning of October, with its most recent home performance being the strong showing on Thursday night against Miami. The team is coming off of a 24–21 win at Duke last weekend that improved its overall record to 7–2 (5–1 in the ACC) and kept the team in the driver’s seat in the division; a position it hopes to maintain with a win over the Yellow Jackets this week. “We’ve put ourselves in a good position,” said senior tailback Sam Rogers. “We know what could happen, but that means nothing if we don’t make it happen.” Georgia Tech, on the other hand, rolls into Blacksburg reeling from a 48–20 loss
against North Carolina last week, and as losers of four of its last five ACC games. The Yellow Jackets are still hoping to become bowl-eligible on Saturday, currently sitting on a record of 5–4. Last year’s matchup saw the Hokies escape from Atlanta with a 23–21 victory in an evenly matched game. Virginia Tech has won five of the last six matchups between these two sides, however, the last time Georgia Tech visited Lane Stadium, it handed the Hokies a 27–24 loss.
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We’ve put ourselves in a good position. We know what could happen, but that means nothing if we don’t make it happen.” Sam Rogers tailback
The Yellow Jackets’ offense always poses a challenge to opposing teams’ defenses,
led by head coach Paul Johnson’s patented triple-option attack. In typical Georgia Tech fashion, its rushing offense ranks 12th nationally, averaging just over 257 yards per game on the ground. The Yellow Jackets have been led by freshman running back Dedrick Mills (578 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns) and senior quarterback Justin Thomas (1,769 total yards and 12 total touchdowns), however Thomas suffered an upper-body injury against the Tar Heels last weekend, but is listed as probable for Saturday’s matchup. “Johnson and his triple-option attack can really put pressure on you in a lot of different ways,” said head coach Justin Fuente on Monday. “In terms of forcing you to be efficient offensively in your limited opportunities. Obviously, defensively you have to be assignment-sound, be good tacklers, have your eyes in the right spot and defend four downs.” While recent Virginia Tech defensive performances against mobile quarterbacks have been a red flag for this team, Bud see PREVIEW / page 8
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HOKIES’ DEFENSE PREPARES FOR ANOTHER MOBILE QUARTERBACK With Georgia Tech’s triple-option offensive attack coming to Lane Stadium this Saturday, the Virginia Tech football team must be ready to contain quarterback runs. CHASE PARKER football beat reporter
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They do a lot of things that mess with your eyes. You know, like fake handoffs and pitches. So you just have to be fundamentally sound.” Andrew Motuapuaka middle linebacker
answers. When you give them something they certainly can counterpunch you back. It is certainly an obstacle and has to be tackled in all phases of the game.” The Yellow Jackets rank second in the ACC in rushing yards per game (257.2) and their quarterback has a lot to do with it. In the last two games, Thomas has combined for 277 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. Virginia Tech middle linebacker Andrew Motuapuaka stressed the importance of playing a nearperfect game from a defensive standpoint when the team faces the unique Yellow Jacket offense that is led by a mobile quarterback like Thomas. “They do a lot of things that mess with your eyes. You know, like fake hand-offs and pitches. So you just have to be fundamentally sound, and you’ve just got to make sure that you’re doing your job and not trying to do too much because then they’ll expose you and a gap will be exposed and they have potential to take it to the house,” he said. Last week against UNC, Thomas suffered an upperbody injury late in the third quarter which sidelined him for the final portion of the game. While his official status for Saturday’s game hasn’t been announced yet, it is expected that he will be a full-go and play this weekend against the Hokies. It’s quite simple. If Virginia Tech hopes to remain in control of its own fate and beat Georgia Tech, it must exorcise its demons and shut down a mobile quarterback.
@ChaseParker_VT
ZACK WAJSGRAS / COLLEGIATE TIMES
Quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) passes the ball while being pursued by Ken Ekanem (4) and Trevon Hill (94), Sept. 10, 2016.
