Hokie, Hokie, Hokie high
It wouldn't have been hard to figure the final of tonight's Clemson-Virginia Tech game to be 24-7.
That the Hokies would be on the 24 side was probably a surprise to most people watching the game - and more surprising was how dominant Tech was in posting the blowout win.
"I can't say enough - I'm really, really proud of our effort tonight," defensive coordinator Bud Foster said after the win at Lane Stadium, which saw Tech (6-2, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) hold the Tigers (7-2, 4-2 ACC) to 166 yards of total offense.
That might not have come through the first time, so it bears repeating, with emphasis - Clemson, which entered the game the number-one scoring offense in I-A, gained 166 yards of offense and was held scoreless the final three quarters.
Foster's D made CU look overmatched - holding the tailback tandem of James Davis and C.J. Spiller to a combined 71 yards on 22 carries and harassing senior quarterback Will Proctor into a 11-for-28, 86-yard night.
That this all took place on national TV - in front of a Thursday-night audience that saw the Hokies embarrass themselves two weeks ago in a 22-3 loss at Boston College - made it all the sweeter.
"We showed them the real Virginia Tech football - that we're able to run the ball, and great defense. That's really what Virginia Tech is all about - it's just pounding the ball and great defense," said Tech tailback Branden Ore, who sliced and diced his way through the Clemson defense for 203 yards on 37 carries and two touchdowns on the night.
"I was really proud of our kids," Foster said. "We had to come out and play with great energy. We had to be gap-sound. And our kids did that. I was really proud of how we played. The emotion we played with, the energy we played with, we played as a team - I just can't say enough about our kids."
- Chris Graham