2011 Virginia Tech Hokies Football: Va. Tech vs Boston College

At halftime of this past Saturday’s ACC game between the visiting Boston College Golden Eagles and the homestanding Virginia Tech Hokies, everyone inside Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia, had to be wondering the same thing: “Is this really happening?” Fortunately for the home folks, their team woke up before this contest became too close for comfort.

Virginia Tech, sluggish (if not asleep) in the first half, scored three touchdowns in the first 17 minutes of the second half to bust open a close game and roll past Boston College. In 2007 and 2008, these two schools met in the ACC Championship Game. This time, they stood at the opposite ends of the ACC standings. However, it wasn’t until the second half that Tech looked like the much better team. For the first 30 minutes, there was no separation whatsoever between these two sides.

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Boston College took the ball at the start of the game and rammed it right down Virginia Tech’s throat. BC quarterback Chase Rettig scored on a two-yard run to give the visitors from New England a 7-0 lead just three minutes into the competition. Improbably, that touchdown held up throughout the first half, as Virginia Tech failed to dent the end zone before halftime… yes, not even once. Tech quarterback Logan Thomas, who flourished in the second half of his previous game against Wake Forest, did not sustain momentum or crispness in this conference collision. He wasn’t able to move the chains or make defining plays on any of Tech’s first-half drives, and as a result of his ineffectiveness, Tech found itself trailing Boston College at the half, 7-6. With the Hokies down by one point to the Eagles at the intermission, the ACC was looking at the possibility of a brain-bending upset that, given Texas Tech’s win at (28-point-favorite) Oklahoma later on Saturday, wasn’t so far-fetched after all.

However, the start of the third quarter did not witness the continuation of a Virginia Tech letdown. The Hokies woke up, splashed cold water on their faces, and ripped the Eagles to shreds with three touchdown drives in just over a quarter. Tech pounded the ball between the tackles, leaning on running back David Wilson to get the job done. Wilson succeeded, piling up 134 yards on just 17 carries for a splendid average of 7.9 yards per touch. Meanwhile, Thomas gained confidence in the passing game. His 20-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Davis gave Tech its second touchdown of the third quarter and, with it, a 20-7 lead which allowed the Hokies to breathe. Once up by more than one score, Tech was able to get after Rettig, the beleaguered BC quarterback who did not have enough resources to call upon. The Hokies pushed their lead to 27-7 before Rettig scored a garbage touchdown midway through the fourth. The upset bid that was within the realm of possibility at halftime had suddenly dissolved away.

Virginia Tech Hokies vs Boston College Eagles Football Recap