Virginia Tech 31, Miami 17: What They're Saying

A collection of quotes from around the blogosphere and mainstream media about Saturday's big win at Miami.

Virginia Tech Bloggers

These are my favorite Hokies (The Key Play)
"Above even physical play in the trenches, a punishing run game and stingy defense, character and resolve are the most important parts of a football team to me. The never quit attitude and leadership that Randall exemplified in '04, which was sorely missing from uber talented teams in '02 and '03, lost in '05 has been resuscitated by Tyrod Taylor over his career and personified in this, his finale."

ACC Championship Game Bound! (VT Campus Blog)
"Looking for a team that knows that it’s not how you start, but rather how you finish? I give you Virginia Tech. The Hokies overcame a slow start – again – to beat Miami 31-17 on Saturday night. They clinched a spot in the ACC Championship Game in the process."

Hokies Defeat Miami, Punch Ticket to Charlotte (Tech Sideline)
"Perhaps the most memorable play of this game came in the first quarter, when Tyrod Taylor was knocked out of the game momentarily. Logan Thomas entered on third and 16 from the VT 41. Rather than just running a draw and punting the football, the Hokies decided to throw. Thomas hung in the pocket and found Danny Coale over the middle for a 24 yard gain and a first down. The Hokies went on to score a touchdown on that drive."

So far, a replay of 1995 (Hokie Annual)
"The team has overcome the early disappointment, the loss of of a Heisman candidate running back (Ryan Williams) for significant time and the loss of its leading returning tackler (middle linebacker Barquell Rivers) before the season. "Family" has been the key word, and it's just been a beautiful thing to see."

Virginia Tech Beat Writers

Tyrod Taylor cinches Player of the Year with TD run (David Teel)
"Saturday's game was far from Taylor's finest. Miami's fast and ferocious defenders battered him from every angle, knocking him out for one play and sacking him a season-high five times. But when it mattered, with the Hokies' two-month winning streak at stake, Taylor delivered. Again."

Reserves step up against Miami (Aaron McFarling)
"When it ended, Williams led a Cal Ripken-style victory lap to celebrate with lingering Tech fans. Taylor signed a No. 5 jersey for a youngster. A sizeable group of supporters shouted the names of the stars. But then came the rest of them -- the second stringers, the special teams guys, the one-hit wonders. Fans slapped those hands, too, and they should have. The bus wouldn't be pointed toward Charlotte without them."

Hokies are Toast of the (ACC football) Coast (Randy King)
"Much like its season, this one could be listed as unconventional. For the seventh time this season, Tech allowed an opponent to score on its first series. In all but the Boise game, the Hokies recovered and won. The Hurricanes (7-4, 5-3) outgained Tech 464-369, but surrendered a season-high six turnovers."

Williams finally breaks loose (Mark Giannotto)
"But with his career long 84-yard touchdown run in the beginning of the fourth quarter, Williams not only propelled the Hokies to a Coastal Division title and a spot in next month's ACC Championship game, he also proved a point to himself."

Thoughts on No. 14 Virginia Tech 31, No. 24 Miami 7 (Darryl Slater)
"And now that the Hokies’ three-game November gauntlet of Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Miami is over, it can be safely said: This is a really good team. Flawed? Sure. Prone to giving up a big play, especially against the run? No doubt."

Hokies clinch Coastal with 31-17 win (Kyle Tucker)
"That was another wild one. Another game when the Hokies’ opponent scored first – which has happened in 7 of 11 games – and another game that Virginia Tech looked like it was in big trouble for much of the way. And another win."

Hokies defeat Miami, clinch ACC Coastal (Collegiate Times)
"The game was a virtual gridiron chess match for the first three quarters, with each team’s scoring effort being matched with one of equal amount by the opponent until the Hokies scored consecutive touchdowns in the fourth quarter."

Miami Bloggers

Virginia Tech Recap (Eye of the Hurricane)
"The ‘Canes made too many mistakes, committed too many untimely penalties, and couldn’t execute when the chips were down. With the loss, Miami will no longer be considered for the Chik-fil-A Bowl, and any chance of playing in the Orange Bowl was washed away in the fourth quarter as the clock ticked down to triple zeros."

Game Eleven: Virginia Tech 31, Miami 17 (AllCanes)
"At 7-4 the Canes are not only out of the ACC hunt, but at best can only match last year's 9-4 record and are headed to another lower-tier bowl. The critics are out in full force regarding the future of Randy Shannon, while president Donna Shalala and athletic director Kirby Hocutt have much to discuss in an effort to determine the path of this football program."

Just Another Day In Paradise (Canespace)
"Next up came the full moon warning that Miami was almost certainly going to lose. We don't know why or how but Miami has lost 37 of the 40 games played on a full moon night. Not really we just made that up to fit the story line and because it sounded good."