Goal smaller for Hokies after big mistakes

ATLANTA—The chase is smaller now. Instead of winning out and hoping a one-loss season would be enough to land in the national championship game, Virginia Tech must downsize its goals after Saturday’s 28-23 loss at Georgia Tech.

From No. 4 in The Associated Press poll, the Hokies fell to No. 15 yesterday. They rated as No. 14 in the BCS standings. Now, the best Tech can do—barring absurd collapses by every national-title contender—is win the ACC for the third straight year and play in the Orange Bowl.

That would be no small feat. And while the Hokies (3-1 ACC, 5-2) are off this week as they regroup for their final five games, starting with an Oct. 29 home game against North Carolina, some might still be regretting Saturday’s mistakes. Their defense allowed long runs and third-down conversions, and their offense failed to convert on short yardage and promising field position.

Georgia Tech (4-1, 6-1) had runs of 16 and 31 yards on its first touchdown drive of the second half. The Yellow Jackets got a 33-yard run on their second touchdown drive to set up a 13-yard scoring run that gave them a 21-10 lead with 1:37 left in the third quarter. Their final touchdown, a 39-yard run by quarterback Josh Nesbitt, came five plays after a 23-yard run.

Their ground game could have caused more damage. Rushes of 12 and 14 yards on their first possession of the fourth quarter—followed by Hokies defensive end Nekos Brown jumping offside on fourth and 1 at Virginia Tech’s 21-yard line—moved them to the Hokies’ 14. But Nesbitt’s pitch hit the grass, and the Hokies recovered.

In all, the Jackets had eight runs of 12 yards or longer in the second half and converted all seven of their third downs—the last being Nesbitt’s touchdown run. Their longest rush in the first half: 9 yards.

Running is the backbone of the Jackets’ option-based offense—they passed just seven times in 70 plays Saturday—and when they do it that well to finish a game, they usually will win.

Yet the Hokies’ offensive players also felt some responsibility, despite scoring touchdowns on three of their final four possessions—drives of 66, 77 and 61 yards that featured four plays of 20 yards or longer, including tailback Ryan Williams’ 66-yard touchdown run on the only play of that first possession.

They believe they could have done more and done it earlier. Their second drive of the game started on the Jackets’ 42 but went three plays and out, for 7 yards. Their third began on the Jackets’ 48, but quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw an interception on the first play, when defensive tackle Jason Peters tipped the ball up at the line and came down with it. Their fifth got to the 16, but they had to settle for a field goal after the Jackets stopped Williams for a 1-yard loss on a third-and-2.

But the toughest to swallow was their seventh, and first of the second half. It started on Georgia Tech’s 26—must-score territory—after Dyrell Roberts’ 58-yard kickoff return. Williams got 2 yards on second down and none on third, setting up fourth and 2 at the 18. With the Hokies trailing 14-3, their coach, Frank Beamer, decided to go for it rather than kick the field goal. But the Jacket stopped Williams 1 yard short.

“In those situations, in these types of games, we have to score,“ Taylor said. “Especially when you go for it on fourth down. You have to convert that.“

The Hokies had six drives before their first touchdown—not counting a hurried possession at the end of the first half. And besides the nine-play, 56-yard field goal drive, the possessions covered 34, 7, zero, 25 and 9 yards. None lasted longer than six plays.

“If we could take it all back, I’m pretty sure we would’ve changed the tempo,“ Taylor said. “Try to go deeper quicker.“

Said Williams: “We can’t come out waiting for the fourth quarter to try to get intense and try to move the ball down the field.“

Contact Darryl Slater at (804) 649-6026 or .