Virginia Tech Hokies Lead Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Halftime

After a four-in-a-row home game slate, where the Virginia Tech Hokies managed to lose three games, they start their first of many away games down in Atlanta Georgia against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. GT won the coin toss and deferred, kicking off to the Hokies who are wearing all white. Malachi Thomas rushed for six yards on the first two downs of the game before Burmeister threw behind his receiver on third-and-four. The Yellow Jackets found a first down with QB Jeff Simms at the helm, but the VT defense held. It didn’t take long for the Hokies to quickly find their way to third-and-long, but busted coverage allowed Burmeister to find a wide-open Tre Turner for a 69-yard catch-and-run touchdown. With their longest pass play of the season the Hokies were up early, 7-0. The Yellow Jackets immediately tied the game up when they drove down the field 75-yards and scored with a 26-yard pass and catch, on a fourth down conversion attempt, from Simms to Kyric McGowan. Apparently, the word is out on VT’s rate of allowing 80% of opponent fourth down attempts. On the left side, Burmeister again found Turner, after the coverage stumbled, for 26-yard reception. With a hands-to-the-face penalty, on GT, also on the play the Hokies found themselves in the Yellow Jacket red zone. As is tradition, VT found themselves facing a fourth-and-goal at the four yard-line. As is NOT tradition, Virginia Tech scored when a wobbly Burmeister pass was caught by Robinson to put the Hokies up 14-7.

After three drive in a row featuring TDs the Hokies and Yellow Jackets traded punts until another big Tre Turner reception and run put the Hokies in scoring position. Burmeister found Tre for a 61-yard gain. Turner’s yards after catch have been extremely impressive today and are certainly padding Burmeister’s passing stats. With the reception Turner has 156 yards which is a career high for him with a lot of football left to play. Despite being set up on the GT six yard-line the Hokies returned to the well of red zone ineptitude, throwing three consecutive incomplete passes. Never once did Malachi Thomas, averaging 3.8 yards per carry, at that point in the game, sniff the ball. John Parker Romo trotted out and hit the field goal to put the Hokies up 17-7 with 4:51 left in the half. During the waning minutes of the second quarter the Hokies drove into scoring position but were unable to get the TD. Romo hit a 43-yard field goal. The struggling Yellow Jacket secondary and their defense’s poor tackling are deficiencies that the Hokies have been able to turn into a 20-7 lead at the end of the half. VT fans have definitely seen the Hokies carry a lead into the second half, only to see it dissolve over the last 30 minutes of regulation. Here’s hoping that doesn’t happen again... Georgia Tech receives the ball to start the third quarter.