Hokie ClubLANDOVER, MARYLAND – Virginia Tech rallied from a 17-point deficit, but Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore threw an 13-yard touchdown pass to Austin Pettis with 1:09 left to lift the Broncos past the Hokies 33-30 in a wild season opener played Monday night at FedExField.
The loss marked Tech’s third straight in a season opener.
Despite trailing for much of the game, Tech managed to grab the lead when Tyrod Taylor found Jarrett Boykin for a 28-yard scoring strike with 2:40 left in the third quarter. The Hokies went for two points, and while the conversion failed, they still led 27-26. A Chris Hazley field goal with 7:38 left in the game increased the bulge to 30-26.
With 1:47 left in the game, Boise State took over on its own 44 and marched 56 yards in five plays. The drive ended when Moore found Pettis for the score with 69 seconds remaining to give the Broncos a 33-30 lead.
Tech’s David Wilson returned the ensuing kickoff to the Tech 34 with 1:02 to go. But two incompletions sandwiched around a 1-yard sack left the Hokies in a fourth-and-11 situation. Taylor tried to hit Boykin on the sideline, but Boykin couldn’t come down with the catch, thus giving the ball back to Boise State. The Broncos ran out the clock to preserve the win.
“I firmly believe we’re going to be a good football team,” Tech head coach Frank Beamer said. “We weren’t a great football team tonight. We made too many critical mistakes, but I firmly believe we’re going to be a good football team.
“I’m proud of the effort we gave. I’m proud of what we’re all about. I’m just not proud of how we’re not playing consistently right now.”
It turned out to be a mistake-filled evening for Tech, particularly on special teams. A blocked punt led to Boise State’s first touchdown, and a running-into-the-kicker penalty by Tech’s D.J. Coles gave Boise State a first down on a drive that led to another touchdown. Also, the Hokies’ kickoff specialist, Justin Myer, kicked a ball out of bounds, and Hazley missed a short field goal in the second quarter.
“The blocked kick, you could have blocked that kick,” Beamer joked to the reporter who asked about Tech’s special teams. “That was a new guy communicating with a new guy. We turned their best punt blocker [Austin Pettis] loose. We’ve got to get that corrected.
“Then we’re kicking with the wind and we kick the ball out of bounds [Myer’s kickoff]. There were just some things there that weren’t Virginia Tech. But again, it’s the first game and I know we’re going to be a good football team.”
Taylor paced the Hokies offensively, completing 15-of-22 for 186 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 73 yards on 16 carries.
The Hokies, though, finished with just 128 yards rushing. Ryan Williams rushed for 44 yards on 21 carries, though he scored two touchdowns on 1-yard runs and caught a touchdown pass.
“We’ve got to look at the film and figure out what was going on,” Williams said of the rushing attack. “All I know was there were a lot of times when I got the ball and there were defenders in my face. I don’t know who let who by or what type of scheme they ran, but there were people in my face.
“Talent-wise, I felt like we had the upper hand. But they were more disciplined and prepared better than us. When you stop our running game – and we’re a running offense - it’s hard to get in the groove of things.”
Boykin led all receivers with 102 yards on six catches.
Moore completed 23-of-38 for 215 yards and three scores for Boise State. Doug Martin and D.J. Harper rushed for 83 and 80 yards, respectively.
Tech returns to action next Saturday for its home opener when the Hokies take on James Madison at Lane Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 1:30 p.m.