2008 Virginia Tech Hokies football team

The 2008 Virginia Tech Hokies football team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Frank Beamer. Prior to the season, the Hokies were expected to be in a rebuilding mode, recovering after the graduation of several key players. Despite that fact, Tech was picked to win the Atlantic Coast Conference's Coastal Division in the annual preseason poll of media covering the ACC. The Hokies were ranked the No. 15 team in the country at the start of the season, but suffered an upset loss to East Carolina in their first game. Tech recovered, however, and won five consecutive games following the loss, the ACC Championship, and the Orange Bowl. Permanent team captains were Macho Harris, Orion Martin, Brett Warren, and Ryan Shuman.

2008 Virginia Tech Hokies football
ACC champion ACC Coastal Division co-champion Orange Bowl champion
ACC Championship Game, W 30–12 vs. Boston College
Orange Bowl, W 20–7 vs. Cincinnati
Conference	Atlantic Coast Conference
Division	Coastal Division
Ranking
Coaches	No. 14
AP	No. 15
Record	10–4 (5–3 ACC)
Head coach	Frank Beamer (22nd season)
Offensive coordinator	Bryan Stinespring (7th season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Bud Foster (14th season)
Base defense	4–4
Home stadium	Lane Stadium
Uniform

2008 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Atlantic Division
Boston College xy		5	–	3					9	–	5
No. 21 Florida State x		5	–	3					9	–	4
Maryland		4	–	4					8	–	5
Wake Forest		4	–	4					8	–	5
Clemson		4	–	4					7	–	6
NC State		4	–	4					6	–	7
Coastal Division
No. 15 Virginia Tech xy$		5	–	3					10	–	4
No. 22 Georgia Tech x		5	–	3					9	–	4
North Carolina		0	–	4					0	–	5
Miami (FL)		4	–	4					7	–	6
Virginia		3	–	5					5	–	7
Duke		1	–	7					4	–	8
Championship: Virginia Tech 30, Boston College 12
$ – BCS representative as conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant North Carolina vacated 8 wins, including 4 ACC wins Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 30	12:00 p.m.	vs. East Carolina*	No. 17	Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, NC	ESPN	L 22–27	72,169
September 6	1:30 p.m.	Furman*		Lane Stadium Blacksburg, VA	ACC Select	W 24–7	66,233
September 13	3:30 p.m.	Georgia Tech		Lane Stadium Blacksburg, VA (Battle of the Techs)	ABC	W 20–17	66,233
September 20	3:30 p.m.	at North Carolina		Kenan Memorial Stadium Chapel Hill, NC	ABC	W 20–17	59,800
September 27	8:00 p.m.	at Nebraska*		Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE	ABC	W 35–30	85,831
October 4	1:30 p.m.	Western Kentucky*	No. 20	Lane Stadium Blacksburg, VA	ACC Select	W 27–13	66,233
October 18	8:00 p.m.	at Boston College	No. 17	Alumni Stadium Chestnut Hill, MA (rivalry)	ESPN2	L 23–28	44,127
October 25	3:30 p.m.	at No. 24 Florida State		Doak Campbell Stadium Tallahassee, FL	ABC	L 20–30	81,876
November 6	7:30 p.m.	No. 23 Maryland		Lane Stadium Blacksburg, VA	ESPN	W 23–13	66,233
November 13	7:30 p.m.	at Miami (FL)		Dolphin Stadium Miami Gardens, FL (rivalry)	ESPN	L 14–16	46,838
November 22	5:30 p.m.	Duke		Lane Stadium Blacksburg, VA	ESPNU	W 14–3	66,233
November 29	12:00 p.m.	Virginia		Lane Stadium Blacksburg, VA (Commonwealth Cup)	ESPN	W 17–14	66,233
December 6	1:00 p.m.	No. 18 Boston College		Raymond James Stadium Tampa, FL (ACC Championship Game / rivalry)	ABC	W 30–12	53,927
January 1, 2009	8:30 p.m.	No. 12 Cincinnati*	No. 21	Dolphin Stadium Miami Gardens, FL (Orange Bowl)	FOX	W 20–7	57,821
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Source: ACC

