The captains meet at the 50 yard-line for the coin toss. (Photo courtesy of A. Rayman)
It was a BCS-like bowl atmosphere inside FedEx Field last night as the Halloween themed Hokies took the field in the Battle in the Capital. Unfortunately, this game was no treat for VaTech as they fell to the Broncos 33-30. A stadium littered with drunk and screaming Hokies fans, quickly quieted as Boise State recovered a fumbled snap, blocked a punt, and held VaTech scoreless in the 1st quarter while taking a commanding 17-0 lead.
After Tech overcame the nervous jitters, the team finally showed poise and got on the scoreboard in the 2nd quarter and kept the game neck-and-neck throughout. The fans were back in the game as the Hokies had the ball and the lead late in the 4th quarter with 5 minutes remaining. However, Tyrod Taylor could not move the ball with great consistency and Boise State stalled VaTech forcing a punt with 2 minutes remaining. Boise State and Heisman hopeful Kellen Moore got the ball back and ran the two minute drill to perfection driving down field with ease. With a little over a minute remaining, Moore hit Austin Pettis on a 13 yard pass for what turned out to be the game winning TD.
In a nutshell, Virginia Tech failed as a team and Beamer as a coach. The Broncos were supposed to be the nervous team rattled by the hostile environment. But it was Tyrod Taylor and poor offensive play calling and even worse soft zone coverage in the secondary that caused the VaTech debacle. Not to mention, Boise State held Tech’s reputed high octane offense/RB trio to 2.9 yards per carry.
This game was a huge stepping stone for either program with BCS hopes. One team shined, while the other failed, again. Congratulations to the Broncos and their fans. It was no doubt an exciting game with a most memorable ending. If Boise State wins out, they certainly will deserve a seat at the BCS table.
