2010 Virginia Tech Hokies Football: Va. Tech vs Central Michigan

Virginia Tech experienced an early hiccup on Saturday afternoon. Once the Hokies started to breathe normally, however, they produced a drama-free afternoon and continued to stabilize their season.

Yes, it's a different month for the Hokies. Once 0-2 and subjected to national derision, coach Frank Beamer's club has rounded into form. Tech drilled the Central Michigan Chippewas, who have struggled mightily in the post-Butch Jones, post-Dan Lefevour era. CMU entered the game with a 2-3 record thanks to losses to Temple, Northwestern and Ball State. Tech was supposed to win big, and it did.

For a few moments, though, doubt filled the air on a gorgeous sun-splashed day in Virginia.

Central Michigan opened the game with a bang, scoring on an 80-yard drive when Lefevour’s replacement, quarterback Ryan Radcliff, led the Chippewas to a touchdown on a 13-play drive. Other than the drive's culminating play, a 23-yard scoring strike from Radcliff to Jerry Harris, only one other play on the drive exceeded six yards. The long, sustained march on coordinator Bud Foster’s usually solid Tech defense plunged the Lane Stadium crowd into a state of shock. The good citizens of Blacksburg, Virginia, had to wonder if another stunning home-field upset was going to plague their team. After all, the James Madison Dukes had ventured into Blacksburg on Sept. 11 and rocked the Hokies by a 21-16 score. College football is a sport in which huge upsets have become increasingly common over the years, so Virginia Tech couldn't take this game for granted.

Fortunately, the Hokies acted the way their fans expected them to. Order was promptly restored after the Chippewas' opening march to paydirt.

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Virginia Tech wasted no time tying the game, when quarterback Tyrod Taylor broke off a spectacular 72-yard touchdown run on the second play of the drive for the Hokies. Foster's defense then slammed the door on Central Michigan over the next several possessions, and in due time, the Hokies forged a lead they continued to build as the game progressed.

The 67-yard touchdown drive that gave Tech a 14-7 lead was assisted by Central Michigan penalties. The Chippewas gave the Hokies 35 yards on an offside penalty and two pass interference penalties, thereby gift-wrapping more than half the yardage the home team needed for the score. Darren Evans scored on a 6- yard run, and once Tech got its nose in front, the visitors from Mount Pleasant, Michigan, couldn't keep up.

The Hokies' emergent defense registered an interception and tacked on a field goal to make it 17-0. Tech then forced a three-and-out that gave the Hokies the ball back at their own 37. Taylor was 3-for-3 on the drive, including a touchdown pass to Andre Smith to make it 24-7 halfway through the second quarter. That lead extended to 38-7 early in the fourth quarter, and the fears that emerged after Central Michigan fired its opening salvo were thoroughly and summarily eliminated.

Radcliff finished the game for Central Michigan by hitting 21-of-46 passes for 266 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Harris, the main pass-catching target for the Chippewas, had 101 receiving yards on 5 receptions, including two touchdowns.

Taylor led the Hokies in passing and rushing. He actually led all rushers in the game with 127 yards on 9 carries, including two scores. He also had a passing touchdown and was 13-of-23 for 161 yards through the air.

Virginia Tech Hokies vs Central Michigan Chippewas Football Recap