Roster

Wide Receiver      Zach Luckett – Sophomore      Germond Oatneal – Freshman   4 Marcus Davis – Freshman 11 Dyrell Roberts – Freshman 13 Xavier Boyce – Freshman 80 Brandon Dillard – Junior 81 Jarrett Boykin – Freshman 83 Patrick Terry – Freshman 85 Ervin Garner – Freshman Split End      Randall Dunn – Freshman      Zac Evans – Freshman   3 Ike Whitaker – Junior 19 Danny Coale – Freshman 87 Prince Parker – Sophomore Center      James Brown – Freshman      Bo Gentry – Freshman 58 Ryan Shuman – Senior 60 Beau Warren – Sophomore 61 Barrett Mears – Sophomore Offensive Guard      Aaron Brown – Sophomore      Daniel Neal – Freshman 65 Matt Baldwin – Freshman 67 Nick Marshman – Junior 68 Jaymes Brooks – Freshman 69 Hivera Green – Junior 70 Sergio Render – Junior 76 Will Alvarez – Freshman Offensive Tackle      Nick Becton – Freshman 62 Blake DeChristopher – Freshman 64 Richard Graham – Junior 72 Andrew Lanier – Freshman 74 Michael Via – Freshman 75 Greg Nosal – Freshman 77 Ed Wang – Junior Tight End      Jacob Barron – Freshman      Nelson Ward – Freshman   8 Greg Boone – Junior 18 Sam Wheeler – Junior 86 Chris Drager – Freshman 88 Andre Smith – Sophomore 98 Rob Stanton – Sophomore		Quarterback      Joseph Clayton – Freshman      Austin Decker – Freshman   5 Tyrod Taylor – Sophomore   7 Sean Glennon – Senior 12 Cory Holt – Senior 16 Jeff Beyer – Junior 30 Brian Saunders – Sophomore Tailback 20 Kenny Lewis, Jr. – Junior 25 Josh Oglesby – Freshman 27 Jahre Cheeseman – Junior 32 Darren Evans – Freshman 34 Ryan Williams – Freshman 35 Dustin Pickle – Senior Fullback      Josh Call – Freshman      Joey Phillips – Freshman 31 Kenny Younger – Junior 42 Kenny Jefferson – Junior 44 Devin Perez – Senior Defensive tackle      Antoine Hopkins – Freshman      Jeff Wardach – Freshman 53 Dwight Tucker – Freshman 56 Demetrius Taylor – Junior 59 Courtney Prince – Freshman 91 John Graves – Sophomore 93 Kwamaine Battle – Freshman 95 Cordarrow Thompson – Junior 96 Justin Young – Freshman 99 Vinston Painter – Freshman Defensive End      Russell Becker – Freshman      Chad Carlson – Junior      George George – Freshman      Joe Jones – Freshman      Phil Sayre – Freshman   6 Jason Worilds – Sophomore 47 Nekos Brown – Junior 51 Bruce Taylor – Freshman 55 Isaiah Hamlette – Freshman 82 Steven Friday – Sophomore 90 Orion Martin – Senior 92 Khalil Latif – Freshman		Cornerback    3 Nobel Iyebote – Freshman   1 Victor Harris – Senior   9 Cris Hill – Freshman 15 Eddie Whitley – Freshman 21 Rashad Carmichael – Sophomore 22 Stephan Virgil – Junior 37 Jacob Sykes – Freshman 28 Alonzo Tweedy - Sophomore Linebacker      Austin Fuller – Freshman      Lyndell Gibson – Freshman 26 Cody Grimm – Junior 30 Ignatius Green – Junior 33 Brett Warren – Senior 36 Jake Johnson – Freshman 36 Quilie Odom – Freshman 40 Ryan Barnett – Freshman 41 Cam Martin – Junior 45 Purnell Sturdivant – Senior 46 Dylan McGreevy – Senior 49 Allen Stephens – Freshman 52 Barquell Rivers – Freshman 89 Jonas Houseright – Senior 94 Mark Muncey – Junior Free Safety      Ron Cooper – Sophomore      Scott Dalton – Freshman      Dean Hill – Freshman 14 Lorenzo Williams – Freshman 17 Kam Chancellor – Junior Rover      Alonzo Tweedy – Freshman   2 Davon Morgan – Sophomore 23 Matt Reidy – Junior 24 Dorian Porch – Junior 43 Jeron Gouveia-Winslow – Freshman Snapper 50 Collin Carroll – Freshman 57 Jon Conlon – Freshman 63 Matt Tuttle – Junior 71 Jacob Gardner – Senior Punter 30 Brian Saunders – Sophomore 97 Brent Bowden – Junior Place Kicker      Scott Demler – Freshman      Chris Hazley – Sophomore      Matt Waldron – Sophomore 28 Tim Pisano – Freshman 29 Dustin Keys – Senior 48 Justin Myer – Freshman
Source: http://www.hokiesports.com/football/players

