Collegiate Times

As part of our coverage of the Hokies game against No. 13 Clemson, our sports staff gave their thoughts on how the matchup would play out.

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Clemson will be entering a black hole of sorts on Saturday night both on and off the field, as they will have to face the No. 4 ranked Hokies defense and a sellout crowd eager to cheer their team on in their first game against a ranked team in almost a year. Saturday’s matchup of top-15 teams will be the first legitimate test for the Hokies and Logan Thomas this season. With the help of a top-five defense and a Heisman caliber running back, David Wilson, the Hokies will prevail in a low-scoring affair: 21-17. —Zander Baylis

The Clemson Tigers pose the first real test for the 2011 Hokies. Coming off back-to-back wins against ranked opponents, confidence will not be in short supply for the explosive Tigers. Sophomore QB Tajh Boyd has put up stellar numbers through the first four games of the season. The Hokies defense, however, has also been stellar through four games, ranking 6th in the NCAA in scoring defense. Something’s gotta give. I, myself, foresee a three interception day for Tajh Boyd, a 150+ yard day on the ground from David Wilson, and, most importantly a big win for the Hokies. Virginia Tech 24, Clemson 10. —Tommy Christie

The Tigers are coming into town riding on big wins over Auburn and Florida State, each time lighting up the scoreboard to over 30 points. The Hokies will need the crowd to be loud and proud for four full quarters Saturday to disrupt the Clemson offense. Tech will need their highly touted defense to play strong early and often, and QB Logan Thomas will need to be more consistent and not turn the ball over. I have Tech’s defense forcing a turnover late, stopping the Clemson would be game winning drive. Tech wins it, 24-20. —Mike Platania

Clemson has been in Death Valley for four weeks riding an emotional tidal wave, thanks in part to the Tiger faithful and a really, really excited Dabo Swinney. Unfortunately for the Tigers, their tidal wave isn’t going to make it up the mountain into Blacksburg, Va. The high powered Clemson offense will be shell shocked by one of the nation’s top defenses in the Hokies, while also having to deal with brain rattling Lane Stadium crowd. I like David Wilson for a pair of touchdowns as he breaks a few big ones through the Tigers 85th ranked rushing defense. Virginia Tech 27, Clemson: 21. —Brooks Tiffany

It’ll be interesting to see the matchup of this pair of young quarterbacks from the state of Virginia. Clemson, under new offensive coordinator Chad Morris, has put up points in bunches through four games. Freshman Sammy Watkins and sophomore DeAndre Hopkins are home run threats on the outside, and Tajh Boyd should have enough time to get it to them behind a solid offensive line. If the Hokies want to win, they’ll need to protect Logan Thomas and pound the ball with David Wilson. I don’t see the Hokies getting enough going on the ground, and Watkins will make a few explosive plays to keep the Hokies on their heels. I like Clemson in this one, 24-20. —Matt Jones

A few of our staff writers answered some questions leading into Saturday’s tilt against Clemson.

Are you concerned about the rash of injuries hitting the Hokies going into ACC play?

Injuries tend to come in bunches and the Hokies have always taken the “next man up” attitude. If Bruce Taylor, the Hokies’ leading tackler and Jarrett Boykin, Logan Thomas’ favorite target were to play they would provide a big boost for Tech. There haven’t been enough injuries to cause major concern, but are injuries are definitely something to watch out for.

—Mike Platania

Virginia Tech Line Pass Blocking Efficiency vs. Rush Blocking Efficiency

David Wilson hasn’t been crushing the rushing stats quite as much as we all expected. This could be due to the offensive lines rush blocking. While the O-line does a good job keeping Logan Thomas off of his back with their pass blocking efficiency, they aren’t exactly creating grand canyons for Wilson to cruise through. While Wilson is averaging 5.9 yards a carry this season, keep in mind that he leads the FBS with 11 carries of 10 yards or more, meaning that his average gets a bit inflated with his freak ability runs sugar coating all the lesser carries. This is likely due to the fact that Tech’s opponents key on David Wilson, preparing all week just to stop the run, rather than fretting over Logan Thomas’s passing attack.

—Brooks Tiffany

Who is a player on the Hokies having a great season that is getting no recognition and actually deserves some?

