2010 Virginia Tech Hokies: Va. Tech @ Boston College

The ACC opener for the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Boston College Eagles won't be sent to the College Football Hall of Fame or any art exhibit anytime soon.

Frank Beamer - after what he's gone through in a stomach-churning September - won't really care.

Yes, the dean of all ACC coaches - now that Bobby Bowden enjoys a life removed from the sidelines - won't be too upset about his team's performance on Saturday at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. As long as Virginia Tech is winning games and pursuing an ACC Coastal Division crown, one can't afford to be too picky. The Hokies weren't very impressive in their visit to Boston College, but a 19-point road win has to be accepted for what it is. A program that started the season 0-2 and had to bear the humiliation of the home-field loss to James Madison has returned to the winning ways that made Beamer such a household name among FBS coaches.

It's true that Virginia Tech's offense scored just one touchdown, due to the Hokies' almost-chronic inability to deliver big plays. It's true that Tyrod Taylor, a quarterback who was positively brilliant against Boise State on Sept. 6, hasn't come close to recapturing the magic he displayed in that showcase game. Taylor might have hit 16-of-21 passes for 237 yards against B.C., but he was poor in the red zone and had to watch as his team kicked four field goals. Denting the end zone only once will not win the Hokies the ACC title.

No matter - it was good enough on this particular day, because the Hokies' defense roared into action.

> Check out our great selection of Virginia Tech Apparel & Merchandise!

Indeed, while Tech's offense has regressed a great deal in comparison to the Boise State measuring-stick game, the Gobblers' defense has surged. Coordinator Bud Foster - one of the best defensive gurus in the United States - has his team flying to the ball and wreaking havoc, at long last. After three games of getting pushed around to a considerable extent, Tech's defense finally did the majority of the pushing against Boston College. Hokie defensive back Jayron Hosley intercepted BC quarterback Dave Shinskie in the end zone early in the first quarter, and from that point onward, Tech's defense pitched a tent inside Shinskie's head. The Eagle signal caller turned in a brutally bad effort on this sun-drenched afternoon in New England, setting the stage for a Hokie shutout.

The early-stage interception in the end zone shook up Shinskie, who made terrible decisions all day long. The veteran quarterback who led this team into battle in 2009 showed no indication of being a wiser or more prudent quarterback this time around. He could not read the Hokies' defensive looks, he lacked any semblance of accuracy on his passes - many of which were under 15 yards - and he also exhibited poor decision making, often choosing to throw deep out routes across the width of the field. The Hokies were able to swarm to the ball and step into passing lanes. Shinskie threw what should have been a pick-six in the third quarter, but a Hokie cornerback dropped the sure touchdown on one of those out routes to the right sideline.

No play was more emblematic of Shinskie's miserable afternoon than the final play of the first half. With 15 seconds left and BC without timeouts in a game it trailed 7-0, the Eagles made one last attempt at a tying touchdown from the Tech 11. Shinskie was flushed out of the pocket, and he saw a running lane to the left side of the field. He obviously wanted to score a touchdown, but he had to keep in the back of his mind a realization of the need to secure at least three points. Given the lack of timeouts, Shinskie had to be sure that if he couldn't score, he would at least be able to get out of bounds and stop the clock on what was a second-and-goal snap (not 1st-and-10; a false start from the 6 put the new line of scrimmage at the 11). Well, that's exactly what did not happen. Shinskie stretched the ball toward the goal line but was stopped at the 1. The shame of the play from a BC standpoint is that Shinskie reached the ball toward the goal line with his right hand, toward the inside of the field. If Shinskie had stretched the ball with his left hand, toward the pylon attached to the sideline, he might have gotten out of bounds and stopped the clock. As things stood, the clock ran out on the Eagles, and when replay upheld the ruling that Shinskie never did touch a part of the left sideline on his ill-fated dash, BC was forced to trudge to the locker room without a single point. When Shinskie didn't elevate his game in the second half, the Hokies were able to tack on four field goals due to tremendous drive starts caused by BC's utter inability to move the ball.

It wasn't pretty, but ask Virginia Tech's players and coaches if they mind. After the misery that team's been through, any kind of win is a good win, especially within the Atlantic Coast Conference the Hokies have largely controlled over the past six seasons.

Virginia Tech Hokies @ Boston College Eagles Football Recap