Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Logan Thomas threw for 131 yards and two touchdowns to guide the Maroon team to a 27-0 victory over the White team, as the Hokies wrapped up spring practice with the annual Maroon-White game played Saturday afternoon at Lane Stadium.
Thomas completed 10 of 21 on the afternoon, with the two touchdowns and two interceptions, and he also rushed for a game-high 37 yards. His touchdown passes covered 26 and 21 yards to receiver Marcus Davis.
In the scrimmages this spring and the Maroon-White game, Thomas completed 50 of 91 for 743 yards, with six touchdowns and three interceptions.
“I knew that I had to get a lot better and progress a lot more to gain the confidence of my teammates and have them believe in me,” Thomas said. “I think I did so. I think I played pretty well today, and I think I showed that I’m capable of carrying this offense.”
His 26-yard strike to Davis in the first quarter capped a seven-play, 62-yard drive and gave the Maroon team a 7-0 lead. The 21-yard strike –in which Thomas pumped and got redshirt freshman defensive back Detrick Bonner to bite on it – wrapped up a five-play, 54-yard drive, giving the Maroon squad a 14-0 lead near the end of the first half.
Davis led all receivers with six catches for 61 yards. He caught 23 passes for 297 yards and four touchdowns combined in the Hokies’ scrimmages and the Maroon-White game.
“I think I had a good spring,” Davis said. “There’s still a lot I have to improve upon. I wouldn’t call it a great spring. I’d call it a good spring. My big thing was to be consistent, not to come out one scrimmage and do something and then the next scrimmage not do it. I wanted to do something more the next scrimmage. I feel like I’ve got a lot to improve upon heading into the fall.”
“I told him the other day he’s getting ready to make a lot of money if he keeps going in the direction he’s going,” Tech head coach Frank Beamer said of Davis. “He’s athletic. He can vertical jump in the 40’s, and that’s a big body going up that high. He’s had a great spring. He’s taken his game to another step.”
The Maroon team also got a special teams touchdown. Late in the first half, Jayron Hosley fielded a Danny Coale punt and returned it 61 yards for a score. That made the score 21-0.
The Maroon team’s other scores came on field goals. Cody Journell connected on a 26-yarder in the third quarter and Conor Goulding nailed a 37-yarder early in the fourth.
The Maroon team defense – which featured seven projected starters for the 2011 season – held the White team to just 83 yards of offense and recorded seven sacks and two interceptions. J.R. Collins led the way with a huge game from his defensive end spot, recording two sacks and a hurry and also forcing a fumble. Jeron Gouveia-Winslow had a sack and two hurries and recovered a fumble.
“I feel like we’re playing and one guy is getting better and the next guy is getting better and the next guy is trying to top that guy,” Collins said of Tech’s first-team defense. “There’s a lot of competition within the group, and as soon as we take the season on, we’re going to put on a show."
Others recording sacks were Antoine Hopkins, who had 1.5, Tariq Edwards (1), Brian Laiti (1) and Duan Perez-Means (.5). Kyle Fuller and Derek DiNardo each had an interception for the Maroon team.
For the White squad, Telvion Clark finished with a game-high nine tackles, including one for a loss. Detrick Bonner had five tackles and broke up a pass, and both Cris Hill and Wiley Brown each had an interception. James Gayle had two tackles and a sack.
Offensively, Mark Leal paced the White team, completing 3 of 6 for 34 yards. Ju-Ju Clayton was 3 of 10 for 27 yards and two interceptions.
From a punting perspective, five players punted, including receiver Danny Coale, who averaged a game-best 44 yards per punt on three punts. Ethan Keyserling averaged 43.5 yards per punt on two punts.
The Hokies open the 2011 season at home on Sept. 3 against Appalachian State.
“I think the challenge every year is to get the chemistry right on this team and how good we can become and how quickly we can do that,” Beamer said. “You hate to see those seniors leave and we had some great ones leave, so there’s the challenge with the guys we’ve got coming back.
“I do know this. Your team starts with your quarterback, and I feel like we’ve got a good one. We’ve got a good starting point with that quarterback position.”
The following is a list of award winners from the 2011 spring practice:
• Paul Torgersen Award (top newcomers during spring practice) – Offense: Andrew Miller; Defense: Derrick Hopkins
• President’s Award (players who demonstrate the most outstanding leadership during the offseason program and spring workouts) – Offense: Danny Coale; Defense: Eddie Whitley
• Dr. Richard Bullock Award (players who show the most improvement during spring workouts) – Offense: David Wang; Defense: Tariq Edwards
• Frank O. Moseley Award (players who exhibit the most hustle during the offseason and spring workouts) – Offense: Andrew Lanier; Defense: Jeron Gouveia-Winslow
• Coaches Award (players who had an exceptional spring) – Offense: Jarrett Boykin; Defense: Jayron Hosley
• George Preas Award (MVP’s of spring practice) – Offense: Logan Thomas; Defense: James Gayle
• Don Williams TEAM UNITED Award (the offensive and defensive player who put the team first) – Offense: Blake DeChristopher; Defense: Barquell Rivers