Lewis ruptures achilles tendon in Tech win

By Nathan Warters
Published: October 5, 2008

BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech junior running back Kenny Lewis suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon in the third quarter Saturday, and will miss the rest of the season.
He took a handoff from quarterback Tyrod Taylor, and appeared to come up lame before being tackled. He was helped off the field with 13 minutes left in the third quarter.
“He’s crushed. He can barely even talk,” Hokies running backs coach Billy Hite said. “I know what’s going through his mind: ‘Why me?’ It’s a shame. It really is. Sometimes you can understand contact injuries and stuff like that, but these are the ones that drive me crazy. Boom, it just goes.”
According to Tech’s sports information staff, Lewis is expected to have surgery sometime within the next 10 to 14 days and will then undergo six to eight months of rehabilitation.
His status for spring practice is doubtful.
“Once he has the surgery I expect him to be out there and to be on the sidelines and do everything he can to help us out,” Hite said.
Tech has lost two starters to season-ending injuries in the last two games. Starting rover Davon Morgan tore the ACL in his right knee last Saturday at Nebraska.
Wide receiver Brandon Dillard, who was projected to start the season opener, also suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon during voluntary offseason drills in August.
Lewis’s injury likely means redshirt freshman Darren Evans will step into the starting role. Josh Oglesby is expected to be the Hokies’ No. 2 tailback.
“(Lewis is) very vocal and the guys feed off his enthusiasm. Just to see him go down is kind of hard for us, but hopefully we’ll have some guys that will step up,” Taylor said.

Hokies lose first fumble
Entering Saturday’s game, Virginia Tech was one of only three Football Bowl Subdivision teams, along with Oklahoma and Colorado State, without a lost fumble.
That changed with 9:31 remaining in the second quarter when Taylor lost the ball inside the red zone and Western Kentucky defensive lineman Robert Dark recovered at the WKU 11.
It was one of three fumbles for Taylor Saturday. All were in the first half.

Atypical drive nets first score
The Hokies’ first touchdown drive Saturday was decidedly different from any of their scoring drives this season.
Taylor completed all five of his pass attempts, including two to senior cornerback Macho Harris, who had two career receptions for nine yards before Saturday, and another to Oglesby.
Oglesby, who had eight carries for 16 yards in Tech’s first five games, had two carries for seven yards and a reception for three yards.
The drive ended with Taylor’s first touchdown pass of the season, a 27-yarder to tight end Greg Boone. It was Boone’s first touchdown reception since his freshman season.

Tuttle Hokies’ homecoming king
Virginia Tech backup long snapper Matt Tuttle was named Homecoming King during halftime ceremonies Saturday.
The redshirt junior from Chesapeake joined the Hokies football team last season as a walk-on and has yet to play in a game. His teammates wore “Join the Huddle … Vote for Tuttle,” T-shirts during Tech’s Tuesday media gathering.
Malissa Bradshaw, a Carrsville native, was named Homecoming Queen.