Combine a bendy but lucky defense with a spotty offense.
The Hokies managed to give Hokie Nation a moment of sour indigestion in this game. Stanford took the opening kickoff smartly down the field, but Tech’s defense looked a little flat. Not that they weren’t ready, but they looked like they were swimming upstream to stop. Stanford’s first drive didn’t see a third down until the Tech defense finally stiffened (3rd, Anias Pebbles got a crucial 5-yard sack with 8 yards left) and managed to give the Cardinal a chance. He forced a 53-yard field goal attempt. The kick was long enough, but missed the left of the goal post, and despite a good drive and holding the ball long enough, nothing prevented Stanford from scoring.
The good news for Tech’s opening drive was that in addition to starting 35 yards instead of deeper, Beishul Tuten got off to a solid start with a counteroff tackle on a 4-yard run. The “old schedule” four yards was a little short, but the movement off the tackle and quick execution was a sign of things to come on Tech’s first possession.
Kyron Drones made two consecutive 13-yard play plays to Jaylin Lane to set the Hokies at the Stanford 35. The first score of the series was a deep ball to Daquan Felton, who was some distance away on a flag route. to the left of the goal line. Unfortunately, Drone floated the ball over and beat Felton, and I felt a -4 try looming. That was especially true when Tuten went down to the line just two yards out on the next play. Just as heads were starting to shake and John Love had to hope for another long shot, the Hokies ran 24 yards on a double reverse to Jaylin Lane. Tech is now in first place, nine goals behind Stanford. As Tyler Bowen’s red zone play-calling issues crept in, deja vu began to set in again. Now, on the very next play, Stephen Gosnell ran a perfect inside slant route to the narrow post just beyond the seam. A drone rolled over and hit him with laser-guided darts, putting his first six points on the board and the only touchdowns of the quarter for both teams. The Tech offense appeared to be on vacation for most of the rest of the quarter and part of the second quarter as John Love kicked the PAT.
The Hokie defense showed more luck than effectiveness.
There is no substitute for luck in soccer, especially in close games. The next Stanford series was no exception. A major miracle occurred when the Cardinal managed to drive the ball to the Tech University 2-yard line. Well, it really was the great defensive play of Mose Phillips and the alert Antwone Powell-Ryland who remembered the fundamentals. Phillips successfully flipped the ball out of the Stanford back’s hands with a tackle assist, and APR fell on top of it. A tying goal was avoided, and there was no -4 to cut some points off Tech’s one-TD lead.
Tech’s offense went into sluggish mode, and despite managing to push the line of scrimmage to the Tech 20, a false start penalty and subsequent two consecutive plays aimed at the line of scrimmage meant the ball was only a few net yards away. It didn’t move. Peter Moore had to punt it away.
Stanford somehow managed to scramble and push its way to the Tech 44, but instead of luck, the Hokies were able to finally hold out and get a critical stop. Stanford was forced to punt, and the Hokies took the ensuing drive 88 yards to the Stanford end zone, ending with a 4th-and-1 from the Stanford 7. A handoff to Tuten would have given him a first down on the 6, but the Hokies know that if Beischl gets to the end zone and they decide there aren’t enough men between the lines, they’ll score. Dew. He made it, and the Hokies went up 14-0.
The Hokies got a stop in the final 1:54 and then nailed a stub drive to use up the remaining time.
The first half ended without incident.
Tech receives the kick to start the second and drives for a TD. The Hokies are now 21-0.
I’ll explain that at the end. Half a game left.
I already know the story.