The Hokies have been put off to the side for as long as I can remember by the national media. This year has been no different. However, if we were given our due respect, I believe that Kyle Fuller would be mentioned as a potential second-round pick at the cornerback position. Unfortunately for Fuller, he has arguably the best cornerback in the nation across the field from him, Jayron Hosely, who garners all of the attention from scouts.

—Zander Baylis

Should the Hokies get through Clemson with a win, what game on their regular season schedule is most like to trip them up? Why?

Should the Hokies get past the Tigers this Saturday, I think the November 10th showdown against No. 21 Georgia Tech is the game most likely to trip them up. Even though Miami scares me with their unpredictability, I feel as if Georgia Tech is the obvious choice. The Yellow Jackets boast the highest scoring offense in college football, and the 2nd most potent rushing attack. If that doesn’t scare you, I don’t know what does. Oh, and on top of all that the game’s being played in Atlanta. This could definitely be a tough one.

—Tommy Christie

By Mike Platania

October 6, 2007

Across the nation, the consensus is that no one plays special teams quite as well as the Hokies. In 2007, Tech lived up to their reputation and more in their 41-23 win against Clemson.

Similarly to this year’s game, kickoff was at 6 p.m., but this game was played at Death Valley in South Carolina.

Clemson still had star RB C.J. Spiller, who has since moved onto play for the Buffalo Bills. On the other side of the field, Tyrod Taylor still suited up for the Hokies, as well as Eddie Royal, who has emerged as a star WR for the Denver Broncos.

In the first quarter, the Hokies found the end zone twice, neither time on an offensive score. Hokies safety D.J. Parker intercepted Clemson QB Cullen Harper 32 yards for the score early in the first quarter, which promptly silenced the 80,000+ fans in Death Valley.

Eddie Royal returned a punt and showed his NFL-ready agility and burner speed when he brought it back 82 yards for the touchdown. Add a Tech field goal and the Tigers were down 17-0 before the second quarter.

Tech defensive back Victor “Macho” Harris took a kick off midway through the second quarter 100 yards for a score. The Hokies had three touchdowns, none of which were generated by the offense featuring then-freshmen Taylor.

The Tigers had a highly lethal running back duo featuring C.J. Spiller and James Davis, who the Hokies completely shut down. The two amassed only 12 yards and 1 yard per carry between the two of them.

The main highlight for Clemson in the first half was a safety on Taylor, which happened as he was scrambling in his own end zone.

Clemson still had a pulse though, despite facing a 31-8 halftime deficit.

After a scoreless third quarter, Harper had two fourth-quarter touchdown passes and a converted two-point conversion to narrow the Hokies’ lead to 11 points at 34-23.

With four and a half minutes left, Tech got the ball back in the Tigers’ territory and didn’t want to give them another chance to score.

Behind runs by Taylor and RB Branden Ore, the Hokies sustained an impressive drive that capped off with a two-yard touchdown from Ore. Their game sealing-drive left less than one minute left on the clock.

This time around, the two will duke it out in Blacksburg, under a night sky and behind 66,000 amped-up fans. Virginia Tech and Clemson are ranked 11th and 13th, respectively, and this will be Tech’s first game against ACC competition.

By Matt Jones, sports editor

The Virginia Tech football team’s offense in certain situations has been less than stellar.

When you crunch the numbers, several telling trends stick out when comparing the Clemson Tigers to the Hokies.

Perhaps the most telling statistic is quarterback Logan Thomas’ completion percentage on third down.

While Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd is nearly a 77 percent passer on ‘money downs,’ Thomas is near the bottom of list at less than 40 percent.

The Hokies have gone with a fairly even run-pass split on third downs this season. Thomas has thrown the ball 29 times, while the stable of running backs has carried it 26 times.

Boyd and the Clemson offense is a bit more unbalanced, which could play into the Hokies’ hands. Boyd has thrown the ball 39 times on third down, while Andre Ellington and the backs have 26 carries.

This is where it may get interesting. The Hokies’ defense has picked-off four passes this season on third down, the fifth most in the country.

Neither team runs the ball particularly well on third down. The Hokies are averaging a measly 3.58 yards per carry, while Clemson is barely ahead of them at 3.69 yards per carry.

All that equals out to a stiff battle on third down. If the Hokies hope to buck their current trend of converting less than 50 percent of third downs, they will need Thomas to be more accurate, and for the offensive line and running backs to surge for more yardage.

