By Jimmy Robertson
BLACKSBURG – Four days after Virginia Tech's six-overtime epic victory over North Carolina in the longest game in ACC history, Quincy Patterson is still sifting through text and voice mail messages.
"Probably too many to count," Patterson said, smiling, when asked the number during a session with the media Tuesday morning.
The Chicago native entered the North Carolina game as the third-team quarterback, and now he is the big man on campus. Tech's coaches elected to insert Patterson with 3:40 left in the third quarter, and the redshirt freshman guided the Hokies to a victory, moving them to 5-2 overall on the season and 2-2 in the ACC's Coastal Division – and preserving the team's chances at a divisional crown in what is shaping up to be a zany final five weeks of the season.
Patterson's two-point conversion run in the sixth overtime was the difference and set off a wild celebration at Lane Stadium on Saturday – one that also carried into downtown Blacksburg well into the night.
"It was really surreal," Patterson said of the experience. "That's probably the best word I can use. It was a really cool opportunity to have and it was cool to make the most out of it. The results showed."
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Patterson led Tech on two scoring drives in the fourth quarter, including one that ended with his 53-yard touchdown run that tied the game at 31 and sent it into overtime.
The two teams exchanged field goals in the first overtime, and then North Carolina grabbed a 41-34 lead in the second overtime. On Tech's possession, it faced a fourth-and-3 from the 18, and offensive coordinator Brad Cornelsen made a bold call, sending in a play that asked for Patterson to throw the fade to Damon Hazelton.
Patterson delivered the best throw of his life. He lofted the ball just over Hazelton's outside shoulder away from the defender, and Hazelton made a one-handed grab in the end zone to allow Tech to tie the game.
"It was the right look," Tech offensive coordinator Brad Cornelsen said. "The people were in the right spots and executed. I think the people that aren't involved in the game get more caught up in the actual situation than probably the coaches and the players. You operate like you've always done and call the best play you have and the players go execute it. It was a great job by those guys doing what they're supposed to be doing and not letting that moment interfere with what they've been coached to do."
"I was kind of surprised that was the call," Patterson admitted. "When he called it, I knew we had to execute it regardless if I thought that was going to be the play call or not. It was the call, and it was a great look. Dam [Hazelton) is a great player, and you know, he made a great catch – and we ended up scoring."
The lumbering 245-pound quarterback finished with 122 yards rushing on 21 carries on a day when the Hokies piled up a season-high 254 yards rushing. He also completed 3-of-6 for 54 yards and a touchdown.
Tech expects Hendon Hooker, who started the game and left in the second quarter with an injury, to return for the Notre Dame game. But the staff also knows that it needs to develop Patterson in the passing game for the future.
"The way the game plays out when it's close or you're ahead obviously gives you the opportunity to do whatever you want to do to some extent," Cornelsen said. "When you get behind and you feel like you've got to open it up a little more, then sometimes you don't have a choice. Certainly what we're doing with Quincy works toward his strengths. That's what we're going to continue to do.
"We're going to have to throw the ball more with him in there. He knows that, and I know that. Everybody knows that, and he can, and we'll continue to develop in that area. Certainly what he adds as a guy carrying the ball back there is what his strength is and what we're going to continue to work through."
"It'll definitely be different considering what I've done in the past practices, but I think I'm prepared for it," Patterson said of throwing more. "I think they'll get me ready for it as well. I think the game Saturday showed some type of potential for that to be, like, an actual threat. It'll be interesting to see."
Here are some more notes from Tuesday's news conference:
KEENE ENJOYS RB DUTIES
Looking for size at the running back position, Tech's staff tinkered with Dalton Keene as a tailback in certain situations in the weeks leading up to the North Carolina game, and then the coaches unveiled Keene in that role on Saturday. A former high school tailback, Keene carried the ball seven times for 25 yards in the victory over the Tar Heels, though he fumbled once.
"To be honest with you, I thought I might get one or two [carries]," Keene said. "I've been nagging Coach Cornelsen for a while now to let me play some running back, but we've got a lot of great backs, and I'm pretty happy they let me fit in that room a little bit. So that was really cool, but I didn't realize I would be playing it the majority of the game."
