Many Happy Returns for the Hokies

Va. Tech Scores Three Times On Runbacks: Virginia Tech 41, Clemson 23

Virginia Tech's Eddie Royal gets away from Clemson's Chris Clemons, running in an 82-yard punt return for a touchdown. (Mary Ann Chastain - AP Photo)

CLEMSON, S.C., Oct. 6 -- Duane Brown gathered his fellow Virginia Tech offensive linemen Monday, sensing both the opportunity and urgency of this weekend. The last time Virginia Tech had traveled to a frothing place called Death Valley and played on national television, the Hokies got beat worse than they had in 25 years. Now, against No. 22 Clemson, they could revive their image and absolve some of the pain from their blowout loss to Louisiana State on Sept. 8.

"This game," Brown told his teammates, "will define the rest of our season."

So, with an overwhelming 41-23 victory Saturday night, the No. 15 Hokies gave their season new definition with the characteristics that have defined their program: ruthless special teams and opportunistic defense. Virginia Tech led by 19 before scoring its first offensive touchdown, relying on an interception return by D.J. Parker, a punt return by Eddie Royal and a kickoff return by Victor Harris. For all the accomplishments of Virginia Tech's special teams during the 20-plus seasons under Coach Frank Beamer, never had one of his teams pulled off that trio in one game.

"The first thing you learn about when you come to Virginia Tech is there's three parts to the game," Hokies junior Justin Harper said. "Offense, defense, special teams. The offense didn't score. But if the defense and special teams score, why not take it?"

Virginia Tech's offense, ranked 112th in the nation entering the game, continued to struggle, gaining just 211 yards (118 of them on runs by Tyrod Taylor) compared with Clemson's 381. With a freshman quarterback and a leaky offensive line, the offense might be rebuilding for the rest of the season. But that might not matter: 10 minutes into the game, the Hokies had 31 yards of offense yet led 17-0.

Since the start of the 1999 season, the Hokies (5-1, 2-0 ACC) have scored 63 non-offensive touchdowns, more than any other team in the country. No. 61 came on the game's third play, when Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper dropped back from the Tigers 11 on third and 19. He fired to Tyler Grisham, but the ball sailed. Grisham leapt but could only tip the pass, deflecting it to Parker.

Parker gathered the ball and immediately shifted his focus up field.

"As soon as he touches it," Harris said, snapping his fingers for effect, "let's get on offense."

When Parker caught the ball, he immediately looked up the field and knew he would score when he saw Harris ahead of him, poised to block. Parker bolted to the right pylon, dashing 32 yards easily, stunning the crowd into silence and giving Virginia Tech a 7-0 lead one minute in.

The game-breaker came with 4:48 left in the first quarter. On Saturday morning, Beamer watched film of Clemson's punt team and noticed the Tigers kept an extra blocker in. The extra protector made Beamer realign his return scheme, also knowing Tigers punter Jimmy Maners would be unleashing punts quickly to avoid a block.

Eddie Royal caught Maners's second punt on the left hash mark, then raced right. He broke one tackle and weaved his way to the right sideline, where he found daylight. He sprinted downfield and followed Justin Harper, who mauled Maners for the final 20 yards. ("I knew he wasn't going to overpower me," Harper said. "I just pushed him out of the way.") By the time Royal sauntered into the end zone, Virginia Tech led 17-0.

Even after Clemson (4-2, 2-2) finally scored -- a field goal midway through the second quarter -- the Hokies used it against the Tigers. Harris caught the kickoff on the goal line, backpedaling as he did so. Surely, all 81,750 packed into Memorial Stadium guessed he would take a knee, the prudent thing to do.

But before the kick, Harris had told his teammates, "Take me to the promised land." When he looked up, he sensed a big return. Harris didn't stop running until he carved through the Tigers coverage team right to left, bolted up the sideline and flipped into the end zone surround by a phalanx of blockers. The Hokies led, 24-7.

"It was stay in, stay in, go, go, go, go," Beamer said.

Clemson threatened briefly in the second half, piling up yards and 15 points on the Hokies' overworked defense, but a 52-yard scramble by Taylor sealed the game. Virginia Tech's initial surge, in all phases of the game, may have been too much to overcome, anyway, so powerful that it not only won this game, but also gave a fresh feeling to the Hokies season.

All week, the Hokies wanted to erase the painful loss to LSU, with linebacker Xavier Adibi constantly calling the game "Death Valley, Part Two." It went much better than Part One.

"You can look back at that LSU game," linebacker Vince Hall said. "We're a totally different team right now."