Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Michael Holmes scored two touchdowns, Cody Journell hit three field goals and the Hokies’ defense recorded nine sacks to headline a scrimmage at Lane Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Tech’s first-team defense played well throughout, allowing just a lone touchdown on Martin Scales’ 1-yard run after the second-team offense got the ball at the defense’s 17-yard line. The first-team defense faced the first-team offense on three series in the nearly 100-play scrimmage and allowed just one first down.
Offensively, Holmes scored on runs of 19 yards and 1 yard, with both scores coming against the second-team defense. He finished with 41 yards rushing on seven carries.
“There were some good plays on both sides,” Tech head coach Frank Beamer said. “I think as a football team, we’ve got to be sharper. We looked like we were right in the middle of preseason. I didn’t feel the sharpness and quickness. We’ll take a look at the video. I think we’re going to find there’s a lot to improve on right now.”
J.C. Coleman scored on a 2-yard run against the second-team defense, as the offense had four rushing touchdowns on the day. Coleman finished with 29 yards rushing on eight carries. Freshman Trey Edmunds led all carriers with 57 yards on 12 carries, while Scales rushed for 42 on 10 carries.
Quarterbacks Logan Thomas and Trey Gresh threw touchdown passes in the scrimmage. Thomas completed 11 of 20 for 160 yards, with an 11-yard touchdown strike to tight end Ryan Malleck. Gresh, who completed 5 of 10 – all against the third-team defense – threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Willie Byrn.
Backup quarterback Mark Leal completed 7 of 12 for 70 yards, but was intercepted once by cornerback Donovan Riley and sacked six times. Eight receivers caught two passes each, with tight end Duan Perez-Means leading the way with 53 yards in receptions.
Greg Jones, the third-team free safety, led all defenders with six tackles – five solo. Desmond Frye, another safety, had six tackles as well, three solo. Boye Aromire, Donaldven Manning, Bruce Taylor and Antoine Hopkins each recorded five tackles.
Jeron Gouveia-Winslow had two of the nine sacks. Recording individual sacks were Dewayne Alford, Corey Marshall, Luther Maddy, Deon Clarke, Ronny Vandyke and Ken Ekanem.
Journell booted field goals of 39, 25 and 22 yards, while Brooks Abbott connected from 26 yards. A.J. Hughes led the way in punting, averaging 41.8 yards per punt on four punts, with a long of 48.
The scrimmage marked Tech’s final open scrimmage. The Hokies will have a closed scrimmage on Saturday and then begin preparing for Georgia Tech.
The Hokies open the season against the Yellow Jackets on Labor Day night. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m.