November 10, 2016 PAGE 3
Against Syracuse, it was much of the same. The Orange’s quarterback Eric Dungey also rushed for 106 yards and a score when his team upset Virginia Tech 31–17 in week seven. As stated earlier, this is bad news for the Hokies. Georgia Tech runs the ball six times more often than it throws it (65 passes, 428 rushes). Its quarterback Justin Thomas has carried the ball 112 times for 561 yards, which makes him the second-most effective rusher on the team. Because of its versatile backfield, the Georgia Tech offense is a unique beast to take on. No other Power Five team runs the triple-option as often as it does. “Part of the reason that it is a challenge defensively is that you don’t see it every day, and they’re very good at running it,” Fuente said. “Johnson and his staff have the
ZACK WAJSGRAS / COLLEGIATE TIMES
Joshua Dobbs (11) is sacked from behind by Ken Ekanem (4) during the Battle at Bristol, Sept. 10, 2016.
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With just three games to go, the Virginia Tech football team has already exceeded expectations by matching last year’s win total (seven) and sitting atop the Coastal Division late in the season. A lot has gone right for first-year head coach Justin Fuente and his crew, but when it comes to facing mobile quarterbacks, the Hokies have struggled — which is bad news with Georgia Tech’s unique triple-option offense coming to town on Saturday. In each of the Hokies’ two losses this season (Tennessee and Syracuse), the opposing signal caller made his greatest impact in the rushing game. When the Hokies played the Volunteers in week two, Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs gashed the Virginia Tech defense, rushing for 106 yards on just 14 carries. He also mustered out two touchdowns on the ground in the Vols’ 45–24 victory over Tech.
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THE VICTORY LANE: HOKIES THRIVE AT HOME Despite home struggles in the past few years, the Hokies have yet to lose at Lane Stadium this year and hope to stay undefeated this weekend. DAVID KELSEY sports staff writer
For the second straight week, the Hokies were able to pull out a three-point victory on the road against an ACC Coastal opponent. The difference in play between home and away games for head coach Justin Fuente’s team seems to be night and day. Tech is undefeated at home this year and has won every matchup by 21 or more points. On the road, the Hokies are 3–2 (if you count the Battle at Bristol as an away game), with two ugly losses to Syracuse and Tennessee. In both of these matchups, the Hokies lost by two scores and seemed to be missing energy on both sides of the ball. The Hokies did resemble the team we have seen at Lane Stadium when they traveled down to Chapel Hill and handed Coastal Division rivals UNC a 34–3 loss. The weather conditions, however, had a big impact on the Tar Heels’ deep threat passing offense and allowed Bud Foster’s defense to control the game. Along with many other contributors, the defense’s play on the road is leading to narrow victories and devastating losses. Tech is giving up an average of 371 yards of total offense per game on the road and gave up a season high 561 yards at the Carrier Dome against Syracuse. At home, opponents are only averaging 273 yards of total offense. Foster’s defense is also giving up an average of 27.2 points per game on the road compared to the 11.5 points per game at Lane Stadium.
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At home, Tech has only had two ACC matchups, with one being against a Boston College team which did not win a single conference game a year ago.”
It has not been just the defense that has shown struggles on the road as parts of the offense have been uncharacteristic in enemy territory as well. The running game has not been able to maintain consistency on the road, averaging just 178.6 yards per game, which is 35 yards less than at home. Jerod Evans and the passing game have been one of the only bright spots on the road as Evans put up a season high 406 yards at Pittsburgh and receivers Bucky Hodges, Isaiah Ford and Cam Phillips have all posted their season highs in receiving yards in opposing stadiums. Away from Lane Stadium, the passing game has been
ZOE SCOPA / COLLEGIATE TIMES
Andrew Motuapuaka (54) attempts to bring down Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey (2) during an away game, Oct. 15, 2016. relied on to carry the load offensively. One explanation for the Hokies’ struggles outside of Blacksburg is the competition they have faced. Out of the five away games Tech has played this season, (again, counting Battle at Bristol as an away game) four have been ACC matchups and the other was a nationally televised game against a top-25 ranked Tennessee team. At home, Tech has only had two ACC matchups with one being against a Boston College team who did not win a single conference game a year ago. The other two home victories were against non-conference opponents, Liberty which is an FCS school and East Carolina which is currently 3–6 on the season. Luckily for Tech, it closes out the regular season with two home games against ACC opponents which are near the bottom of the standings and travel to South Bend to play a 3–6 Notre Dame team, in which the game’s result won’t affect its quest for a spot in the ACC title game. ZOE SCOPA / COLLEGIATE TIMES @ThatKelsey_Kid
Head coach Justin Fuente addresses his team between plays during the Oct. 15, 2016, game against the Syracuse Orange.