Coaching staff

Position	Name	First year at VT	First year in current position
Head coach	Frank Beamer	1987	1987
Associate head coach and running backs coach	Billy Hite	1978	2001
Offensive coordinator and tight ends	Bryan Stinespring	1990	2006 (offensive coordinator since 2002)
Defensive coordinator and inside linebackers	Bud Foster	1987	1995
Offensive Line	Curt Newsome	2006	2006
Wide Receivers	Kevin Sherman	2006	2006
Strong Safety, Outside Linebackers, and Recruiting Coordinator	Jim Cavanaugh	1996	2002
Quarterbacks	Mike O'Cain	2006	2006
Defensive backs	Torrian Gray	2006	2006
Defensive Line	Charley Wiles	1996	1996
Source: http://www.hokiesports.com/football/players/

Preseason

During the 2007 college football season, Virginia Tech accumulated an 11–3 record that ended with a 21–24 loss to the Kansas Jayhawks in the 2008 Orange Bowl. The Hokies also won the 2007 ACC football championship, but were not predicted to repeat that success in 2008. In the annual preseason football poll of media covering ACC football, Tech was picked second in the conference, behind the Clemson Tigers. The Hokies were picked to finish first in the ACC's Coastal Division, but lose to Clemson in the ACC Championship Game.

The reason for that second-place prediction was the loss of several key players from Tech's ACC-champion 2007 team. Virginia Tech lost its top four receivers, its leading rusher, and seven starters from a defense that ranked fourth nationally in total defense. Eight players from the 2007 team were taken in the 2008 NFL Draft, and Tech's 2008 team featured just 10 players who started during the previous season. Making matters more difficult for Virginia Tech, the Hokies suffered several preseason injuries and multiple players were kicked off the team for disciplinary reasons.

On August 26, Tech head coach Frank Beamer announced his intention to redshirt backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor, keeping him in reserve for the 2008 season. Following Virginia Tech's loss to East Carolina in the first game of the season, however, Beamer removed the redshirt and Taylor played in Tech's second game in the season. After he proved successful in that game, Taylor was named the team's starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, supplanting first-game starter Sean Glennon.

Game summaries

East Carolina

See also: 2008 East Carolina Pirates football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hokies	0	14	2	6	22
Pirates	0	7	6	14	27

The Virginia Tech Hokies' first game of the season also was its first loss of the season. In a neutral-site game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, Tech was upset 27–22 by the East Carolina Pirates. East Carolina, members of Conference USA, became the first team from that conference to win a game against a Bowl Championship Series member school since 2002.

The game got off to a slow start, as neither team scored in the first quarter. With 12:19 remaining before halftime, however, Virginia Tech scored the first points of the game with a 30-yard fumble return by defender Ryan Barnett #40 FR. out of Sulphur, Louisiana. Four minutes later, Virginia Tech's offense also scored, extending the Hokies' lead to 14–0. East Carolina answered with a touchdown before halftime, but Virginia Tech led 14–7 at the beginning of the second half.

