Holy cow, has it already been eight weeks of college football? This season has gone so fast...and so has David Wilson! Let me start this article with an apology. I've been absent for the last four weeks and I apologize to all the people that actually read what I write.
That being said, I've got four crazy weeks of catching up to do! Let's get to it after the jump!
Week 5
Ryan Williams (2009): This wasn't the prettiest game for Ryan Williams or the Hokies. Virginia Tech went into Duke riding a three game win streak, the prior two games against ranked opponents. The Hokies were up to #6 in the nation and almost let a motivated Duke team knock them off. Ryan Williams had a rough time running against the Blue Devils too.
Stat Line: 24 Carries, 83 Yards, 0 Touchdowns
Season Totals: 108 Carries, 575 Yards, 8 Touchdowns
David Wilson (2011): Speaking of ugly games...this is the infamous week where the Hokies got waxed at home by Clemson. The offense lacked an identity and clearly didn't come prepared (The same could be said for the fan base too). Among the horrid play though, David Wilson actually had himself a decent night.
Stat Line: 20 Carries, 123 Yards, 0 Touchdowns
Season Totals: 109 Carries, 643 Yards, 5 Touchdowns
Progress: David Wilson +1 Carry, +68 Yards, -3 Touchdowns
Week 6
Ryan Williams (2009): Now this is what you call a rebound game. The Hokies got over their spook from Duke and Ryan Williams went off. Boston College never had a chance. This game was never close so let's just get to the stats.
Stat Line: 18 Carries, 159 Yards, 1 Touchdown
Season Totals: 126 Carries, 734 Yards, 9 Touchdowns
David Wilson (2011): You want to talk about an exciting game, this is the one for you. This was one of the most entertaining games I've ever seen. It had everything, good and bad. David Wilson fit into the good category. This was a huge confidence booster for Wilson and the Hokies, even if Logan Thomas stole the show against the Hurricanes.
Stat Line: 23 Carries, 128 Yards, 0 Touchdowns
Season Totals: 132 Carries, 771 Yards, 5 Touchdowns
Progress: David Wilson +6 Carries, +37 Yards, -4 Touchdowns
Week 7
Ryan Williams (2009): This was the Hokies' second loss of the 2009 season. Playing at Georgia Tech has proven problematic for the Hokies and this remained the case in this game. Ryan Williams did his part with the carries he was given but looking back it makes you wonder why he didn't get the rock more. Hindsight is always 20/20 though.
Stat Line: 14 Carries, 100 Yards, 1 Touchdown
Season Totals: 140 Carries, 834 Yards, 10 Touchdowns
David Wilson (2011): It was a rough start for the Hokies against Wake Forest. The first quarter saw pretty much less than no offense. For the last three quarters though, it was game over. The Hokies got their momentum rolling and David Wilson was off to the races.
Stat Line: 17 Carries, 136 Yards, 1 Touchdown
Season Totals: 149 Carries, 907 Yards, 6 Touchdowns
Progress: David Wilson +9 Carries, +73 Yards, -4 Touchdowns
Week 8
Ryan Williams (2009): At home on a Thursday night, no one in Hokie Nation really though Virginia Tech would lose to UNC. Well, unfortunately that's exactly what happened. A last second field goal gave UNC a 20-17 win in Lane Stadium as the Hokies lost two straight, and their third game of the season. The outlook was bleak for the Hokies at this point in the season, for good reason too. Ryan Williams also had a sub-par game.
Stat Line: 23 Carries, 96 Yards, 0 Touchdowns
Season Totals: 163 Carries, 930 Yards, 10 Touchdowns
David Wilson (2011): The train is rolling again for the Hokies! After their loss to Clemson, the Hokies have won three straight games and David Wilson has given some major performances. As Logan Thomas improves, David Wilson will continue to get more space to work with. It appears to be working too as Wilson's numbers begin to soar. After this week, David Wilson became the only 1,000 yard rusher in the NCAA.
Stat Line: 17 Carries, 134 Yards, 1 Touchdown
Season Totals: 164 Carries, 1,037 Yards, 7 Touchdowns
Progress: David Wilson +1 Carry, +107 Yards, -3 Touchdowns
Phew, that was quite the write up for me. We're all caught up now though and I shant be letting you down anymore! What can we take from this? David Wilson is beasting at a rate that not even Ryan Williams could touch yardage wise. Ryan Williams has more touchdowns at this point but that could be in part due to the fact that if the Hokies are close to the endzone, Logan Thomas is either leaning forward or passing the ball. It's a change in philosophy for the Hokies but it appears to be working.
If Wilson keeps this pace up he will smash the single season rushing record for Virginia Tech. The Hokies have two tough games coming up with UNC and Georgia Tech. We will see how next week plays out against Duke. The Hokies have a bye week before playing Georgia Tech on Thursday night, so in three weeks we will have a better picture about not only the Hokies, but David Wilson's chance at snapping Ryan Williams' record.