In today's game against Purdue, Virginia Tech showed that we can score in multiple ways...and we're still capable of penalty problems. Brenden Motley was fairly adequate, playing well, with a line of 15-24, for 220 yards and 2 touchdowns to Bucky Hodges. The defense played well as well, allowing only 17 points- 7 against the second team- forcing three turnovers, two on interceptions. Special teams chipped in with a blocked punt for a touchdown and a 3-pack of field goals, to go with a couple of solid returns. In all, what started as kind of a tight, zany game turned into a blowout win, 51-24.
The first quarter featured a forced fumble touchdown by Kendall Fuller, picked up by Chuck Clark to give a 10-0 lead after a deep throw by Motley to Malleck gave us a 3-0 lead earlier. A poor offensive series filled with inexcusable penalties, two by Nicholas, gave Purdue a 10-7 comeback, but at least by the end of the quarter a DEEP drive put us on the Purdue 5 after starting on our own one, with Motley showing some amazing escapability on a 20-yard run and a bomb of a pass to Isaiah Ford. Motley to Ford was a key, getting us out of the shadow of our own end-zone in the first place on a deep third down.
As for the second quarter...it wouldn't be Virginia Tech without an offensive screwup, and after tanking a play into the line of scrimmage, Brenden Motley got blindsided and fumbled the ball for a scoop and score, giving Purdue a 14-10 lead. The game proceeded to go completely haywire for the rest of the half, with a combination of good defensive plays and a really sweet semi-backshoulder fade to Bucky Hodges, then a combination of penalties and complete inability to cover receivers on sweeps and deeps tied the game. A long drive by Motley before the half and a touchdown on really poor snap by Eric Gallo- give Motley credit for his awareness in getting that ball to the endzone- left the game 24-17 at the half. Joey Slye missed a 53-yard field goal just before the half ended. It leaves him at a not-great 2-5 on the year- though two of those misses are past 50 yards. Tech fans weren't all that easy about that line at the end- it looked like the team was still struggling with consistency.
Thankfully, The Hokies decided to salt the game away in the third quarter, and used all three phases to do it. Defensively, Purdue didn't go much of anywhere, and Adonis Alexander got his second interception of the year. Offensively, we got a touchdown on a JC Coleman run after a SICK successful double-reverse pass from Rogers to Brenden Motley. And on special teams? How about a great return to set up a Joey Slye field goal to start the second half and on top of that, a blocked punt by Terrell Edmunds that bounced right to Anthony Shegog for a touchdown in a little bit of a return to Beamerball. The score at the end of the quarter was 41-17 with Purdue fans headed for the exits.
After a four and out by Purdue set up a smooth field goal for Joey Slye, a 44-17 score made the rout official. After that, Sean Huelskamp, starting in Andrew Motuapuaka's place, picked Appleby, starting Dwayne Lawson time. The first drive didn't go so hot- two bad QB dive plays and then a poor, shin-high snap by the center. Purdue proceeded to do much the same, with a fourth-down fumbled snap, turning the ball over deep in their own territory for two series straight. Beamer kind of put the lid on things, then calling two more samey dive plays, and then another QB read that they'd doped out repeatedly. A throw was deflected by Purdue on a fourth down where a field goal might've been kicked, but that's not Frank's way. That, however, didn't give the 2nd string defense the excuse to give up a 60-yard untouched rushing touchdown to bring the score to 44-24. Beamer immediately put Motley back in and a couple hand-offs to McMillian and others later, a nifty half-boot pass to Hodges brought the score to 51-24. From there the game was a series of dull drives and clock wasting, leaving that final score at 51-24. Tech moves to 2-1 on the season with a wild game that turned into a throttling win.
We wish Purdue the best of luck going forward in their season and look forward to playing East Carolina next week in Greenville, North Carolina.