The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from the Hokies’ Loss to Boston College

Nov 1, 2014; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies running back Marshawn Williams (42) runs for a touchdown as Boston College Eagles defensive back Ty-Meer Brown (5) defends in the first quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The Bad

Like all the games so far this year, there were bad parts along with good parts.  The first bad part has to be the Hokie rushing game.  Once again, the Hokies were stopped on the ground for virtually non-existent yards.  The Hokies only had 69 yards on the ground and never got their work horse back Marshawn Williams going.  Williams was a non-factor in the game only gaining 32 yards on 13 carries.

The Hokies depend on the running game to keep the defense honest and to set up the passing game.  Part of the reason for the poor performance on the ground could be the Hokies got behind and were forced to change their offensive mindset in order to get themselves back into the game.  The lack of a running game has affected the Hokie offense in the last 3 games.  In order for the next 3 games to be successful for the Hokies, the rushing game needs to return.

The second bad part of the game would have to be the fact that the Hokies gained more yards than the Eagles and outplayed them for the better part of the game but still lost.  The Hokies did not take advantage of the opportunities which were presented to them.  For instance, when the defense came up with a big stop and the Hokie offense had an opportunity to get a drive started, they did not capitalize.

This lack of capitalization is the main reason for a lot of the Hokies’ losses this season.  In the last three games of the season, capitalizing on the mistakes made by the opposition will be key.  Also, rewarding the defense for getting stops and getting off the field on third down is also very important for the Hokies.