The Pirates' offense scored another touchdown with 10:05 remaining in the third quarter, but the extra point kick was blocked and returned for a defensive score by Tech's Stephan Virgil. If the extra point had been successful, the teams would have been tied at 14 points apiece. Instead, Virginia Tech kept a 16–13 lead, which it retained through the third quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, Tech's offense extended the Hokies' lead to 22–13 with a touchdown. The extra point kick was missed. Both teams were held scoreless for the next ten minutes before East Carolina's Patrick Pinkney ran three yards for a touchdown. The score and extra point cut the Hokies' lead to 22–20 with less than four minutes remaining in the game. Tech attempted to run out the clock, but East Carolina's defense forced the Hokies to punt. The kick was blocked, however, and East Carolina's T.J. Lee returned the loose ball for a game-winning touchdown. With the limited time remaining in the game, Tech was unable to answer the touchdown, and East Carolina clinched a 27–22 victory.

Furman

	1	2	3	4	Total
Paladins	0	0	0	7	7
Hokies	0	3	21	0	24

Virginia Tech's second game of the season came against the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) Furman Paladins at Virginia Tech's home stadium, Lane Stadium, in Blacksburg, Virginia. Despite the loss to East Carolina, Tech came into its home opener heavily favored and lived up to that expectation by beating the Paladins, 24–7. For the game, Virginia Tech wore a throwback uniform honoring former Tech coaches Jerry Claiborne, Charlie Coffey, Jimmy Sharpe and Bill Dooley.

The Hokies used backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor alongside starter Sean Glennon beginning with the fifth play of the game. Despite that change in offensive strategy, the Hokies were held scoreless in the first quarter. Tech's defense also held firm, and kept Furman from scoring in the first quarter as well. In the second quarter, both teams were again held scoreless until just 29 seconds before halftime, when Virginia Tech placekicker Dustin Keys kicked a field goal for the Hokies, giving them a 3–0 lead at halftime.

In the third quarter, Virginia Tech's offense finally hit its stride. With 8:41 remaining in the quarter, Sean Glennon completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to running back Kenny Lewis, Jr., giving the Hokies a 10–0 lead after the extra point. Tech added two more touchdowns before the end of the quarter, making the game 24–0 with one quarter remaining. The Paladins scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter, closing the gap to 24–7 and avoiding a shutout, but were unable to further catch up to the Hokies. Tech earned its first win of the season, bringing its overall season record to 1–1.

Georgia Tech

See also: 2008 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Yellow Jackets	3	0	6	8	17
Hokies	0	14	0	6	20

The Hokies' third game of the season also was their first Atlantic Coast Conference game of the season as Virginia Tech faced Georgia Tech at Lane Stadium. Tyrod Taylor, who had been the Hokies' backup quarterback at the beginning of the season, started the game and did not relinquish his position. Tech fell behind 3–0 in the first quarter, but took a lead in the second quarter that they did not relinquish through the rest of the game, winning 20–17.

In the game's first quarter, Virginia Tech was held scoreless while Georgia Tech took a 3–0 lead with a 32-yard field goal by kicker Scott Blair. Early in the second quarter, Tech answered the score by taking the lead with an eight-yard touchdown run by freshman tailback Darren Evans, who finished the game with 19 carries for 94 yards and the lone touchdown. Georgia Tech answered with a touchdown that came from a 41-yard pass to Roddy Jones. The extra point was blocked, but the Yellow Jackets still held a 9–7 lead with 3:44 remaining in the first half. Virginia Tech's offense answered quickly, however, mounting a drive that resulted in a Tyrod Taylor rushing touchdown with just 10 seconds before halftime.