Boyd, has not only been efficient on third down, but also extremely explosive in the first four games in general.

In their his first four games against Troy, Wofford, Auburn and Florida State, Boyd has 29 passing plays that went for 15 yards or more. Compare that to Thomas, who has only 14 such plays.

In the first quarter of games this season, when Clemson has jumped out to early leads, the Tigers have allowed seven plays of 15 yards or more on defense. The Hokies aren’t much better, as they’ve allowed six such plays.

In a game as close as this one figures to be, the first quarter could prove crucial in the outcome of the game.

Sure, much of what the Hokies try to do is predicated on the run, and Thomas is not asked to make many of those explosive plays down the field.

Although they’re both dual threat quarterbacks in one shape or another, Thomas’ rushing attempts have been a lot more productive than Boyd’s have. Thomas’ 25 carries for 118 yards and one touchdown mostly came in one game against East Carolina, while Clemson uses Boyd in short yardage situations, as he has 44 carries for 51 yards and two touchdowns.

Once down in the redzone, Clemson also likes to throw the ball much more than the Hokies. Thomas has missed on some open receivers, and has connected for just three redzone touchdowns passes this year. Boyd on the other hand, has six.

“You don’t ever want to leave points on the field, and either with interceptions or penalties, we’ve hurt ourselves in the red zone,” said quarterbacks coach Mike O’Cain. “It’s hard to get the ball to that part of the field. When you get there, you want to get some points out of it.”

One final breakdown.

The opponent’s passer rating for the Hokies is 88.61, while the Tigers’ pass defense has been a little shaky, as opponents are torching their secondary to the tune of a 133.63 passer rating.

When winning by 1-7 points in games this season, Tech opponent’s have struggled to pass, as that rating drops to 72.17. When trailing by 1-7 points, the Hokies still get after it on defense, as opponents are a lowly 87.04 passing.

The Tigers figure to change some of those stats, as Boyd has been on fire when he’s behind in games. When trailing by 1-7 points, Boyd has thrown for 261 yards and three touchdowns, leading his team back to victory.

When trying to hold a lead, Boyd still holds an advantage over Thomas. When ahead by 1-7 points, Boyd is completing almost 65 percent of his passes, while Thomas is right at 50 percent.

If the Hokies get down early, it might not be all over. When winning by 1-7 points, Clemson opposing quarterbacks have a 108.61 QB rating.

However the game plays out, it’ll be a grand stage for both of these quarterbacks.

“I just hope to show a certain poise, a certain control and confidence that demands the attention of my team and my offense in the huddle,” Thomas said. “Just enough to go out there and put points on the board and win games. I don’t want to go out there and be anything that I’m not or be less than I am. I just want to do enough to get the W.”

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Twitter: @MattJonesCT

Photo by Brad Klodowski

Stats courtesy cfbstats.com

By Cody Elliott, sports staff writer

As the Virginia Tech football team prepares for its biggest game of the season Saturday against the No. 13 Clemson Tigers, the hosts of ESPNU Road Trip are in Blacksburg to check it out.

Hosts Niki Noto and Jonathan Drubner arrived Wednesday evening and sat down for a phone interview on Thursday to describe their thoughts on their time on campus.

What have you guys been up to in your short time here thus far?

JD: “We hung out with the Hopkins brothers, Antoine and Derrick, this morning on the practice field. They gave us a little insight to what we could expect on Saturday from the stands and the whole football experience here at Virginia Tech.”

NN: “They taught me how to do an ‘up-down.’ They are reminders from the coaches. Instead of yelling, that’s what they have to do.”

Thoughts on the campus?

JD: “We got to see the practice facility and the stadium which is obviously awesome. Then we just drove a car that is being designed for the blind to drive by the Virginia Tech transportation institute.  So Niki just put a blind fold on and realized how difficult it is to drive blind.”

Where will you guys be at during pre-game on Saturday?

JD: “Usually we are tailgating and then into the stadium about 45 minutes beforehand on the sidelines for the game. This week, for the first time in “Road Trip” history, I will be in a World War II avenger airplane, doing a flyover at the beginning of the game. Amazing. Niki will be on the sidelines handling business while I do that.

Thoughts on the game?

NN: “I think it’s definitely going to be Clemson’s offense vs. Virginia Tech’s defense. That’s what it’s going to come down to.”

