2008 ORANGE BOWL GUIDE - HokieSports

2008 ORANGE BOWL GUIDE
2007 REVIEW
GAME 3
Ohio
Tech Shakes Off Slow Start, Bobcats for 28-7 Victory
BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech
scored 21 second-half points to
break a 7-7 halftime tie and assure
a 28-7 victory over Ohio University
that gave head coach Frank
Beamer his 200 th career victory.
The Hokies’ offense, with true
freshman quarterback Tyrod Taylor
starting for the first time, outgained
the visitors 473 yards to
114, but still appeared sluggish at
times. Tech trailed 7-0 until Taylor
keyed a 68-yard, game-tying
drive midway through the second
quarter. The freshman signal caller
was 5-for-6 passing on the drive
for 49 yards, including a pair
of big third-down completions.
Sophomore tailback Kenny Lewis,
Jr., capped the drive by weaving
13-yards for a touchdown.
Tech finally took the lead on
a 6-yard quarterback draw by
Taylor at the 7:23 mark of the
third quarter. Starting tailback
Branden Ore and Lewis provided
some breathing room with fourthquarter
touchdown runs.
Defensively, the Hokies
rebounded from their
uncharacteristic performance at
LSU to hold the Bobcats to just
five first downs and 114 total
yards. After a fumbled punt at
the Tech 26-yard line set up
Ohio’s second quarter touchdown,
the visitors never reached Tech
territory again. Led by senior
linebackers Vince Hall and Xavier
Adibi, Tech held Ohio without a
first down in the second half.
Taylor hit 18 of 31 passes for
287 yards in his starting debut,
while Ore rushed for 82 yards,
and Lewis scored twice. Hall (14)
and Adibi (11) combined for 25
tackles and each player had three
tackles behind the line.
Tech’s defense, shown here gang-tackling an Ohio ball carrier,
limited the Bobcats to just five first downs and 114 yards of offense.
Hokies-Bobcats Game Notes
• Quarterback Tyrod Taylor became the first true freshman to start at quarterback
for the Hokies since Todd Greenwood in 1982. Taylor, defensive tackle Kory
Robertson and fullback Carlton Weatherford all made their first collegiate starts
in the win over Ohio.
• The five first downs allowed by the Tech defense tied for the fewest allowed
under Frank Beamer (Duke, 2005; Virginia, 2006).
• Josh Morgan caught six passes for 119 yards against the Bobcats – all in the
first half. It was Morgan’s third career 100-yard receiving performance, but his
first in a regular season game.
• With the win against Ohio, Tech’s Frank Beamer became just the 47 th coach in
NCAA history (all divisions) to record 200 victories.
58 VIRGINIA TECH FOOTBALL 2007
Tailback Kenny Lewis, Jr., rushes for one of his two touchdowns on the day.
Lane Stadium/Worsham Field • Blacksburg, Va.
Sept. 15, 2007 • Attendance: 66,233
Ohio 0 7 0 0 — 7
Virginia Tech 0 7 7 14 — 28
OU (13:06 re 2nd) - McRae 4 run (Braunstein kick)
VT (5:42 re 2nd) - K. Lewis 13 run (Dunlevy kick)
VT (3:38 re 3rd) - Taylor 6 run (Dunlevy kick)
VT (8:49 re 4th) - Ore 1 run (Dunlevy kick)
VT (6:13 re 4th) - K. Lewis 44 run (Dunlevy kick)
Team Stats OU VT
First Downs 5 24
Rushes-yds. 36-38 40-181
Passing yds. 76 292
Return yds. -1 13
Passes 10-20-0 20-33-0
Punts-avg. 13-36.8 7-41.3
Fumbles-lost 2-0 3-2
Penalties-yds. 9-48 8-60
Time of poss. 30:59 29:01
Sacks-by 3-32 4-23
Individual Leaders
Rushing — OU, McRae 22-55,
Scott 3-6, Price 1-(-3), Abrams
1-(-3), Bower 9-(-17); VT, Ore
18-82, K. Lewis 6-62, Cheeseman
2-17, Pickle 2-13, Taylor 10-8,
Weatherford 1-0.
Passing — OU, Bower
9-16-0-70, Scott 1-4-0-6; VT,
Taylor 18-31-0-287, Glennon
2-2-0-5.
Receiving — OU, McRae 6-26,
Mooney 2-24, Nwokocha 1-21,
Fitzgerald 1-5; VT, Morgan 6-119,
Royal 3-30, Hyman 2-26, Harper
2-21, Boone 1-32, Ore 1-28,
Wheeler 1-16, Luckett 1-9, Smith
1-6, Whitaker 1-3, Jefferson 1-2.