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Pitt quarterback Nathan Peterman (4) is tackled by Terrell Edmunds (22), Oct. 27, 2016. Edmunds was ejected for a targeting call near the end of the game against Duke last week.
EDMUNDS’ EJECTION A VICTORY FOR GOOD OFFICIATING The ejection and subsequent suspension will hurt the Hokies’ defense in the secondary, but it’s encouraging to see the officials get the call right. KYLE COOKE assistant sports editor
in the helmet. Wilson was looked to be knocked unconscious, and that’s why he dropped the ball, not because any tackler jarred it loose. This gruesome replay was shown dozens of times on the jumbotron, to the point that both Tech and Duke fans were shouting for the officials to stop showing it. It was hard to watch. The replay official ruled that while Wilson did indeed fumble the ball, Edmunds targeted him. Duke retained possession of the football and was moved to the 50-yard line. Last year, this would not have been the case. Because the on-field referees did not call targeting, it wasn’t in the power
of the replay official to do so. However, this offseason, the NCAA approved a new rule that allows replay officials to call targeting in the event that the call was missed on the field. In regards to player safety, this rule is an improvement. The problem is, targeting is never called consistently. With the Edmunds play, the call was easy. It was helmet-to-helmet contact, Wilson’s body went limp, and the Duke training staff had to tend to him. Few Hokie fans in my section seemed upset with the call. It was reasonable. They were only upset that the see TARGETING / page 8
November 10, 2016 PAGE 5
With just under six minutes left in the fourth quarter, with the Hokies leading the Blue Devils 24–21, redshirt-sophomore defensive back Terrell Edmunds forced Blue Devil running back Shaun Wilson to fumble the ball on the Duke 35-yard line. Or so he thought. The Hokie defense swarmed Edmunds in celebration. Over half the coaching staff ran onto the field, arms stretched in the air. The recovered fumble effectively sealed the victory for the Hokies, who looked to be holding on for dear life as the
clock wound down. The refs had to first review the play, which, from my seat over 50 yards away, still looked like a clear fumble. The replay on the jumbotron showed that Wilson definitely dropped the ball before he was down and that Hokie defensive back Mook Reynolds cleanly recovered it, but Hokie fans — and there were thousands of them in Wallace Wade Stadium Saturday — were hesitant to celebrate. The replay showed Edmunds diving at the ball, his left shoulder angled down and his head turned away from the play. However, only his head made contact with Wilson. And he hit Wilson right
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FILE 2010 (LEFT), FILE 2015 (RIGHT)
Senior Tyrod Taylor sprinting towards the first down in the third quarter (LEFT). Dadi Nicolas (90) celebrates with Deon Clarke (40) after a Hokie victory (RIGHT).
NEXT LEVEL HOKIES: NFL WEEK NINE Tyrod Taylor did almost everything in his power against a tough Seahawks defense, but the Bills ultimately lost a close game on the road. JORDAN HUTCHINSON
PAGE 6 November 10, 2016
football beat reporter
Week nine of the NFL is upon us, and several Hokies were in action over the weekend. All three of the Virginia Tech alums who took the field contributed to their respective teams. The Next Level Hokies’ teams went 2–1 this week, with two players’ teams on bye weeks. On the offensive side of the football, only one Hokie saw action. Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw for 289 yards and a touchdown. Taylor also accounted for a touchdown on the ground on his way to posting a rating of 90.8. With under two minutes to go, Taylor led his team on a potential game-winning drive, but fell just short to the Seattle Seahawks 28–23. Next week, Buffalo has a bye week. Taylor’s next game is in two weeks against the Bengals.
