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Virginia Tech's Dyrell Roberts (left) catches a touchdown pass from Tyrod Taylor in front of Rashad Carmichael.
Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor (5) stretches for the goal line but gets stopped short by Demetrius Taylor (56) on the final play of the Maroon-White game in Blacksburg. |
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
BLACKSBURG--
A beautiful spring day and a team with high expectations proved to be the perfect combination for a big crowd yesterday at Lane Stadium.It led to an estimated 41,000 showing up to see the Virginia Tech spring football game, the largest spring-game crowd in school history.
"You know when you're coming into the game and they say every hotel around Blacksburg and Christiansburg is sold out, it motivates us," Virginia Tech rising sophomore wide receiver Dyrell Roberts said. "This is one of the biggest crowds some of the players have played [in front of]."
The crowd left with reason to be excited.
The defending Atlantic Coast Conference and Orange Bowl champions return 14 starters. They open the regular season Sept. 5 against Alabama in Atlanta.
"Our expectations are as high as ever," Roberts said. "We know if we put the work in, we've got a good chance of going however high we want to go. There's no limit to what we can do."
The Hokies' offense had a limit last year, and was far from explosive.
That may be different this year, largely because of the maturation of Roberts and junior quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
Taylor said he has a different feeling than in the past two years, because with the graduation of Sean Glennon he knows he's the starter from Day One.
"Leadership, being more vocal, that's the main thing," Taylor said. "But as far as the competition thing, there's always going to be competition. Your place is never set in stone."
The addition of redshirt freshman running back Ryan Williams should help Virginia Tech's offense, too.
Williams accumulated 152 yards from scrimmage and scored on a 56-yard touchdown reception after a dump-off pass from reserve quarterback Ju-Ju Clayton yesterday. Williams' Maroon team won the game 13-7.
"I came with a sense that [the fans] had high expectations for me," Williams said.
That's because the Manassas native and Stonewall High School grad was rated the No. 3 running back in the country by recruiting service rivals.com in 2008.
Williams appears poised to become the Hokies' primary backup behind standout Darren Evans, who sat out yesterday's game with an ankle injury.
"I thought Ryan Williams showed a lot of explosiveness," Hokies head coach Frank Beamer said. "'Explosiveness' is the word with him. He runs with quickness, but the pile kept moving there a couple times. One guy usually doesn't bring him down."
Roberts didn't disappoint either.
He had four receptions for 65 yards, including a 3-yard scoring grab from Taylor.
Roberts had 17 catches for 227 yards last year, and he didn't score a touchdown.
The ex-Smithfield High running back said he had no knowledge of the position last season, but that's all changed.
Teammates and coaches said he's playing faster because there's no hesitancy in decision-making.
"Last year, I didn't really know the receiving spot," Roberts said. "I would watch the film and things like that, but I didn't have a clue what I was watching."
JOHNSON MOST IMPROVED
Stafford High grad Jake Johnson was awarded the Dr. Richard Bullock Award at the end of spring practice. The award is presented to the most improved players on the team. Three players received the award for offense, but Johnson, a sophomore linebacker, was the only defensive selection.
Johnson, who is expected to start at inside linebacker, had four tackles yesterday, including one for a loss.
HAMLETTE GETS SACK
Brooke Point grad Isaiah Hamlette, a Tech backup defensive end, had two tackles yesterday, including a sack of Clayton for a 7-yard loss.
Former North Stafford standout defensive tackle Cordarrow Thompson had one tackle yesterday. Thompson started at defensive tackle for the Hokies last season.
Taft Coghill Jr.: 540/374-5526
Email: tcoghill@freelancestar.com
