Courtesy of David Knachel

Virginia Tech kicker Justin Myer averaged 70 yards on 11 kickoffs in the Hokies' 66-13 win over Appalachian State.

BLACKSBURG -- Virginia Tech kickoff man Justin Myer was asked nary a question in the Lane Stadium media room following the Hokies' 66-13 Saturday shellacking of Appalachian State.

Too bad Ruffin McNeill wasn't in the house. Sounds like the East Carolina coach would have given it up for Tech's kickoff artist.

"[Tech] has the best kickoff guy I've seen. I like him, Justin Myer,'' said McNeill, whose Pirates (0-1) will entertain the 13th-ranked Hokies (1-0) on Saturday.

"Knowing that you start the opponent on their 20-yard line, backed up on the 20 every kick, and they have to drive 80 yards on your defense is a great comfort for a defensive coordinator, trust me. You've got a lot of calls on your card for that area back there. He's a great defensive weapon."

While Myer's efforts went largely unnoticed in a contest in which Tech led 52-0 less than 3 minutes into the second half, the numbers don't lie. The power-legged senior averaged 70 yards on 11 kickoffs, with five touchbacks. It was a strong factor in Tech limiting ASU's average starting field position to its 24-yard line.

Nobody in Tech's stable of kickers and punters has a leg like Myer. The 6-foot-1, 214-pound Pennsylvania native is commonly referred to as "Thunderfoot" by the other specialists for his ability to boot a football into another ZIP code. One of his second-half kickoffs overflew the end zone by 5 yards Saturday.

"We have nobody who can touch Myer when it comes to distance," punter Scott Demler said. "I've seen him hit a field goal from 72 yards. He has incredible leg power. It's sheer strength. We are waiting for him to kick a ball out of a stadium somewhere."

Bolting from gate

Sure, the Heisman Trophy is Andrew Luck's award to win. Nonetheless, Tech tailback David Wilson, at worst, must be considered a long-shot contender.

Barring injury, Wilson is going to pile up a ton of rushing yards and touchdowns, not to mention provide a lion's share of excitement on kickoff returns.

Wilson had 162 yards rushing and three TDs on only 16 carries before being sent to the bench after one series in the second half.

"I think he had 15 broken tackles,'' said Tech coach Frank Beamer, noting that ex-running backs coach Billy Hite called the number "a record around here.''

"[Wilson] was something special. What an impressive performance.''

McNeill saw all he needed to see on video Sunday.

"David is a very accomplished track runner, but he's not a track person who plays football; he's a football player who happens to run track, which means he's tough and he has great speed,'' McNeill said.

Wilson's 162 rushing yards was the sixth-highest FBS total in the season's first weekend.

Kudos to O-line

Most of the time, the only occasion the offensive line gets prominently mentioned is when it performs poorly. Tech's senior-dominated line looked strong against ASU, keeping the pocket pinned for Logan Thomas, allowing only one sack.

"We did have a good day," Beamer said. "We talked about winning performance, we call that our 'Chain Gang.' And nine guys made that in our offensive line. I hope that speaks well for us, and I think it does, for some backups coming along. And I think if we get in there and keep those guys fresh that will be a big, big help ...and not have a dropoff and keep people fresh for the fourth quarter.''

The offensive line will see a lot of blitzing from ECU, especially with Thomas making the first road start of his college career.

"The rule of thumb is you defend the veteran and blitz the young guy," McNeill noted.

Strong return

Senior wideout Dyrell Roberts, who missed last season's final five games after undergoing surgery on compartment syndrome in his leg, had three receptions for 45 yards against ASU. Roberts made a spectacular 31-yard catch in which he leapt over the back of ASU defensive back Troy Sanders and snared the ball. The play was ranked No. 6 on ESPN's list of Saturday's college highlights.

Quick hits

Free safety Theron Norman, who didn't dress for the ASU game because of a shoulder injury, is back at full speed this week, Beamer said. The redshirt freshman figures to be the primary backup to starter Antone Exum at free safety Saturday. ...Michael Via, the Hokies' sixth offensive lineman who missed the opener with a sprained left knee, is expected back for ECU. ... The Hokies are a 19 1/2-point favorite to beat ECU, which led No. 12 South Carolina 24-14 at halftime Saturday before losing 56-37 in Charlotte, N.C.