Thoughts on Clemson’s quarterback Tajh Boyd?

JD: “It’s interesting. At this point, they’ve beaten Auburn. They’ve beaten Florida State. They beat Florida State without EJ Manuel. They beat Auburn at a time when people weren’t really sure how good Auburn was but he’s playing well. You don’t get to be ranked 13th because you’re not playing well. I think they’ve been tested more than (Virginia Tech) has but I think there are a lot of questions about this football team and especially for Tajh Boyd, since he is from Virginia. That is an added layer of disrespect. He may have more coming from him from the defensive line. He could have a long evening.”

Thoughts on Virginia Tech’s quarterback Logan Thomas?

JD: “Again, I know it’s his first year starting and he’s had a couple contests trying to get into a groove. I think this game is coming at the right time. He has a lot of things to prove and it’s a good opportunity to do so on Saturday.”

Buying a turkey leg at the game?

JD: “Hell yes. We are definitely getting a turkey leg and I believe we will be eating it with the mascot. Hokie on Hokie crime.”

Favorite school visited so far?

NN: “I think the coolest experience has definitely been Michigan just because that game was wild and the atmosphere. It set the bar so high and especially with it being the first night game in Michigan. The place was just loud.”

JD: “This is my fourth season doing the show, so I’ve been to a lot of great places and they are all great for different reasons. The experience of Michigan was truly once in a lifetime. I was at Texas Tech when they stormed the field and beat Texas. We were at Wisconsin last year after beating No. 1 Ohio State. Whenever you get a field storming on your resume, it is once in a lifetime. Stanford was a great time. Florida State was a lot of fun. I love my job.”

The cast will be on campus until Sunday morning. They are looking forward to meeting Hokie nation and seeing what Blacksburg is all about on game day.

By Tommy Christie, sports staff writer

Did Calvin Johnson suddenly become re-eligible to play for Georgia Tech, again? Nah, that’s just Stephen Hill, the newest stud wideout at Georgia Tech making a spectacular catch. This video has been pure Youtube gold since its initial posting this past Saturday. One million plus views in five days? What?! When you actually watch it, I think it’s pretty apparent why. Hill uses his entire lanky, 6’5″ frame to fully extend and pull down a normally uncatchable ball. Did I forget to mention that it was right in the grill of a UNC defensive back? This snatch is just a microcosm of the season Hill is putting together right now. So far, through four games, Hill has pulled down 14 receptions. Which is an admittedly modest number for a starting flanker. However, these 14 catches have netted him a total of 462 yards! This yardage total is good for 6th in the country, and 1st in the ACC. His yards per reception is absolutely filthy, though. Right now, Hill is resting atop the NCAA with 33 yards per catch.

I picked this one with comedy at the forefront of my agenda. Tajh Boyd and Clemson have been nothing short of stellar thus far in the young season. Good quarterbacks are more than capable of carrying out laughably poor plays, however, and this is certainly one of these instances. In this clip, Boyd, normally cool under pressure, is flushed out of the pocket by a fierce Florida State blitz. In the ensuing scramble, Boyd trips over his own feet and tosses up a lame-duck of a pass on his way down. I’m not even sure if you could call it a pass. It was more of a desperation heave. Well whatever it was, it was promptly intercepted by a Florida State lineman who fulfilled his obligation as a gift-recipient and took it the distance to pay-dirt. This was only Boyd’s second interception of the year. That’s good for a spectacular 13:2 touchdown to interception ratio. Unfortunately for Hokies everywhere this was more of an aberration than a regularity.

By Cody Elliott, sports staff writer

Week 4 brought some outstanding performances all across the college football landscape. Here is a look at some of the best:

LaMichael James, RB, Oregon: The star running back for the Ducks had a huge day on the ground Saturday as he rushed for 288 yards and two touchdowns in the school’s 56-31 victory over Arizona. In the performance, James broke the single game school rushing record as well as the career rushing touchdowns mark. If Oregon has any hopes of bouncing back from an early season defeat to LSU, James success will be key.

Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State: Weeden threw the ball around more than any other quarterback in school history last week as he completed 47 passes for 488 yards and two touchdowns. The quarterback should have had three throwing scores but receiver Justin Blackmon fumbled one deep pass in the end zone. The Cowboys managed a huge comeback win after trailing A&M 20-3 at halftime.

