“We always talk about staying the course, and we really just have to learn how to start faster”, coach Butch Jones said.
Advertisement
With the 156,990 that filed into Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, the Battle at Bristol broke the world record for most attended college football game in history. A predominantly orange-clad crowd was quiet, their team resembling a auto that wrecked on the first turn in the first lap. For Virginia Tech, the cannon Skipper made the journey from Blacksburg and was sacked off at every Hokie point scored.
After looking quite mortal last week, Joshua Dobbs played like the All-SEC quarterback he was thought to be before the season started.
Virginia Tech’s severe case of “fumbleitis” began early in the second quarter when quarterback Jerod Evans and wide receiver C. J. Carroll muffled an exchange in the backfield on a sweep play that was recovered by Tennessee on the Hokies five-yard line.
Two games into 2016, the Hokies (1-1) already have a season’s worth of fumbles, losing nine, a record in back-to-back games according to data available from the last 30 seasons.
At one point, Ramsey said he had forgotten the words to one of his songs because he had looked out into the audience and realized the massive size of Friday night’s crowd.
“We turned the ball over terribly too many times and lacked discipline at other times, which is very disappointing”, said Fuente.
Tech coach Justin Fuente on the turnovers: “Well, obviously it’s reared its head in huge ways the first two ball games”. He connected with Moore for a 45-yard touchdown pass and Derrick Hayward for a 9-yard score in the second quarter to give Maryland a 31-7 advantage at halftime.
“It was an unbelievable experience”, Tennessee defensive back Cameron Sutton said.
“We’ll have some individuals gain some valuable repetitions, and whoever has the best week of practice will play that spot”, Jones said.
The senior finished 10 of 19 for 91 yards and three touchdowns in addition to a team-leading 106 yards on the ground. His 40-yard run on the second play of the drive flipped the field and the momentum, reminiscent of some of his best work a year ago.
After the Vols capitalized on more fumbles to go up 45-17, the Hokies staged a late scoring drive to arrive at the final margin. The Vols’ last win over Virginia Tech was a 45-23 victory in the Gator Bowl on December 30, 1994, in Gainesville, Fla.
Defensive back Malik Foreman, receiver Latrell Williams, Jennings and Dobbs posed for a picture with one of the T-champion shirts.
“It was a matter of being patient”, he said. “We can look back 10 or 20 years from now and say that we were a part of this”. Virginia Tech won its season opener by three scores, and now quarterback Jerrod Evans and the VT Hokies hit the road for this non-conference game.
Advertisement
BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) Tennessee erased an early 14-point deficit at Bristol Motor Speedway nearly as fast as drivers typically race around the half-mile track that circled the makeshift football field.
