Running with the Devils

A week ago today the Virginia Tech Hokies stunned the number one-ranked Duke Blue Devils by a final score of 64-60 in Cassell Coliseum.

Ladies and Gents if you had the opportunity to watch this game or the extreme pleasure of attending this game, Congratulations!  You have truly witnessed the finest hour of Virginia Tech basketball!

This marks the fourth time in program history that the Techmen have taken down the top team in the land, but folks this one takes the cake.  This is the apex.  A win couldn't possibly get any better than this.

College Gameday made its first visit (of many visits to come) to Blacksburg.  The ecstatic crowd showed other fans around the nation how it's done.  The Hokie faithful had more signs at Gameday than you would see on a hundred mile stretch of an interstate.  From a Tech standpoint, the crowd was more star-studded than a Lakers/Celtics playoff game.  We had 2 of our 4 retired basketball jersey legends in attendance (Dell Curry and Bimbo Coles).  Bruce Smith aka "the Sack Man" aka "BRUUUUUCE" was seen searching through the crowd for quarterbacks.  Frank Beamer aka "the Beam", "the Franchise," "the Godfather," "Frank the Tank" brought over some football prominence power from Lane.  It was prime time.  The whole country watched our Hokies take down the number one team in the country/defending national champs/perennial ACC powerhouse.  The Cassell rocked as loud as ever before.  And most importantly...WE WON!

Hokie Nation rejoice!  Our boys delivered on the biggest stage possible, against the best team out there, in front of the best fans anywhere.  The whole country witnessed just how special of a place Polytech, Virginia really is.  Now we're all on Hokie High.

This game couldn't have gone much better for ole' VPI.  Everything had to go just as planned for Tech to have a chance at winning this thing, and it pretty much did.

1. We knew we'd have to stay out of foul trouble because of our limited bench and lack of big men.  This was tremendously important for Jeff Allen and Victor Davila, who are our best/only big men and are both notorious for getting lots of fouls in short periods of time.  The Result: No Hokies fouled out of the game.  Jeff Allen and Erick Green both finished with four, but Allen's fourth didn't come until late in the game which was key.  Shockingly Davila finished with no fouls.  So Tech staying out of foul trouble allowed them to keep their best players on the floor, and it payed off big...

2.  We knew we'd have to play flawless perimeter defense, or the Dookies would carve us like Thanksgiving turkeys.  The Result:  Thanks to Tech's swarming zone defense and a little help from Duke's best shooters going stone cold, the Blue Devils finished just 4 of 20 from beyond the arc.  That's just 20% from 3-point land.  If you didn't see the game or any other stats from this game, this stat alone would have told you that the Hokies had a chance in this one.

3.  We knew we had to out-rebound the Devils to limit their chances at striking, and give ourselves some extra chances at baskets.  Duke has a surplus of big men, so Jeff Allen and Victor Davila would have to really step it up.  The Result: They did.  Allen grabbed 15 boards, while Davila scooped up 10.  That's two huge performances by our big guys that allowed the Hokies to out-rebound the Dookies by a count of 44 to 38.  Sixteen of our 44 were offensive rebounds, which means we got of lot of much needed extra chances.  Once again the ball bounced our way.

4.  We knew Malcolm Delaney would have to put up big numbers for us to be in the game.  The Result: Surprisingly he didn't.  This was probably the only 1 of the 4 on this list that I would have guaranteed prior to the game, and much to my (and everyone else's) surprise it was the only one that didn't happen.  Usually Malcolm makes more baskets in a game than a third-world country makes in a day, but he was as cold as ice last Saturday.  He did finish with a respectable 11 points, but it was a lot less than what was expected.  He had a rough day shooting, as he finished just 4 of 15 from the floor (1 of 6 from three-point range).  While MD23 didn't light up the scoreboard, his performance was still key to this win for 2 reasons:
            A) He passed.  When he realized he couldn't get anything to drop, he started kickin' the rock around to his friends who could.  He finished with 4 assists, and had a few more two-passers down the court that he didn't get credit for but deserved it.  Passing up a shot is one of the hardest things to do as a player, but one of the easiest to overlook by fans and the media.  (I'm making sure Malcolm gets his props though, I SEE YOU MD, way to go man)
            B) He hit when he had to.  With just around two minutes left in the game, Duke was creeping up on the Hokies.  The Tech lead was a mere two points when...SWISH!  Malcolm's lone 3 in the game flushed to put the Hokies up by 5, clinching the win.  It was the clutch shot that got the Hokies around the final turn, and coasted them into victory lane.