James Vandenberg, QB, Iowa: Vandenberg had a stellar game on Saturday in the team’s 45-21 victory. He completed 21 of 32 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for another one on the ground. Despite replacing Ricky Stanzi as the starter, Vandenberg is proving to make a name for himself to Hawkeyes fans.

Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor: Griffin continues to make a name for himself on the national stage after his spectacular opening week performance against TCU. He completed 29 of 33 passes for 388 yards and five touchdowns on Saturday in a 56-31 blowout victory over Rice. If Griffin continues to put up video game type numbers each week, his stock will only continue to rise.

Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma: Broyles remains one of the stars of the Oklahoma offense after having one of the best games of his career on Saturday. He hauled in 13 receptions for 154 yards and three touchdowns in the team’s 38-28 victory over Big-12 opponent Missouri. Broyles and quarterback Landry Jones hope to continue dominance over the rest of the season.

By Matt Jones, sports editor

In case you haven’t heard, the Hokies have a bit of a challenge this week on the defensive side of the ball.

Sammy Watkins, Andre Ellington and Tajh Boyd all figure to factor heavily into the outcome of the game, and it’ll be Tech’s job to slow down Chad Morris’ high-flying offense.

On the flip side, it won’t be all smooth sailing for Logan Thomas and the offense.

While a majority of the talent is on the offense, Clemson has one player in particular, defensive tackle Brandon Thompson, who could disrupt a lot of what the Hokies hope to do on offense.

Who better to break down the big d-tackle than the guy who will be blocking him (or trying) than Hokies center Andrew Miller.

“We’ve been watching him for a few days now, he’s a really good player,” Miller said. “He’s a big guy, but he’s quick as well. I’m not a scout, but he looks pretty good. That makes him a really big threat, but I think we can handle it.”

Thompson is widely regarded as one of the top defensive tackles going into next year’s NFL Draft. His size (6’2, 310 pounds) and strength (he maxed out on the bench press at 450 pounds this spring) will push the offensive line, specifically Miller, to its limits.

“A lot of times you can tell if he’s more of a bull rusher, side to side reading, just little things like that,” Miller said. “He loves to bull rush, he’s quick off the ball, but he’s got a couple moves as well.”

While he’s a big time talent and will likely continue the tradition of great Clemson defensive linemen, Miller is going to treat him just like he would any other opponent.

“I’m going to treat him like any other player, no matter who they are,” Miller said. “I’m going to watch film on him, study him, then go out there and give it my best. I know he’s a really good player, but he’s just another player. We’re going to have to come out and get after it.”

For Miller and the offense, 6 p.m. Saturday night is when the true evaluations will be made.

“They are very athletic and a very good team, plus they’re good up front,” Miller said. “I give them their props, but we’re pretty good as well.”

Offensive line grades out high

For the fourth-straight game, the Virginia Tech offensive line graded-out above average.

Miller gives it up to the seniors along that line, guys like Andrew Lanier, Greg Nosal, Jaymes Brooks and Blake DeChristopher.

“They’ve been here and done it, it’s their fourth and fifth year, so they know what they’re doing,” Miller said. “They help me out, and I just try and do my job. I give the credit to all our seniors.”

A big part of the line grades are the knockdown blocks, which are kept in the Hokies stats.

“Usually we look for the knockdown number — the more knockdowns the better,” Miller said. “I’ve been doing ok, but Blake and Greg are the best in knockdowns right now, I hope to catch up.”

Miller went on to explain knockdown blocks and what they are exactly.

“Knockdowns come from finishing your block, and if you’re a good finisher on your block you’re going to get some more knockdowns,” he said. “You can get them on cutting out and space too.

“We get some good reactions to knockdowns; it’s always good to see our opponent on their back on the ground. It’s fun, being able to finish your block and end up on top of them is the main thing.”

Shane Beamer gives update on Wilson

Saturday against Marshall, Logan Thomas handed the ball off to David Wilson 26 times, the most Wilson has every carried the ball in a single game.

The junior tailback from Danville, Va. finished with 132 yards and a touchdown, but also put the ball on the ground once.

“Overall I thought he was pretty good, only disappointing thing was the fumble,” said Shane Beamer, running backs coach. “He had two missed assignments on blitz pickups, and he’s been really good so far on protection goes.”