The Hokies entered the second half with a 14–9 lead and maintained that margin through the third quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, Tech extended its lead to 17–9 with a field goal by Dustin Keys. Four minutes of game time later, Georgia Tech's Josh Nesbitt ran 18 yards for a touchdown. Instead of kicking an extra point, the Yellow Jackets attempted a two-point conversion and were successful, tying the game at 17–17 with 9:28 remaining. From that point, both teams' defenses dominated the course of play, and only Virginia Tech, with a 21-yard field goal from Keys, was able to score. That field goal was the margin of victory, and the Hokies edged the Yellow Jackets, 20–17.

North Carolina

See also: 2008 North Carolina Tar Heels football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hokies	0	3	7	10	20
Tar Heels	0	10	7	0	17

Nebraska

See also: 2008 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hokies	9	9	10	7	35
Cornhuskers	7	3	7	13	30

Western Kentucky

See also: 2008 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hilltoppers	0	3	3	7	13
Hokies	10	10	7	0	27

Boston College

See also: 2008 Boston College Eagles football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hokies	10	7	3	3	23
Eagles	7	21	0	0	28

Florida State

See also: 2008 Florida State Seminoles football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hokies	10	3	0	7	20
#24 Seminoles	0	10	14	6	30

Maryland

See also: 2008 Maryland Terrapins football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Terrapins	0	3	10	0	13
Hokies	7	10	3	3	23

Miami

See also: 2008 Miami Hurricanes football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hokies	0	7	0	7	14
Hurricanes	7	0	6	3	16

Duke

See also: 2008 Duke Blue Devils football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Blue Devils	0	3	0	0	3
Hokies	0	7	0	7	14

Virginia

See also: 2008 Virginia Cavaliers football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cavaliers	7	7	0	0	14
Hokies	7	0	7	3	17

ACC Championship Game vs. Boston College

Main article: 2008 ACC Championship Game

	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	0	7	0	5	12
Hokies	7	7	10	6	30

Orange Bowl vs. Cincinnati

Main article: 2009 Orange Bowl

See also: 2008 Cincinnati Bearcats football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cincinnati	7	0	0	0	7
Hokies	0	10	3	7	20

Rankings

See also: 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	17	—	—	—	—	20	18	17	—	—	—	—	—	—	21	15
Coaches	15	—	—	—	—	24	18	18	—	—	—	—	—	—	19	14
Harris	Not released					22	18	17	—	—	—	—	—	—	22	Not released
BCS	Not released								—	—	—	—	—	25	19	Not released

Statistics

Team

Team Opp Scoring 66 51   Points per Game 22.0 17.0 First Downs 43 51   Rushing 29 26   Passing 11 24   Penalty 3 1 Total Offense 819 1003   Avg per Play 4.6 5.5   Avg per Game 273.0 334.3 Fumbles-Lost 2-0 9-5 Penalties-Yards 13-75 19-153   Avg per Game 25.0 51.0

Team Opp Punts-Yards 15-584 12-524   Avg per Punt 38.9 43.7 Time of Possession/Game 29:58 30:02 3rd Down Conversions 17/41 17/36 4th Down Conversions 0/3 0/4 Touchdowns Scored 8 7 Field Goal-Attempts 3-4 1-3 PAT-Attempts 7-8 4-8 Attendance 132,466 0   Games/Avg per Game 66,233 0

Offense

Rushing

Name	GP-GS	Att	Yards	Avg	TD	Long	Avg/G
Darren Evans	3-0	203	926	4.6	9	50	84.2
Tyrod Taylor	7-4	105	524	5.0	4	50	61.6
Kenny Lewis	3-3	57	199	3.5	3	24	39.8
Jahre Cheeseman	2-0	4	21	5.2	0	12	10.5
Dustin Pickle	3-0	4	18	4.5	0	8	6.0
Josh Oglesby	2-0	4	7	1.8	0	5	3.5
Greg Boone	3-3	3	4	1.3	0	3	1.3
Sean Glennon	2-2	9	2	0.2	0	8	1.0
Kenny Jefferson	3-0	1	2	2.0	0	2	0.7
Total	3	129	564	4.4	6	50	188.0
Opponents	3	111	470	4.2	3	36	156.7

