2011 Virginia Tech Hokies Football: Va. Tech vs Appalachian State

The Virginia Tech Hokies need to thank the James Madison Dukes for this Saturday’s impressive blowout of the Appalachian State Mountaineers. Because of last year’s home-field loss to James Madison – something that was clearly known and talked about in the Virginia Tech camp throughout the offseason – the Hokies didn’t sleepwalk against an opponent from the Football Championship Subdivision. They focused, fought and finished in the kind of display that will enable them to live up to expectations in 2011.

Tech’s defense opened the game by recovering a fumble on the second play of the game. Appalachian State quarterback DeAndre Presley fumbled while trying to hand the ball off, and Tech’s Antone Exum recovered at the Mountaineer 20.

Tech scored only 16 points last year against James Madison in week two of the season. On this sleepy September afternoon, the Hokies wouldn’t waste their time… or try their fans’ patience.

On the next play after that fumble recovery, Tech running back David Wilson scored on a 20-yard run to give the Hokies the lead. Cody Journell’s extra point made the score 7-0 less than a minute into the game.

The Hokies just kept pushing, a reality reflected by the fact that they scored on their first three possessions. A 28-yard field goal from Journell gave the Hokies a 10-0 lead with 8:59 left in the first quarter and then Josh Oglesby scored on a 4-yard run with 6:17 left in the first quarter.

Wilson put the game away, scoring on touchdown runs on two straight second-quarter possessions. His 19-yarder gave the Hokies a 24-0 lead and his 3-yarder pushed the score to 31-0.

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If there was one source of slight concern for Tech coming out of this game, it was that its new quarterback wasn’t crisp in his performance. Logan Thomas, making his first career start as the successor of immensely successful Hokie quarterback Tyrod Taylor, completed just 9 of 19 passes for 149 yards, with two touchdowns. A 7-yard scoring strike to backup tight end Randall Dunn enabled the Hokies to take a 38-0 lead into the locker room at halftime. Thomas then opened the second half with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Jarrett Boykin to further cement this blowout for the defending ACC champions. Still, a completion rate under 50 percent against an FCS defense means that Thomas has a lot to absorb. His learning curve needs to accelerate if the Hokies want to feel particularly optimistic about the just-unfolding season.

Appalachian State scored twice in the second half – once on a touchdown pass by Jamal Jackson to Brian Quick late in the third quarter and once on a 15-yard run by Jackson, ASU’s backup quarterback. All told, Jackson threw for 87 yards and rushed for 46 more, producing 133 of the Mountaineers’ 293 yards.

Tech’s defense held the Mountaineers to just 117 yards rushing and 3.2 yards per carry. The Hokies also registered four takeaways on the afternoon, intercepting three passes and recovering a fumble to put Appalachian State on its heels from start to finish.

Virginia Tech Hokies vs Appalachian State Mountaineers Recap