Beamer went on to say it was a look the Hokies had practice leading up to the game.

“It wasn’t anything that Marshall did out of the ordinary, it was a pressure that we repped 20 times last week, and he picked it up every time in practice,” Beamer said. “For whatever reason we missed it twice in the game, and we have to be better about that.”

Thomas, who has been sacked only three times in the first four games, needs his running backs, specifically Wilson, to keep him upright.

“You might run a wrong route or something like that, but when you miss a blitz pickup, you’re talking about getting your quarterback hit and real damage is done,” Beamer said.

And while Saturday is a high-profile game for the Hokies, it took some calming down by Beamer to keep Wilson fresh for Saturday.

“(Monday) he came out here like it was game day,” Beamer said. “I had to tell him, ‘Look, we have five more days of practice, you need to chill out — we don’t play until Saturday night. I don’t need you to be spent by Saturday.’ But we talked about it, it’s a national stage, but you don’t need to go out there and do too much and make things happen. Do what you do, and big plays will come from that.”

O’Cain and the quarterbacks

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@MattJonesCT

Photo courtesy MCT Campus

By Cody Elliott

The ACC season is in full tilt after Clemson and Florida State battled it out in Death Valley on Saturday for an early demand on the Atlantic Division. Florida State fought to stay in the game without starting quarterback EJ Manuel, but came up short for the second straight week by the score of 35-30.

While the Seminoles suffered their second loss to a ranked team in as many weeks, Clemson celebrated that same accomplishment with wins. Coming off an upset of defending national champion Auburn at home the week before, quarterback Tajh Boyd threw for 344 yards and three touchdowns for another remarkable performance. True freshman wide receiver Sammy Watkins added to his stellar season with eight catches for 141 yards and two touchdown grabs. The Tigers now appear as one of the top teams in the conference entering their matchup in Blacksburg this upcoming weekend.

Here’s how the rest of the conference fared in Week 4:

• No. 25 Georgia Tech and North Carolina faced off in another ACC battle of significance on Saturday as both teams entered the game 3-0. The Yellow Jackets offense, which had been averaging over 60 points a game this season, helped the team jump out to an early lead. However, the Tar Heels battled back behind Bryn Renner’s two touchdown throws. Tech QB Tevin Washington responded with a five-yard touchdown, his third overall of the day, with just over five minutes remaining that gave Georgia Tech a win in their first ACC game of the year.
• NC State had a rough night last Thursday in a 44-14 non-conference loss to Cincinnati. Quarterback Mike Glennon struggled for the Wolfpack as he was sacked six times and also threw two interceptions early that set up touchdowns for the Bearcats. The turnovers were a problem all night for NC State and it allowed Cincinnati to put up big numbers on the scoreboard. Glennon bounced back from the early turnovers to throw for 334 yards and two touchdowns, but Zach Collaros outplayed him with two touchdowns through the air and two more on the ground as well.
• After a disappointing start to the year, Boston College got their first win of the season on Saturday against FCS Massachusetts. Quarterback Chase Rettig threw for three touchdowns for the Eagles as they rolled 45-17. BC added two touchdowns on defense, and will look to continue to improve after a slow start that surprised fans all over.
• In Week 3, after impressive performances in non-conference play, the ACC began to make a name for itself on a national level. In Week 4, the league took away all credibility it had previously earned with ugly losses by Maryland, Virginia, and Miami. The Terrapins, who were 6-0 all-time against Temple coming into the game, got dominated by the Owls rushing attack and lost 38-7. Virginia lost a heart breaker in 2009 to Southern Miss after blowing a huge second half lead. On Saturday, the Cavaliers were never able to get any rhythm and lost 30-24. Quarterback Michael Rocco was unproductive the entire day, throwing three interceptions. The Hurricanes were coming off an upset over Ohio State and many believed this team could be a legitimate ACC contender despite off field issues. However, a late goal line stand by Kansas State led the Wildcats to a 28-24 victory over the Canes.
• Duke got its second win of the season on Saturday after racking up 48 points vs. Tulane. Running back Juwan Thompson rushed for 69 yards and two touchdowns. Sean Renfree threw for 278 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for two more. The Blue Devils put together on an impressive offensive showcase in what turned out to be one of the best performances by any team in the conference for the day.