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Virginia Tech special teams meltdown clears way for Alabama

Tech's defense held strong, but it wasn't enough in the face of two kick returns and an interception for a touchdown.



MATT GENTRY | The Roanoke Times


Alabama’s Christion Jones (22) escapes Tech’s Desmond Frye (26) for the game’s final touchdown.

MATT GENTRY | The Roanoke Times


Head coach Frank Beamer bows his head with just over 4 minutes to go in the Virginia Tech–Alabama football game in Atlanta on Saturday.

MATT GENTRY | The Roanoke Times


Alabama’s T.J. Yeldon (4) spins and escapes Tech defenders Tariq Edwards (24), center, and James Gayle (99), left.

MATT GENTRY | The Roanoke Times


Tech quarterback Logan Thomas (3), center, walks among Alabama players after the Virginia Tech–Alabama football game in Atlanta on Saturday.

MATT GENTRY | The Roanoke Times


Tech fans look on during the second half during a Virginia Tech possession.

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Alabama 35, Virginia Tech 10

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta

How they scored

Alabama: 14 14 7 0 -- 35
Virginia Tech: 7 3 0 0 -- 10

First quarter
UA—Jones 72 punt return (Foster kick), 13:21. Alabama 7, Virginia Tech 0.
UA—Yeldon 2 run (Foster kick), 1:53. Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 5:00. Key play: Norwood 11 pass from McCarron on third-and-8 to VT 36. Alabama 14, Virginia Tech 0.
VT—Edmunds 77 run (Journell kick), 1:37. Drive: One play, 77 yards, :11. Alabama 14, Virginia Tech 7.

Second quarter
UA—Sunseri 38 interception return (Foster kick), 14:04. Alabama 21, Virginia Tech 7.
VT—FG Journell 39, 3:39. Drive: Seven plays, 12 yards, 7:07. Alabama 21, Virginia Tech 10.
UA—Jones 94 kickoff return (Foster kick), 3:25. Alabama 28, Virginia Tech 10.

Third quarter
UA—Jones 38 pass from McCarron (Foster kick), 3:43. Drive: Four plays, 47 yards, 1:35. Key play: Yeldon 11 run to VT 36. Alabama 35, Virginia Tech 10.


Team statistics


First downs
Rushes-yards
Passing
Comp-Att-Int
Return Yards
Punts-Avg.
Fumbles-lost
Penalties-Yards
Time of poss.
 ALA
11
38-96
110
10-24-1
156
9-46.4
0-0
4-25
30:45
 VT
7
33-153
59
5-26-1
52
13-45.1
0-0
7-35
29:15

Individual statistics

Rushing
Alabama, Yeldon 17-75, Tenpenny 6-24, Hart 5-15, B.Sims 2-7, Fowler 3-1, Henry 1-(minus 3), A.McCarron 4-(minus 23).
Virginia Tech, Edmunds 20-132, Mangus 5-15, Rogers 1-3, Thomas 5-2, Coles 2-1.

Passing
Alabama, A.McCarron 10-23-1-110, B.Sims 0-1-0-0.
Virginia Tech, Thomas 5-26-1-59.

Receiving
Alabama, Cooper 4-38, Ch.Jones 2-47, White 2-14, Norwood 1-11, Fowler 1-0.
Virginia Tech, Knowles 2-3, Coles 1-34, Stanford 1-16, Edmunds 1-6.

Tackles (solo-assists-sacks)
Alabama, Stinson 2-6-1/2, Mosley 3-4-0, Clinton-Dix 2-4-0, Collins 3-2-0, Fulton 2-3-0, Tomlinson 2-2-0, Sunseri 1-3-0, Williams 2-1-0, Devall 2-0-0, Allen 2-0-0, Pagan 1-1-0, Anderson 1-1-1/2, DePriest 0-2-0, Robinson 0-2-0, Dickson 0-2-0, Ivory 0-2-0, Ragland 0-2-0, Hubbard 0-2-0, Jones 1-0-0, Hart 1-0-0, Marndell 1-0-0, Foster 0-1-0, Lake 0-1-0, lee 0-1-0, Belue 0-1-0, Owens 0-1-0, Totals 26-44-1.
Virginia Tech, Tyler 3-5-1, Edwards 1-5-0, Ke. Fuller 4-0-0, Maddy 3-1-1, Ky. Fuller 2-2-0, Jarrett 2-2-0, Clark 2-2-0, Nicolas 3-0-1, Wilson 1-2-0, N. Williams 1-2-1, Collins 1-2-0, Trimble 0-3-0, Hopkins 0-3-0, DiNardo 0-3-0, Bonner 2-0-0, Frye 1-1-0, Riley 1-1-0, Roth 0-2-0, Redman 1-0-0, Facyson 1-0-0, C. Williams 0-1-0, Baron 0-1-0, Totals 29-38-4.
Virginia Tech report card

STOP THE RUN
B Tech bottled up T.J. Yeldon for the most part, holding the star sophomore to 75 yards on 17 carries (a 4.4-yard average). That’s well below what many thought he could accomplish. ’Bama as a team ran for only 96 yards.

WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE
C The Hokies were even with the Crimson Tide. Kyle Fuller had an interception that led to a field goal. Problem is, Logan Thomas threw a pick-six that directly put points on the board for Alabama.

GET A BIG GAME FROM LOGAN THOMAS
F The senior went 5 for 26 for only 59 yards and ran for just two yards total, hardly the big-time game that the Hokies needed to keep up with the Tide. Pass protection wasn’t great and receivers dropped a ton of passes, but Tech needed a bigger output from Thomas.

-Andy Bitter

by
Andy Bitter | 381-1674

Sunday, September 1, 2013


ATLANTA — Frank Beamer insisted special teams was a focus for Virginia Tech all offseason. It sure didn’t look like it Saturday night.

Virginia Tech got out-BeamerBalled by No. 1 Alabama at the Georgia Dome, giving up a punt return, a kick return and an interception for a touchdown in a 35-10 loss.

Christion Jones scored both of the special teams scores, and Vinnie Sunseri added the pick-six for the two-time defending national champion Crimson Tide (1-0). It was the first time in Beamer’s 27 years at Virginia Tech (0-1) that his once-prized special teams units allowed that trifecta.

“The points that we gave them, it shouldn’t happen in a ballgame. Those were critical,” said Beamer, who fell to 0-7 against No. 1-ranked teams.

“But I firmly believe what was wrong tonight will be corrected and we can be a good football team.”

The special teams meltdown wasted an otherwise stellar defense by Bud Foster’s group, which held Alabama to 206 yards and gave the heavy underdog Hokies more of a chance than anyone imagined coming into the game.

It didn’t amount to much. New coordinator Scot Loeffler’s overmatched offense managed only seven first downs, finishing with 212 yards.

Aside from running back Trey Edmunds, who dazzled in his debut with 132 yards, including a 77-yard touchdown run, the Hokies couldn’t muster anything against an Alabama defense that finished No. 1 nationally in total yards last season.

Quarterback Logan Thomas, refined mechanics and all, didn’t fare much better than he did last season. The senior completed only five of his 26 passes for 59 yards, a stat line not helped by numerous drops by Tech wide receivers.

But it was Tech’s special teams, once Beamer’s calling card in Blacksburg, that provided the night’s biggest letdown.

Jones set the tone early, fielding a punt and weaving through Tech’s would-be tacklers for a 72-yard score just a minute and a half into the game.

“We had three new guys on the right side,” said Beamer, who noted that Ryan Malleck and Ronny Vandyke, two players lost for the season to injuries, were formerly with that group. “It’s no excuse.”

Alabama made it 14-0 later in the first quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run by T.J. Yeldon.

The Hokies showed their first pulse with Edmunds’ 77-yard touchdown run. Tech’s defense forced a three-and-out and the following possession, briefly deflating the largely pro-Alabama crowd.

One errant pass gave it all back. Hokies receiver D.J. Coles cut short a route across the middle, allowing Sunseri to jump Thomas’ pass. The interception return for a score gave the Tide a 21-7 lead.

“They kind of jumped us,” Beamer said. “They fooled us and the kid made a heck of a play. We had a little something going. A big turning point.”

A Kyle Fuller interception and 39-yard field goal by Cody Journell got Tech within 21-10, but special teams struck again.

Virginia Tech had Jones briefly wrapped up on the ensuing kickoff, but the junior broke free. The rest of the Hokies stopped for a second, thinking the play was over. That’s when Jones shot up the left sideline, racing 94 yards to make it 28-10 heading into halftime.

Will Beamer re-evaluate the personnel on his coverage teams, possibly going to back to using more veterans like the heyday of Beamer Ball?

“Absolutely,” he said.

It ruined a fine defensive performance. The Tide didn’t have 100 yards by halftime. Yeldon, heralded as a Heisman candidate, was bottled up for most of the night, finishing with 75 yards.

Even the usually unflappable AJ McCarron didn’t have his best night. The senior improved to 26-2 as a starter but finished 10-for-23 for 110 yards, finally getting a touchdown on a 39-yard pass to Jones in the third quarter.

Though disappointed with the result, Tech’s players were oddly content for a team that lost by 25.

“I think you can ask any of the guys: They’re all encouraged,” Thomas said. “Obviously we’re upset that we lost, but most of us have smiles on our faces because we know how good we can be.”

Saturday, September 14, 2013

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