On the other end of the field, there were three defensive players who made impacts on the gridiron. These former Hokies showcased some of the skills that Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster taught them during their tenures in Blacksburg.
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Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw for 289 yards and a touchdown. Taylor also accounted for a touchdown on the ground on his way to posting a rating of 90.8.”
In the trenches, Kansas City Chiefs’ DL Dadi Nicolas had a solid performance
on Sunday. Nicolas didn’t fill up the stat sheet, but came away with the 19–14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. With that win, the Chiefs move to 6–2 and into second place in the AFC West. Next week, the Chiefs travel to Charlotte to take on the Panthers in an interdivisional matchup. Nicolas will need to give everything he’s got against a skilled mobile quarterback. The defensive backs were represented well again in week nine, as well. San Diego Chargers’ cornerback Brandon Flowers posted huge numbers in a week nine win over the Tennessee Titans. Flowers recorded five tackles and sealed the victory with a pick-six at the end of the game. Flowers has been arguably the strongest member of the Chargers’ deep defensive unit. Next week the Chargers play the Miami Dolphins and will try to get back to .500 on the year. With some lingering injuries, and
players on bye weeks, week nine was limited for the Next Level Hokies. Detroit Lions wide receiver Corey Fuller returns from an injury this week as the Lions head into a bye. Look for Fuller to make up for lost time in two weeks against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Another player out due to injury this week was the Seattle Seahawks’ strong safety, Kam Chancellor. Chancellor suffered a groin injury in practice on Oct. 13 and hasn’t seen the field since then. Although he is still recovering, the Seahawks standout is still expected to play next week against the dangerous New England Patriots. Week 10 should be a good challenge for some players returning from injuries and coming off of bye weeks.
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November 10, 2016 PAGE 7
As the regular season nears its end, UNC and Virginia Tech are fighting for the top spot in the conference. Miami, Pitt and Georgia Tech are fighting for bowl eligibility.
ACC Record: 2–3
Despite his successful season, James Conner struggled against Miami, rushing for only 40 yards.
The Blue Devils scared the Hokies in Durham, but Fuente’s crew held on to win a key ACC road game.
Once ranked 10th in the country, Miami hopes now to become bowl eligible after beating Pitt 51–28.
ACC Record: 2–4
ACC Record: 5–1
ACC Record: 1–4
Georgia Tech looks to become bowl eligible as it travels to Lane Stadium Saturday to face the first-place Hokies.
UNC didn’t lose any ground in the division, but it will need a Hokie loss to take the lead in the Coastal.
Wake Forest ended any bowl game hopes for Cavalier fans, who have seen their team lose four straight. ILLUSTRATION BY JINA RO
November 10, 2016 PAGE 7
ACC Record: 0–5
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ACC Record: 2–3
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COASTAL DIVISION ROUNDUP
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TARGETING: Hokie defense rallies following ejection from page 5
ZACK WAJSGRAS / COLLEGIATE TIMES
Head coach Justin Fuente speaks with Jerod Evans (4) during a break in play against Pitt, Oct. 27, 2016.
