Virginia Tech Cruises For First Victory

Sep 7, 2013; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Logan Thomas (3) looks to pass the ball during the third quarter against the Western Carolina Catamounts at Lane Stadium. Virginia Tech defeated Western Carolina 45-3. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

The Virginia Tech Hokies bounced back from Saturday’s lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide in a big way. The Hokies defeated Western Carolina this afternoon with a score of 45-3. Both sides of the ball played great, as it was an easy day for the team. The offense stepped up and delivered, while the defense continued to impress. Needless to say the win today was huge for the Hokies and the team has to be feeling good after how they performed.

In the preview of today’s game I stated that quarterback Logan Thomas needed to step up, and he did just that. The fifth year senior completed 17 of 31 passes, and threw for 200 yards. Although Thomas only threw one touchdown pass, he was much more effective than he was last week. While today’s game was an obvious improvement, Thomas still struggled some. He threw two interceptions both of which were in the end zone. The season is still young, and there is time for Logan Thomas to become more consistent.

The ground game continued to be an asset to the Hokies considering that the team ran for 152 rushing yards. Trey Edmunds ran for two touchdowns and 68 yards. Red-shirt freshman Chris Mangus had similar success as he rushed for 84 yards on just 5 carries. Mangus ripped off a 76 yard touchdown in the third quarter. The rushing attack has been tremendous so far this season, and they will continue to get better as the season moves on.

Virginia Tech’s defense put on another show today at Lane Stadium. Detrick Bonner put on an impressive performances by picking off two passes in the game. Bonner returned one of his interceptions for a touchdown midway through the first quarter. The Hokies defense is well known for how dangerous they are, and Western Carolina found that out first hand. Perhaps an even more impressive stat from the game was that the defense held WC to just 162 total yards on offense. The defense came to play, and can be considered as one of the best in College Football.

The wide-receivers had a much better output today since they did not drop as many passes. Last week against Alabama was dreadful, but the extra work put into practice seemed to pay off. The receiving unit as a whole produced 225 receiving yards which is a much better showing than what fans previously saw. With Logan Thomas’ improved play, and the reduction of dropped passes, the wide-receivers appear to be heading in the right direction.

Today’s blowout win for the Hokies was much needed. Going 0-2 would have been unacceptable for the team, but the win boosts everyone’s morale. The defense is not a concern at all as they have been impressive in both games this season. They have lived up to their pre-season hype, and appear to be a defense that offenses should fear. As for the offense, today was a great sign. Everyone pitched in, and really played well. Logan Thomas continues to be the teams key player moving forward since he is such a large part of how they perform. Virginia Tech will begin to prepare for next weeks contest against Marshall. Fans of Hokie Nation are feeling relieved after the big win and are hoping that this is the VT team that they will see for the rest of the year.