3 Key Plays - VT vs. Austin Peay

I was so disgusted with how terrible the Hokies played against Austin Peay for the first and third quarters that I didn't do a 3 Key Plays. But now that I've had some time to simmer down, I will.

1) The Kyshoen Jarrett punt return was THE key play. It fired up the team, put them in position to score the first touchdown and got the fans into the game.

2) 12:32 left in the half and the Hokies had 4th and 1. I couldn't BEGIN to tell you how much this play angers me. INFURIATES me. Ok, so it's at home against Austin Peay and it's 4th and 1 with Logan Thomas under center. Everyone in the stadium, including the folks selling turkey legs under the stands know that he's going to QB sneak it here. Is there REALLY a chance the Hokies are going to lose this game if they fail this 4th down? Is this not the exactly, once-in-a-season, perfect chance to fake the QB sneak and throw the easiest TD pass to a TE or back leaking out of the backfield? Think about it - by running some sort of fake here, you basically strike fear in the hearts of every defensive coordinator you face the rest of the season by showing them that you do have a fake off of this formation. It forces them to prepare for something other than Logan Thomas on the sneak. I was livid that the Hokies didn't fake it here and then I was damn near unconscious when I saw that they couldn't push Austin Peay back enough for him to get a yard. As excited as I was about the 3rd and 1 play action pass to George George against Arkansas State last season, I was at LEAST that furious over the lack of creativity on this play. I swear to you all, there is something wrong with Bryan Stinespring being in the booth this season. I swear it. More on this in a later post, but I know this is causing problems for O'Cain.

3) 3rd and 4 from the Austin Peay 9 yard line with 7:50 left in the 3rd quarter. Michael Holmes makes a great, GREAT cut and gets not only the first down, but the touchdown as well. This score iced the game, but it also gave me hope that Holmes and the Hokies can run the ball in the red zone. He isn't the fastest, nor the strongest back the Hokies have had. But I keep saying, he just has a knack. He's tough to tackle, he carries the ball properly, and he has that instinctive way of sliding off of direct hits. Emmitt Smith (no I'm not comparing Holmes overall to Emmitt Smith, of course) had that same knack to avoid the big hits over the course of a game. It makes you fresher late in the game and you can't teach it.