BLACKSBURG -- Forget the SOS. Virginia Tech's football ship has successfully been steered out of harm's way.

Three and a half weeks after looking like a shipwreck sure to happen, Tech finds itself cruising the high seas again. Thank the captain, coach Frank Beamer, for the save.

Talk about a quick turnaround. Less than four weeks ago, the Hokies were on the rocks after consecutive losses to Georgia Tech and Boston College, and were looking for life preservers.

Beamer took care of the honors by reading his out-of-line troops the riot act.

"In the first six games, we were pretty much doing all the wrong things as far as taunting and celebrating and stuff," senior linebacker Brenden Hill said Tuesday. "I just think we realized how badly those things can hurt us. We lost those games with penalties, trash talking and things. And now we've won these games without penalties, without trash talking, by celebrating with each other and great defense.

"We've finally figured out what it's going to take. Coach Beamer, at the beginning of the year, told us it was going to take defense, special teams, and no penalties and such. And for us to lose the games like we did and then to win the games like we've won 'em, you realize what he was talking about."

Since scrubbing its deck of all the extra-curricular poison, Tech is back in ship shape.

While their ACC title hopes are all but sunk, the Hokies (7-2, 4-2) have won three straight games and will be favored in their final three contests. Suddenly, a 10-2 regular season is on Tech's radar screen.

"I have to say it has a lot to do with our character, what type of people we are, and what type of leader we have," sophomore cornerback Victor "Macho" Harris said. "I would say Coach Beamer is the one of the greatest leaders in college football. He showed us video, he talked to us, he told us we can't do that, that we need to do this. We respected his call and we did what he needed us to do.

"We knew for a fact that he was irritated, and we knew if we tighten up that we were done. And we didn't want to be done. We were slipping ... We had too many penalties and we weren't playing like we should as a team. We had our rude awakening. We woke up and responded to adversity."

Now everybody is having fun again, including the boss.

"I really like the way this football team has responded and the way it's playing," he said. "We're playing Virginia Tech football again."

The Rouse report

The Miami game marked the first time this season that senior Aaron Rouse didn't get the majority of snaps at strong safety. Senior Cary Wade drew the start at the position for the second time in three games and played 32 snaps, six more than Rouse.

Rouse, touted as one of the nation's top strong safeties in numerous preseason publications, hasn't had the impact season he and others envisioned. Rouse hasn't been allowed to talk to the media since the BC loss, a game in which he and linebacker Vince Hall were caught in a heated sideline argument by ESPN's cameras.

"Aaron is working at it ... I want him to clear his mind and just go play," Beamer said. "Cary Wade has played very, very well. He's a good player, a very mature guy, put a lot into this season, got prepared for this season, and it's paying off for him right now. I want [Rouse] to come back and get his snaps. But who's playing the best is how we do things around here."

O-line gets thinner

Starting left offensive tackle Brandon Frye (high right ankle sprain) was in a boot Tuesday and said he's not expecting to play Saturday against Kent State (5-4).

If Frye can't go, sophomore Nick Marshman will make his second career start, leaving Tech's offensive-line bullpen basically depleted. Beamer said the plan was to take a look at tight end Ed Wang at tackle in practice this week.

Sssssshh!

Tech's 139 total yards vs. Miami marked the lowest output in a victory in 236 games under Beamer.

It was the lowest amount of total yards for Tech since a 22-10 loss to Clemson in 1987, Beamer's first game as coach. The Hokies had 60 total yards in that contest.

"Dave Smith [Tech sports information director] said this was the second-lowest yardage total since I've been here ... Yeah, we had one in my first ball game ... We had about 60, and I made him swear he wouldn't tell anybody," said Beamer, laughing. "I was proud of that 139, I promise you."

Tech tidbits

The Hokies rank third in the nation in total defense (233.6 ypg) and fifth in scoring defense (11.8 ppg). They lead the country in pass defense (131 ypg). ... Tech is a 27¹₂-point favorite Saturday over Kent State (5-4). ... The Golden Flashes' roster includes nine Virginians, eight of whom prepped at Hargrave Military Academy.

3.6

Hokies' penalties per game in their last three games.

7.3

Hokies' penalties per game in their first six games.

6

Hokies' ranking in the ACC in penalty yards per game.

Hokies cut the penalties