Closer Look

Despite another big win, Va. Tech still looking for respect

Ernest Wilford and Virginia Tech are still looking for national respect. AP

By Tim Griffin, Special to CNNSI.com

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The national perception hasn’t really changed. Virginia Tech linebacker Vegas Robinson is still angry even after three victories over ranked opponents.

"I don’t think anybody respects us," Robinson said. "They think the Hokies are a joke. It’s not funny anymore."

The No. 7 Hokies took out their aggression with a bruising 13-3 victory over Texas A&M on Saturday. It was a testament to a tough defense and mistake-free football from quarterback Bryan Randall.

A roaring environment such as the sellout crowd at Kyle Field might have intimidated a lot of young quarterbacks. But Randall doesn’t worry about such things. It’s just another obstacle to overcome -- or simply blot out.

"What it comes down to, it’s just a lot of noise," Randall said. "I just tried to block it all out. It kind of works that way. I can do a pretty good job of overcoming it."

Randall completed 10-of-11 passes for 119 yards to lead the Hokies to their fourth consecutive victory. Along the way, he proved a point to some who wondered whether he would struggle on the road.

"There were a lot of doubters on whether we could throw the ball, but I was confident in myself and I think my team was confident in me," said Randall, who left the interview on crutches as his left ankle was wrapped in ice from what he termed a minor injury. "Even if they still don’t think I can throw, I still have confidence in my abilities to make plays."

Young quarterbacks aren’t supposed to be able to make quick reads in such games. Randall read a safety blitz to set up a pivotal 52-yard strike to wide receiver Ernest Wilford early in the fourth quarter, setting up the only touchdown in the game.

Randall and Wilford made eye contact when A&M safety Jaxson Appel came charging at the quarterback. The route was cut short with the ball whizzing to Wilford in a throw that Randall said he might not have been able to make earlier in his career.

The pass should have been stopped after about 15 yards, but A&M defensive back Byron Jones missed a tackle. Wilford wasn’t stopped until the A&M 1-yard line.

"We had to make eye contact," Randall said. "I don’t know if I could make the throw before, but I’ve now got confidence I can make the play. We had a couple of hot reads, but you’ve got to know what to do when you have it there.

"You’ve got to be on the same page. We work on it all the time and we did a good job of communicating on the play."

His teammates weren’t surprised at his coolness even as the Aggies bunched eight or nine defenders near the line of scrimmage to halt Virginia Tech’s vaunted rushing attack.

Tag-team Tech tailbacks Lee Suggs and Kevin Jones were limited to 51 and 48 yards, respectively. But it was clearly the young quarterback who beat the Aggies on Saturday.

"A lot of people questioned whether he could throw the ball and I think he answered those questions today," Virginia Tech center Jake Grove said. "The big thing is that he didn’t make any mistakes. The way our defense was playing, we knew if we could eliminate giving them cheap points that we could win.

"But truthfully, I don’t think anybody expected him to do what he did."

The victory was the Hokies’ third against a ranked opponent this season. But beating Texas A&M and snapping the Aggies’ 29-game non-conference winning streak made it their sweetest of the season.

"I couldn’t be more proud," Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said. "We’ve beaten three ranked opponents. But until you go on the road and beat a ranked team, that’s where you put your stamp on it.

"To do something nobody has done in 13 years is pretty special. We’re going to enjoy this victory. The plane back home is going to rock tonight."

Virginia Tech safety Willie Pile started the celebration a little early by getting his hands dirty after the game. Pile dug a chunk of turf from the Texas A&M end zone and placed it in an oversized lunch pail he still was carrying into the interview room after the game.

"This is Aggie turf,” Pile said. "It’s the 12th man. We’ll put in a collection as the season ends it will be overflowing with turf."

Pile led a defensive effort that limited the Aggies to 156 yards and their lowest offensive point total since the opening game of the 1987 season.

"I picked this up out of the end zone," Pile said. "You know, the part that was never touched."

Tim Griffin covers the Big 12 for the San Antonio Express-News.

 

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