Creamed Corn: Hokies shuck ‘Huskers

By Nathan Warters

Published: September 27, 2008

LINCOLN, Neb. — Virginia Tech’s offense found the balance it has been so sorely lacking. Ironically, it did it against a team with a history of defensive dominance.

The Hokies gained a season-high 377 total yards — 171 through the air and 206 on the ground — in a 35-30 win over Nebraska on Saturday night in front of a record crowd of 85,831 at Memorial Stadium.

The elusive non-conference road victory counts as one of Tech’s biggest in the last few years.

The Hokies’ last big non-conference road win came against West Virginia almost three years ago to the date. Before Saturday, they were 0-5 against teams from the Big 12, SEC and Pac 10 in the last four years.

Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor completed 9 of 15 passes for 171 yards in his best passing performance of the season.

Hokies redshirt freshman running back Darren Evans rushed for 71 yards and two touchdowns. He has six scores in his first five collegiate games.

The offensive breakthrough came against a Cornhuskers team coached by defensive mastermind Bo Pelini.

Pelini was the defensive coordinator at LSU for three years before becoming Nebraska’s coach before this season. His LSU defense held the Hokies to 149 total yards in a 48-7 drubbing last season in Baton Rouge.

That team, which eventually won the national championship, was stacked with defensive talent. Nebraska’s famed Blackshirts defense still has a ways to go before it reaches that level.

Home losses are rare for Nebraska. It entered Saturday night’s game with a 123-14 record at Memorial Stadium in the last 19 seasons, and it was 26-3 in home night games since lights were installed at its home field in 1986.

The Huskers had won 46 of their previous 48 home games against non-conference opponents.

Tech earned the ACC a shred of dignity after the league’s top two teams, Wake Forest and Clemson, fell to lesser opponents.

Nebraska made it interesting with three touchdowns in the final 16 minutes. It put together a 12-play, 75-yard drive capped by Roy Helu’s 12-yard touchdown run with four seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Then, after a stalled Virginia Tech drive, Nate Swift had an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown to cut the Hokies’ lead to 28-23.

He slipped out of a Jason Worilds’ tackle at the 15 and Prince Amukamara freed him up near the left sideline with a block of Tech punter Brent Bowden.

The Hokies responded with an 11-play drive that resulted in Taylor’s 2-yard touchdown run with 2:28 remaining.

The Huskers had Taylor – who rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown – stuffed on a third-down run, but a late hit penalty by defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh gave the Hokies a first down at the Nebraska 20.

Before Tech could get its next play off, the Huskers were called for unsportsmanlike conduct, and the Hokies moved up to the Nebraska 11. Three plays later, Taylor was in the end zone for a two-yard touchdown run and a 35-23 lead.

Nebraska responded quickly again with a quick-strike touchdown drive that resulted in Ganz’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Todd Peterson.

Tech’s offense got warmed up in the first half. They put up 198 yards, including 126 through the air.

But in three red zone opportunities, they came away with only one touchdown and two Dustin Keys field goals.

The Hokies’ special teams and defense led to nine first-half points. Junior cornerback Stephan Virgil blocked Dan Titchener’s punt and the ball squirted through the end zone for a safety.

Two minutes later, Tech cornerback Macho Harris made an acrobatic over the shoulder interception of quarterback Joe Ganz at the Nebraska 20 and returned it 15 yards to the 5. Evans cross the goal line three plays later for a 1-yard touchdown run.

Nebraska responded with a quick scoring drive to cut the Hokies’ lead to 9-7. Ganz completed a 27-yard pass to tight end Mike McNeill, and after a 9-yard Helu run, connected with McNeill again for a 40-yard touchdown pass.

Keys kicked field goals of 19, 38 and 27 yards in the second quarter, and the Hokies entered the locker room with an 18-10 lead.