I would also just like to point out that Malcolm grabbed 7 rebounds, not bad for a guard eh?  And he picked Seth Curry's pocket on Duke's last chance/possession, eliminating all possibilities of a Dock-shot re-enactment.  He did all this while having a "bad" day.  Go on wit ya bad self Malcolm.

While Delaney may have come up short on points, the rest of the team united to pick up the slack.

Just look at the box score.  Look at our point breakdown.  It's a thing of beauty.  All 64 of our points were scored by our starters, no points from the bench, and each player contributed evenly (well Jeff contributed a little more evenly than the other four).  This perfectly showcased how a team is supposed to function.  This is the definition of Team.  Working together to reach a common goal.  Master Yoda would say it like this: Work together they did, and reach the goal they did.

Jeff Allen, aka the Big Donut, picked up a little more slack than everyone else on Saturday.  Heck, he put the team on his back.  Jeff played like a man possessed.  The big guy did work across the boards.  I mean really, Jeff did a little bit of everything.  He gobbled up 15 rebounds, 5 of those being offensive.  He led the team in scoring with 18 points, which included going 2 for 2 from 3 ball land.  That's right, the Big Donut's shots were glazed like donuts. He dished out two assists, and blocked a lame Duke shot.  He made a couple of free throws to ice (or glaze if you will) the game, but most importantly he stayed in the game.  The Big Donut is a well-known foul factory, but he controlled the fury, channeled the energy, and took over this ballgame.  Somebody give dat man some Krispy Kremes, he deserves 'em.  

Of all the players in this game I was proudest of Victor Davila.  He came out the tunnel motivated like never before, played inspired basketball, and played his heart out.  He relentlessly battled Duke's big men all game long.  Don't read this next stat too quickly because you might go into a state of shock.  Davila shot 50% from the floor!  He made 5 of his 10 attempts, and added a bonus free throw in just for kicks.  He used his patented banana scoop to tally up 11 points, which you could argue were the difference between our 4-point win and a 7-point loss.  I say that because Davila doesn't usually score that much (let's just say he's not the most coordinated tool in the shed).  And how about that dunk.  When he slammed that puppy, I exploded off the couch like I had just been sitting on a hot nail.  I was just ecstatic.  Here's this guy who usually can't put his foot in his shoe, and here he is stuffing a dunk right down Duke's throat.  I was so happy for him, I was so happy for us, I was so happy he didn't miss!

I was overjoyed to see Tech basketball legend Dell Curry in attendance, but not surprised (as his son plays for Duke).  What surprised me was that he was wearing a Duke shirt.  I mean I guess I can understand that he was pulling for his son, but that doesn't change the fact that it hurt to see that...really hurt.  I now know how Packers fans feIt when they saw Brett Farve run onto Lambeau wearing a Vikings helmet.  It was awful.  It was like when I realized there wasn't a Santa Claus.  But hey at least Dell is still very real, and what he did for advancing Va Tech basketball will never be forgotten.  He will always be one of my heros, and will always be known as the Michael Jordan of Virginia Tech basketball.  And of course I'll forgive him for rocking the Duke shirt, I mean we won didn't we?

Dell's son Seth didn't quite have the same success that his dad did on the Cassell floor.  He didn't have success period.  He fouled out after turning the ball over to the already celebrating Hokies on the Devils final possession, and finished with nary a point.  That's right no points.  Also no assists, no rebounds, no steals, no blocks.  Just 5 fouls, and that final gift-wrapped turnover.  There was just something poetic about it.  It just wouldn't have been right for Seth to come in there and light up the scoreboard.  This was against the team his dad put on the map.  He wouldn't be playing basketball today, if his dad hadn't played in Cassell so many years ago.  This was his dad's court, and it remained that way...rightfully so.  The Tech faithful made sure he knew that too, as they bellowed a perfectly tailored "Who's Your Daddy?" chant to escort him to the bench.  So the legendary stories of Dell Curry working his magic in the Cassell live on unchallenged by anyone...even his offspring.