Passing

Name	GP-GS	Com	Att	Yds	TD	INT	Pct	Eff	Long	Avg/G
Sean Glennon	4-8	62	99	704	3	4	62.6	124.28	62	65.6
Tyrod Taylor	2-1	63	114	675	1	5	5.3	99.12	40	92.5
Total	3	30	51	255	1	3	58.8	95.5	60	85.0
Opponents	3	47	71	533	3	2	63.4	134.7	41	177.7

Receiving

Name	GP-GS	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD	Long	Avg/G
Dyrell Roberts	3-2	11	171	15.5	0	62	15.5
Kenny Lewis	3-3	6	30	5.0	1	19	10.0
Danny Coale	3-3	27	286	10.6	0	28	10.0
Greg Boone	3-3	16	205	12.8	2	27	18.6
Andre Smith	3-1	10	129	12.9	1	40	11.7
Ike Whitaker	Suspended
Chris Drager	3-1	3	37	12.3	0	15	3.4
Xavier Boyce	3-0	1	7	7.0	0	7	2.3
Darren Evans	3-0	11	83	7.5	0	14	7.5
Jarrett Boykin	3-0	21	342	3.0	1	41	1.0
Victor Harris	2-2	8	63	7.9	0	16	5.1
Dustin Pickle	3-0	3	16	5.3	0	11	1.5
Total	3	30	255	8.5	1	62	85.0
Opponents	3	45	533	11.8	3	41	177.7

Defense

Name	GP/GS	Tackles				Sacks		Interceptions			Fumbles		Blkd Kick
		Total	Solo	Asst	TFL	No	Yds	No	Yds	TD	Rcv-Yds	FF
Brett Warren	3-3	26	8	18	.5							1
Purnell Sturdivant	3-3	24	6	18	1.0	1.0	2
Cam Martin	3-2	18	11	7	1.5	1.0	6					1
Kam Chancellor	3-3	15	6	9							1-0	1
Stephen Virgil	3-3	15	8	7	2.0			1	18		1-30
Cody Grimm	3-1	12	7	5	1.0			1	10			1
Jason Worilds	3-2	10	5	5	.5
Orion Martin	3-3	10	4	6	4.0	1.0	3
Davon Morgan	3-3	10	5	5
Nekos Brown	3-1	8	2	6	.5
Steven Friday	3-0	6	2	4
Victor Harris	2-2	6	0	6				6		2	1-0
Demetrius Taylor	3-0	5	1	4	.5						1-0
Barquell Rivers	3-0	5	2	3
Cordarrow Thompson	3-3	5	1	4	.5
Dorian Porch	3-0	5	3	2
John Graves	3-3	2	1	1	1.0								3
Total	3	210	96	114	13.0	3	11	2	28	0	5-30	4	3

Special teams

Name	Field Goals				Punting					Kickoffs
	FGM	FGA	Pct	Long	No.	Yds	Avg	Long	I20	No.	Yds	Avg	TB
Dustin Keys	3	4	75.0	25
Brent Bowden					14	584	41.7	55	4
Justin Myer										10	667	66.7	4
Tim Pisano										4	232	58.0	0
Total	3	4	75.0	25	14	584	41.7	55	4	14	899	64.2	4

Name	Kick Returns					Punt Returns
	No.	Yds	Avg	TD	Long	No.	Yds	Avg	TD	Long
Kenny Lewis	4	81	20.2	0	35
Davon Morgan	2	40	20.0	0	29
Chris Drager	1	6	6.0	0	6
Macho Harris						4	30	7.5	0	16
Total	7	127	18.1	0	35	4	30	7.5	16

References

https://hokiesports.com/news/2009/3/20/20090320aaa_6511

External links

Media related to 2008 Virginia Tech Hokies football team at Wikimedia Commons