Tech also has used James Mitchell, another tight end, in the backfield this season, though mostly in a goal line role. Mitchell has carried the ball three times – all for touchdowns.
Cornelsen expects to continue using both Mitchell and Keene in the backfield in certain situations, at least until the 221-pound Jalen Holston returns to the field. Holston has missed the past six games with an injury.
Cornelsen likes having a 250-pound tight end in the backfield with the ability to run and block, especially someone with the versatility of Keene.
"First of all, thinking of him back there as a guy that can protect on third-and-long," Cornelsen said. "It gives you a bigger body to protect against blitzes. Just what he's shown us with the ball, he's run physical. There's a little more instinct there than what I think you would think of as a typical tight end. He's just so smart. He can go execute with very little practice at certain things. We'll continue to use him in as many different ways as we can."
MANAGING THE REDSHIRT SITUATION
Rob Porcher's decision to transfer last week and DaShawn Crawford's injury left the Hokies a little thin at the defensive tackle position, and prompted defensive coordinator Bud Foster and defensive line coach Charley Wiles to play Jaden Cunningham, a junior college transfer, against the Tar Heels. The 306-pound Cunningham missed the first several games with a foot injury, and Tech's staff wants him take a redshirt year. Cunningham still can play in three more games and preserve that redshirt season.
Going forward, Foster hinted that he may play alternate between playing Cunningham and freshman Josh Fuga to gain some depth and yet still preserve the redshirt seasons of both. Fuga, a 308-pounder, has not played in a game this season.
"That's the nice thing with this new rule. You can get four games in," Foster said. "I'm really excited about both of those young men. Jaden is a big, physical kid. He's a hard spot in there. Fuga is the same way. Jaden's a little more mature from an age standpoint and a little more mature physically. Not in very good shape. I asked him today about his foot, and he said, 'My foot's feeling better. My lungs are burning a little bit.'
"We're going to do it by committee, but they give us something that Rob didn't. Rob had a little bit of athleticism, but not very strong at the point of attack. He just hasn't had an opportunity to get in the weight room a lot, with shoulder surgeries and things of that nature. Those two guys, and the other two freshmen, Mario [Kendricks] and Norell [Pollard], they give us a little bit of something that Rob didn't, particularly Jaden and Josh. They're bigger bodies and can hold the point a little more. Josh has continued to get better and improve and was excited about the opportunity to play, and Jaden got an opportunity. But we've got to pick our time with those four games. Obviously, those times are winding down, with us having just five regular season games left."
CHATMAN SEES EXTENSIVE ACTION
Armani Chatman, a 5-foot-11, 195-pound cornerback, played in two games last season before redshirting and has played in all seven games this season – but never seeing as much time as he did Saturday.
The redshirt freshman played the entire second half after Caleb Farley went out with an injury, and he held up well. He finished with five tackles, though he allowed a touchdown pass in the fourth overtime period that gave North Carolina a 41-34 lead.
"Pretty solid game for the first one, first real action," Chatman said, assessing his performance. "I played, I believe, 50 snaps and had two passes caught on me. Made the tackles. I felt confident, and everyone else felt confident in me. It's just bringing me along now, so I've just got to maintain and continue to be ready to play."
Tech's staff expects Farley back for the Notre Dame game. But the coaches gained confidence in Chatman, and he may work more in a rotation going forward.
"I thought he stepped in nicely," Foster said. "He played behind the receiver on the goal line there. They scored there on the pylon, but that was a good teaching moment. Luckily, it didn't cost us the game, but Armani has continued to improve. Has a lot of abilities. Has a really good skill set. Is going to continue to play a bigger role, and he's done some good things on special teams.
"Obviously, as he showed the other day, he's a play away from being the guy. His practice habits have continued to improve. I think that's probably his biggest challenge, in my opinion, is challenging him to understand that that position at this level, you have to be locked in physically and mentally play after play after play and play at a high level. That's his biggest challenge right now. He's learning how to do that and be an all-the-time guy. Once he gets that and understand that completely, I think he's got a chance to be a really good football player with his skill set."