The whole day was like watching a story from a fairy tale book unfold, while the ending moments of the game were like a well-written novel being played out in real life.  With just 13 seconds remaining in the game, the extremely underdogged Hokies were up 63-60 and holding on with everything they had.  Seth Curry, the son of Tech's greatest basketball player, dribbled the ball frantically up court with Duke's last chance to tie.  Malcolm Delaney, Tech's current best player, swooped in from behind and jarred the ball loose from Curry and into the hands of Jeff Allen, who immediately tucked it into a vice-grip.  The flustered Curry hurridly fouled Allen.  Allen was off to the free throw line to put the game (and the champagne) on ice as Blacksburg erupts, while Curry was on the way to the bench with his fifth foul and no points.  I'm telling you, you couldn't have scripted a better ending.  Tech's current two best players get the game-sealing turnover from the son of Tech's all-time greatest player, while he watches the whole thing unfold in front of him on the very court that he made himself famous on.  You just can't make this stuff up.  It's almost Oscar worthy...an ESPY at the very least.

As the final second ticked off, the raucous crowd reached a jubilant fever pitch.  The rowdy fans who stood by the Techmen through the thick and thin of this battle of a game would soon be standing by their team where it all took place...on the court.  The floor was covered within a half minute.  The view from the upmost corner of Cassell showed emptying seats surrounding a perfect rectangular brick of squirming fans in celebration.  The chaotic brick jumped up and down in waves, while showing no signs of the hardwood floor underneath.  It was a beautiful sight.  One that will be forever remembered by Hokie fans everywhere.

Among the chaos, Coach Seth Greenberg embraced his three daughters who were proud to the point of tears of their dad.  It was a Kodak moment.  I loved seeing the sick looks on the faces of the ESPN Gameday crew.  None of them thought we would win, and none of them wanted us to win.  Well we showed them!  Jay Bilas/Bias, a former Duke player, stared up at the scoreboard in disbelief as swarms of Hokie fans swirled around him.  Bobby Knight always looks madder than a hornet, and he stayed true to form after this game.  Even the happy-go-lucky Dick Vitale lost the pep that's usually in his step.  He made small talk with Coach Greenberg about getting his dancin' shoes ready, but you could tell he was hurtin' inside.  His beloved Dookies that he has such a big soft-spot for had been outplayed by the Fighting Gobblers from Polytech VA.  Sorry Dicky V, but even dah dia-pah dandies were on our side in this one!  

In closing this was an epic signature win for our basketball program.  Wins like this are what you build your program around.  The success waves that will stem from this game can't be measured.  It all but guarantees us a spot in the NCAA Tournament, where possibilities are endless, and you've got to think our chances are pretty good after a win like this.  There's no telling how many young good players were watching this game, and now will give Tech a look when it comes recruiting time.  Most importantly it gives Hokie fans and the rest of the nation an unforgettable portrait of how great of a place Ole' VPI really is.  So give a Hokie, Hokie, Hokie Hi! Tech Tech, VPI! Sola-rex, Sola-rah, Polytech, Virginia! Ray, Rah VPI, TEAM, TEAM, TEAM!

Hokies Beat 'em Black and Blue

On Saturday the twenty-third ranked Virginia Tech Hokies torched the Duke Blue Devils by a final score of 44-7 in Lane Stadium.

Charlie Daniels says the Devil plays a mean violin...but that doesn't mean much when it comes to pigskin.

Saturday was deja vu.  It was last week all over again.  While it was a different high class, private ACC university from North Carolina, the result was the same...a big Tech victory.

As expected, the Hokies came out and dominated this game from the start.  They beat Duke black and blue (pun intended) on all facets of the game.

