BLACKSBURG, Va. – Despite yielding fewer than 15 points and 320 yards per game last season, longtime Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster referred to his unit, which returned just four starters, as "no-names." After holding Florida State without a touchdown for the first time in a home game in nearly 10 years, the 14th-ranked Hokies will try to remain humble and hungry when they host FCS foe William & Mary on Saturday.
TV: 2 p.m. ET, ACC Network Extra. LINE: None
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Behind a defense that forced five turnovers (three interceptions), returned a blocked punt for a touchdown and recorded five sacks, Virginia Tech demolished the Seminoles 24-3 and snapped an eight-game losing streak in Tallahassee dating back to 1974. Sophomore linebacker Rayshard Ashby had seven tackles, two for loss, and forced a fumble in his first career start, freshman defensive back Caleb Farley recorded a pair of interceptions and a sack in his first career game and defensive end Trevon Hill had three tackles for loss and two sacks. "It's gratifying tonight to come down here with a group of no-names, so to speak. And we stepped up," Foster said. "We told our kids, 'I don't care who they are. They don't know who you are.' Of the however many millions of people that watched the game tonight and the people that sat in the stadium and Hokie Nation, they're going to expect our kids to play a certain way - and that's our tradition. That's really what we wanted to focus on." Foster's crew got some help from talented sophomore quarterback Josh Jackson, who threw two touchdown passes and led an offense that didn't commit a turnover.
ABOUT WILLIAM & MARY (1-0)
The Tribe won their opener 14-7 last weekend at Bucknell, outgaining the Bison 348-257 and holding nearly a 15-minute advantage in time of possession. Shon Mitchell completed 21-of-32 passes for 267 yards and a touchdown, including a 75-yard TD to DeVonte Dedmon who hauled in a short pass and raced down the sidelines with the deciding score with 11:55 remaining. Linebacker Arman Jones totaled a career-high 10 tackles while safety Isaiah Laster recorded an interception in the end zone to halt a Bucknell scoring opportunity on the Bison's first drive.
ABOUT VIRGINIA TECH (1-0)
Jackson, who completed 16-of-26 passes for 207 yards, opened the scoring with a 10-yard TD pass to Ball State transfer Damon Hazelton, his first reception with the Hokies, before putting the game away when he hooked up with Eric Kumah on a nifty 49-yard pass-and-run TD. Kumah also scored on the blocked punt - the team's 75th blocked punt since 1987. Deshawn McClease led the ground attack with 77 yards on 13 carries while Kumah hauled in four passes for 86 more.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Virginia Tech beat William & Mary 34-9 in the 2014 opener.
2. The Hokies have won seven straight games against FCS foes since losing to James Madison in 2010.
3. The Hokies defense held Florida State to no gain or a loss on 35 of the 63 plays.
PREDICTION: Virginia Tech 49, William & Mary 7