PREVIEW: Foster’s defense the key to stopping Georgia Tech’s rush attack
PAGE 8 November 10, 2016
from page 2
Foster typically has his defense prepared for the uniqueness of a triple option. Last season, the Hokies held Georgia Tech to just 161 yards rushing on 47 attempts. Barring an overturned appeal, Virginia Tech will be without sophomore safety Terrell Edmunds for the first half of this week’s game. Edmunds, who has been a key contributor for the Hokies’ defense this year, was ejected in the fourth quarter of the Duke game following a forced fumble that, upon further review, was deemed an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit, resulting in a targeting penalty. On the other side of the ball, Virginia Tech will look to exploit a Yellow Jackets’ defense that ranks 64th nationally, having given up a little more than 405 yards per game and 26.2 points per game. Georgia Tech is led by junior defensive back Corey Griffin, who will probably be shading and looking to shutdown stand-out wide receiver Isaiah Ford. The Hokies, led by quarterback Jerod Evans, will look to continue having success mixing up their attack on the ground and through the air. Last week, Virginia Tech posted 210 yards rushing and 192 yards passing versus Duke. Despite the underwhelming defensive numbers, one of the strong points of the Yellow Jackets’ defense is its time on the field, or rather lack thereof, thanks to the
triple-option offense. The battle for time of possession will be a key statistic to watch this week, as both offenses try to possess the ball and keep their defense fresh and rested on the field. Fuente has had brief experience against similar offenses, last season his Memphis Tigers faced off against Navy, and while he was at TCU they faced off against Air Force. “If you look at the Navy-Notre Dame game last week, Notre Dame had six possessions on offense,” Fuente said. “(The team) scored on five of them — three touchdowns and two field goals — and lost. Kicked a field goal to go down by one with seven and a half minutes left and never got the football back.” Another key matchup this week will be the battle in the trenches between the Georgia Tech offensive line and Hokies’ defensive line. If the Georgia Tech line can stay disciplined while deploying its well-known chop blocking scheme, it could be a long day for the Virginia Tech defensive line. If, however, the Yellow Jackets get penalized for illegal chop blocks and continue pushing themselves backward, it could be a long day for an offense that is built for success in short yardage situations on third and on fourth down.
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Hokies didn’t retain possession. Edmunds handled it well, even though he was ejected from the game and is suspended for the first half of the Georgia Tech game this weekend. He jogged off the field with an official and a coach by his side, waving to the Hokie fans in the away section cheering him on. The defense, too, responded well, with Edmunds’ younger brother Tremaine sacking Duke QB Daniel Jones on the next play. Tech forced the Blue Devils to punt, and eventually held on to its three-point lead to win the game. Fuente, maybe because he had just won an ACC road game, seemed understanding after the game when asked about Edmunds’ ejection and subsequent suspension. “I certainly don’t think it was deliberate or malicious by Terrell. It was a good football play. The running back was low, and he was trying to go low to tackle him. Those things sometimes happen. I get it,” he said. Fuente is right concerning Edmunds’ intentions. Looking at the replay, it didn’t seem as though he was head hunting. At 6-foot-2, Edmunds is a tall defensive back. Wilson, conversely, stands at 5-foot-9. With Edmunds diving for the ball, helmet-to-helmet contact seemed inevitable. Unfortunately for Edmunds, intention has nothing to do with targeting calls. It’s impossible for officials to know whether or not players are intentionally injuring opposing players, so it’s not part of the rule. Instead, officials look for “indicators of targeting” which includes, but is not limited to, “leading with helmet, shoulder, forearm, fist, hand or elbow to attack with forcible contact at the head or neck area.” I don’t think it’s controversial to say that Edmunds met that criterion. For the sake of player safety, it’s comforting that the refs got this call right, but the question still remains as to why targeting calls are so inconsistent, especially with the new replay amendment. There have been many examples of missed targeting calls this year, like the hit Notre Dame wide receiver Torii Hunter Jr. took in a loss to Texas. There have also been times this year when officials have, in some fans’ minds, become flag happy, like in Minnesota’s game against Oregon State, where the Golden Gophers lost three players to targeting calls. At the end of the day, targeting calls will remain frustratingly inconsistent as long as one, human beings are in charge of throwing flags and two, spectators have a rooting interest in the games they are watching. Fans will almost always defend their defensive players who are flagged for targeting. A Virginia Tech fan behind me who was upset with the call against Edmunds shouted, “it’s part of the game!” He’s right. Heads are going to collide. But maybe even more integral to football is blown calls from the officials. And if we haven’t already, it’s time to get used to them.
@kcboomstick23