Tyrod Taylor was almost flawless.  He led the Hokies in both passing and rushing.  He went 13 of 17 for 280 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air, while adding 54 yards on the ground.  (I would like to point out that no Tech tailback had more than 9 carries, but Tyrod still had the highest yard-per-carry average with 7.8).  Needless to say, the senior QB had a stellar day.  He made it look easy too.  If you didn't know better, you would think it was just day at practice for number five.

While it may look like Tyrod's just going for a stroll in the park, he's actually doing some serious work.  Tyrod is quietly creeping up in the record books of both Virginia Tech and the ACC.  He currently has the most rushing yards by any Tech quarterback, and is tied with the great Bob Schweickert for Most Rushing TD's by a QB and Career 100-yard rushing games by a QB.  Taylor is second in Career Total Offense only to Bryan Randall, and he's less than 100 yards from owning that record.  He sits fifth on the all-time passing list, but he's still got some throwing to do.  From an ACC standpoint, Tyrod is third on the all-time list for rushing yards by a quarterback behind Georgia Tech's Jonathan Nesbitt and Clemson's Woodrow Dantzler.  Taylor currently leads the conference in passing efficiency as well.  The way Tyrod is playing, he's going to be the proud owner of multiple records when he leaves VPI.  Not bad for a guy who was once Sean Glennon's back-up (insert uncontrollable sarcastic laughter here).

Back to the game.  Darren Evans was his usual Punisher self.  He rumbled for 36 yards and a score off of 8 carries.  In this game, Evans put his own spin on a popular Van Halen Song.  Instead of "Running With the Devil," He ran over the Devils.   His hallmark from this game was when he almost completely hurdled a Duke defender.  Wow deja vu again...Deron Washington anyone?

It was good to see Ryan Williams back on the field after taking a few games off to rehab his hamstring.  He was a little rusty, but who wouldn't be?  He came through when it counted though...in the red zone.  He scored on a 1-yard run to ease back into his old self.  He'll be back to Predator status in no time.

Logan Thomas got some much needed reps in on Saturday.  He had a shaky start, but was looking good by the end of the game.  He went 6 for 14 for 52 yards, but he could have had a lot more.  Thomas threw two lasers that his receivers couldn't hang onto.  The first was to back-up tight end Randall Dunn, who could only get one paw on the ball.  The other was to Xavier Boyce, who dropped it after a defender wrapped him up.  You can't really blame the receivers though.  Thomas' passes have a little more pepper on them than the average pass does.  He's got a cannon.  He's got potential.  The force is strong in this one.

Bud Foster's defense played lights out.  The Blue Devils were averaging almost 400 yards a game coming into this one.  Tech's D held them to just 208 yards.  The secondary was swarming around back there.  Both starting corners got interceptions.  Jayron Hoseley picked off one and returned it 17 yards, while Rashad Carmichael scooped one and returned it 19 yards.  The Hokies are starting to get more and more pressure, and that's a good thing.  The D is getting closer to looking like a real Lunch Pail Defense, but look who we were playing.  We'll see how they stack up against those pesky Yellow Jackets next Thursday.

You've got to give the Dukies credit though. They played tough, and pulled out all the stops trying to beat us.  Going for it on fourth down on their opening drive was a stupid but brave move, and I commend them for that.  They knew if they were going to have a chance that it was then.  The onside kick to start the second half was a clever ruse, but it just ticked Frank off.  I knew that when the cameras showed Beamer and he had his patented "Who Farted?" look on his face that Duke had made a grave mistake.  Two Tech passing touchdowns later, the Blue Devils knew it too.  Stick a (pitch)fork in 'em, they're done.

The Hokies have now won six straight games since the devastating 0 and 2 start, and have finally crept their way back into the polls.

Tech has been a focused and determined team ever since the second half of the East Carolina game.  This game marks the fourth game in a row that the Hokies have put up 40 or more points.

The Hokies have now beaten Duke 10 consecutive times.  The Blue Devils were formidable opponents in the past two contests, as the Hokies won by scores of 34-26 last year and 14-3 in 2008.  They sure didn't have a chance in this one.

In closing I'll give Duke one valuable piece of advice: Athletes beat Mathletes every time.