And they did it after rolling to a 10-0 lead against the Hokies.
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“It’s super big”, Tech coach Frank Beamer said of the win.
“I’m glad we have a bye week”, Doeren said, “and we can sit down and go through everything and try to make a few good fixes”. He was bludgeoned a second straight week, but Motley missed just one play.
The Hokies were nearly able to make a breakthrough in the second half. The Virginia Tech Hokies passing attack has averaged 238.0 yards per game (No. 70) compared to the NC State Wolfpack defence that ranks No. 32 give up through the air (182.0 yards per game on average). After the first quarter, NC State gained just 125 yards the remainder of the game, giving them just 270 yards for the game. At least we had three TD’s on the board, and the Defense had NC State pretty well doped out by the middle of the 2 quarter. Brendan Motley had the best game of his career at quarterback and showed he has the toughness and moxie that a team can rally behind.
We did have a few more penalty problems, not as many as NC State; but one is still too many. “But at the same time, hey stepped up when we needed them to, and I’m really proud of them”. Receiver Jumichael Ramos made a nice play on an 8-yard touchdown catch early in the second quarter but only had one other catch the rest of the game.
When Virginia Tech didn’t have receivers running free through N.C. State’s loose coverage in the secondary, the Wolfpack was getting flagged for either holding or pass interference. Motley was solid in the passing game, going 14-28 for 158 yards and the three TDs to Ford, with no interceptions.
Yet against N.C. State, the staff credited the team for stepping up at those critical junctures, helping the Hokies to snap a two-game losing streak in the process. That put NC State up 10-0 with 13:56 to go in the second quarter, and at that point, NC State had outgained the Hokies 155-29.
Hokies freshman running back Travon McMillian rushed for a game-high 96 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
NC State tried to respond, driving to the Tech 32.
A pass interference call on defensive back Dravious Wright on third and goal from the 11 in the end zone set up Ford’s third touchdown.
The offensive coordinator was downright contemplative after his unit posted a total of 358 yards on the day, with 200 coming on the ground alone, after the team’s disastrous outing against Pittsburgh.
McMillian was the only Hokies tailback to run the ball, but he had only 11 carries and was invisible during the second half before his touchdown. “Read my blocks, and if a guy is there, just run over him”. “He’s unsafe. He’s got speed”.
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“Adonis has got a lot of ability, but he’s so, so far away from where he can be as a football player, and that’s where our practice habits and things of that nature come in”, Foster said. It was the play of his Hokies with their backs against the wall.
